Lam Research Corporation

Michael G R Smith

John Martin De Larios

Michael Ravkin

Andras Kuthi

Carl Woods

Mikhail Korolik

John P Parks

Andrew D Bailey, Iii

John Boyd

Fritz C Redeker

Alan M Schoepp

William Thie

Thomas W Anderson

Christian DiPietro

Adrien Lavoie

Ramesh Chandrasekharan

Robert J O'Donnell

Mark Henry Wilcoxson

Pulkit Agarwal

Paul Konkola

James Paul Garcia

Ravi Kumar

Michael Philip Roberts

Brian Joseph Williams

A method for evacuating a volume below a substrate in a substrate processing system includes arranging the substrate on a lift mechanism of a substrate support to define the volume below the substrate between the substrate and an upper surface of the substrate support. An evacuation step is initiated to evacuate the volume below the substrate. The evacuation step includes pumping down the volume below the substrate at least one of through and around the lift mechanism. The lift mechanism is lowered during the evacuation step to position the substrate on the upper surface of the substrate support and the evacuation step is terminated.

Use of vacuum during transfer of substrates

A method for preparing a surface of a substrate is provided. The method includes scanning the surface of the substrate by a meniscus, preparing the surface of the substrate using the meniscus, and performing a next preparation operation on the surface of the substrate that was prepared without performing a rinsing operation.

Proximity substrate preparation sequence, and method, apparatus, and system for implementing the same

A system and method of cleaning a substrate includes a megasonic chamber that includes a transducer and a substrate. The transducer is being oriented toward the substrate. A variable distance d separates the transducer and the substrate. The system also includes a dynamically adjustable RF generator that has an output coupled to the transducer.

Megasonic cleaning efficiency using auto-tuning of a RF generator at constant maximum efficiency

Among the many embodiment, in one embodiment, a method for processing a substrate is disclosed which includes generating a fluid layer on a surface of the substrate, the fluid layer defining a fluid meniscus. The generating includes moving a head in proximity to the surface, applying a fluid from the head to the surface while the head is in proximity to the surface of the substrate to define the fluid layer, and removing the fluid from the surface through the proximity head by a vacuum. The fluid travels along the fluid layer between the head and the substrate at a velocity that increases as the head is in closer proximity to the surface.

Methods for processing wafer surfaces using thin, high velocity fluid layer

An apparatus for generating a fluid meniscus to process a substrate is provided. The apparatus includes a manifold head with a manifold surface having a plurality of conduits configured to generate a fluid meniscus on a substrate surface when positioned proximate the substrate. The manifold head has a plurality of passages capable of communicating fluids with the plurality of conduits. The apparatus also includes an interface membrane attached to a portion of the manifold head. The interface membrane is configured to block a portion of the plurality of conduits during operation.

Substrate proximity processing structures

An apparatus for processing a substrate is provided which includes a first manifold module to generate a fluid meniscus on a substrate surface. The apparatus also includes a second manifold module to connect with the first manifold module and also to move the first manifold module into close proximity to the substrate surface to generate the fluid meniscus.

Proximity meniscus manifold

Method and apparatus for processing wafer surfaces using thin, high velocity fluid layer

An apparatus for generating a fluid meniscus to be formed on a surface of a substrate is provided including a housing where the housing includes a housing surface to be placed proximate to a substrate surface of the substrate. The housing further includes a process configuration receiving region that is surrounded by the housing surface. The apparatus also includes a process configuration insert which has an insert surface where the process configuration insert is defined to fit within the process configuration receiving region of the housing such that the insert surface and the housing surface define a proximity face that can be placed proximate to the substrate surface of the substrate.

Substrate proximity processing housing and insert for generating a fluid meniscus

Megasonic cleaning efficiency using auto-tuning of an RF generator at constant maximum efficiency

In one of the many embodiments, a method for processing a substrate is disclosed which includes generating a first fluid meniscus and a second fluid meniscus at least partially surrounding the first fluid meniscus wherein the first fluid meniscus and the second fluid meniscus are generated on a surface of the substrate.

Concentric proximity processing head

An antenna arrangement for generating an electric field inside a process chamber is provided. Generally, the antenna arrangement comprises a first loop disposed around an antenna axis. The first loop comprises a first turn with a first turn gap; a second turn with a second turn gap, where the second turn is concentric and coplanar with the first turn and spaced apart from the first turn, and where the antenna axis passes through the center of the first turn and second turn; and a first turn-second turn connector electrically connected between a second end of the first turn and a first end of the second turn comprising a spanning section between and coplanar with the first turn and the second turn and which spans the first turn gap and the second turn gap.

Method and apparatus for producing uniform process rates

A plasma processing system that includes a temperature management system and method that can achieve very accurate temperature control over a plasma processing apparatus is disclosed. In one embodiment, the temperature management system and method operate to achieve tight temperature control over surfaces of the plasma processing apparatus which interact with the plasma during fabrication of semiconductor devices. The tight temperature control offered by the invention can be implemented with combination heating and cooling blocks such that both heating and cooling can be provided from the same thermal interface.

Growing community of inventors

Dublin, CA, United States of America

Michael G R Smith