Applied Materials, Inc.

Lam Research Corporation

Ming-Kuei Tseng

Steven M Zuniga

John Edward Daugherty

John Stephen Drewery

Dan A Marohl

Tom A Kamp

Haoquan Yan

Ali Sucipto Tan

Bruce Edmund Freeman

Ralph M Wadensweiler

Liang-Yuh Chen

Feng Quan Liu

Stan D Tsai

Yan Wang

Shou-Sung Chang

Paul D Butterfield

Lizhong Sun

Alain Duboust

Rashid Mavliev

Yongqi Hu

Antoine P Manens

Donald J K Olgado

Siew Neo

Michael W Richter

A processing chamber such as a plasma etch chamber can perform deposition and etch operations, where byproducts of the deposition and etch operations can build up in a vacuum pump system fluidly coupled to the processing chamber. A vacuum pump system may have multiple roughing pumps so that etch gases can be diverted a roughing pump and deposition precursors can be diverted to another roughing pump. A divert line may route unused deposition precursors through a separate roughing pump. Deposition byproducts can be prevented from forming by incorporating one or more gas ejectors or venturi pumps at an outlet of a primary pump in a vacuum pump system. Cleaning operations, such as waferless automated cleaning operations, using certain clean chemistries may remove deposition byproducts before or after etch operations.

Vacuum pump protection against deposition byproduct buildup

A retaining ring has a generally annular body with a top surface, a bottom surface, an inner diameter surface, and an outer diameter surface. The outer diameter surface includes an outwardly projecting flange having a lower surface, and the bottom surface includes a plurality of channels.

Retaining ring with tapered inner surface

Embodiments of the invention generally provide a method and apparatus for processing a substrate in an electrochemical mechanical planarizing system. In one embodiment, a cell for polishing a substrate includes a processing pad disposed on a top surface of a platen assembly. A plurality of conductive elements are arranged in a spaced-apart relation across the upper planarizing surface and adapted to bias the substrate relative to an electrode disposed between the pad and the platen assembly. A plurality of passages are formed through the platen assembly between the top surface and a plenum defined within the platen assembly. In another embodiment, a system is provided having a bulk processing cell and a residual processing cell. The residual processing cell includes a biased conductive planarizing surface. In further embodiments, the conductive element is protected from attack by process chemistries.

Method and apparatus for electrochemical mechanical processing

Retaining ring with flange for chemical mechanical polishing

A retaining ring having a bottom portion that is removable from the ring's upper portion is described. The upper and lower portions of the retaining ring include one or more magnetic bodies and/or one or more bodies formed of a material that is attracted to magnets.

Magnetically secured retaining ring

A carrier head includes a housing connectable to a drive shaft to rotate therewith, a lower assembly having a substrate mounting surface, and a gimbal mechanism that connects the housing to the lower assembly to permit the lower assembly to pivot with respect to the housing about an axis substantially parallel to the polishing surface. The gimbal mechanism includes a shaft having an upper end slidably disposed in a vertical passage in a vertical passage in the housing, and a lower member that connects a lower end of the shaft to the lower assembly. The lower member bends to permit the base to pivot with respect to the housing. The shaft and the lower member are a unitary body.

Carrier head with gimbal mechanism

A carrier head for chemical mechanical polishing of a substrate having a front surface, a back surface and an edge. The carrier head has a base, an inner retaining ring positioned beneath the base, and an outer retaining ring surrounding the inner retaining ring to retain the inner retaining ring. The inner retaining ring has a main portion with a first surface to apply a load to a perimeter portion of the back surface of the substrate and an annular lower projection protruding downwardly from the main portion with a second surface to circumferentially surround the edge of the substrate to retain the substrate.

Carrier head with edge load retaining ring

A retaining ring has an inner core of a first material and an outer layer of a second, different material that is deposited on the first material. The outer layer can be deposited by spraying, e.g., by powder coating, and can be a polymer, e.g., polyetheretherketone.

Retainer with a wear surface for chemical mechanical polishing

A carrier head for a chemical mechanical polishing system includes a flexible membrane with a substrate receiving surface, a sensor mechanism to determine if a substrate is properly attached to the carrier head, and means for preventing fluid that may be located between the substrate and the flexible membrane from interfering with the substrate detection mechanism.

Carrier head with a substrate sensor

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San Jose, CA, United States of America

Ming-Kuei Tseng