Novellus Systems Incorporated

Other

Lam Research Corporation

Paul Franzen

Thomas Laursen

Justin M Quarantello

Sudeep Kumar Lahiri

Tuan Anh Nguyen

Adrien Lavoie

Brian J Brown

Shankar Swaminathan

Purushottam Kumar

Hu Kang

Seshasayee Varadarajan

Frank Loren Pasquale

David Charles Smith

Jun Qian

Chloe Baldasseroni

Jennifer Leigh Petraglia

Peter S Thaulad

Rich Blank

Karl Kasprzyk

Wayne Tang

Kevin Bertsch

Ken Reynolds

Steven Reynolds

Thomas Stotts

Trung T Le

Methods for depositing film on substrates are provided. In these embodiments, the substrates are processed in batches. Due to changing conditions within a reaction chamber as additional substrates in the batch are processed, various film properties may trend over the course of a batch. The methods herein can be used to address the trending of film properties over the course of a batch. More specifically, film property trending is minimized by changing the amount of RF power used to process substrates over the course of the batch. Such methods are sometimes referred to as RF compensation methods.

Method for RF compensation in plasma assisted atomic layer deposition

Methods and apparatuses for calibrating eddy current sensors. A calibration curve is formed relating thickness of a conductive layer in a magnetic field to a value measured by the eddy current sensors or a value derived from such measurement, such as argument of impedance. The calibration curve may be an analytic function having infinite number terms, such as trigonometric, hyperbolic, and logarithmic, or a continuous plurality of functions, such as lines. High accuracy allows the omission of optical sensors, and use of eddy current sensors for endpoint detection, transition call detection, and closed loop control in which a process parameter is changed based on the measured magnetic flux density change in one or more processing zones.

Methods for monitoring thickness of a conductive layer

Methods and apparatuses for determining thickness of a conductive layer

A platen assembly is provided for supporting a polish pad of the type utilized to planarize a wafer. The platen assembly comprises a sensor system and a polish platen having a first surface for supporting the polish pad. The sensor system comprises a flexible sensor and a flexible circuit operatively coupled to the sensor controller. The flexible circuit includes a first flexible sensor disposed proximate the first surface.

Platen assembly and work piece carrier head employing flexible circuit sensor

A work piece handling apparatus moves workpieces with a plurality of independently movable load cups that have combined multiple axes of motion. The apparatus can load and unload work pieces from a wet process station and move work pieces between wet process stations and maintain wet chemistry delivery to the workpiece without involving a robot. A method of work piece handling using the apparatus provides a significant throughput improvement by reducing the inherent time lag of pneumatic systems and eliminating multiple steps involving the robot during inter-station wafer transfer.

High throughput servo load cup with integrated wet chemistry delivery

A method is provided for measuring edge exclusion on a workpiece that includes a wafer having a film disposed thereon. The method is performed by a CMP system employing a platen and a thickness sensor coupled to the platen and positioned to repeatedly travel a path over the edge of the film during polishing. The method comprises measuring the thickness of the workpiece during selected iterations of the probe path, and establishing from the wafer thickness measurements the length of time the probe is over the film (t) during the selected iterations. Edge exclusion is determined for at least one iteration utilizing a function related to t.

Method for monitoring edge exclusion during chemical mechanical planarization

Methods are provided for monitoring a CMP process. An exemplary method comprises generating a plurality of thickness measurements of a metal layer using an in-situ eddy current measuring system. The thickness measurements are analyzed to derive a plurality of work piece metrics and the work piece metrics are assessed to determine if a predetermined number is within a predetermined specification. A signal is generated if the predetermined number of the work piece metrics is outside the predetermined specification.

Methods for monitoring a chemical mechanical planarization process of a metal layer using an in-situ eddy current measuring system

Methods are provided for controlling adjustable pressure zones of a CMP carrier. A method comprises determining a first thickness of a layer on a wafer underlying a first zone of the carrier. A first portion of the layer underlying the first zone is removed. The first zone is configured to exert a first pressure against the second surface of the wafer. A second thickness of the layer underlying the first zone is determined and a target thickness corresponding to a predetermined thickness profile is selected. A second pressure for the first zone is calculated using the first thickness, the second thickness, the first pressure, and the target thickness. The pressure exerted by the first zone against the second surface of the wafer is adjusted to the second pressure and the steps are repeated for a second zone.

Methods for controlling the pressures of adjustable pressure zones of a work piece carrier during chemical mechanical planarization

A mount for interposition between an electrode holder and an electrode for electrical discharge machining (EDM). The mount is cast from material such as aluminum or zinc. The mount has a shank portion that is connectable to the electrode holder and a connector portion or tip portion that is connectable to the electrode. The tip portion has a gluing surface that is dimensioned to be glued with a corresponding surface on the electrode. A plurality of deformable ears cast onto the gluing surface of the mount project outward and deform in contact with the electrode when the electrode and the mount are connected and bonded by glue, to thereby provide good electrical contact therebetween. The tip portion may also include grooves cast therein for receiving glue thereby improving the glue bond strength between the electrode and the mount. The mount includes an axial passage to provide for dielectric fluid flow therethrough. The shank portion includes a recess increasing the number of contact points between the mount and the electrode holder. A raised lip may be cast into the mount around the axial passageway to act as a seal between the electrode holder and the mount to prevent leakage of dielectric fluid therebetween.

Cast mount for interposition between an electrode holder and metal burning electrode for use in electrical discharge machining

An orthopedic pillow for helping to correct and helping to prevent hyperkyphosis and rigidity of the thoracic spine and for returning the normal lordotic cervical curve comprises a base panel having a first end portion, a second end portion, a left top surface segment extending between the first end portion and the second end portion, and a right top surface segment extending between the first end portion and the second end portion, a first crown for supporting the thoracic spine, the first crown being formed on the first end portion of the base panel, extending toward the second end portion of the base panel, and dividing at least partially the left top surface segment from the right top surface segment, and a transition ramp formed in the first end portion of the first crown for supporting the spine just under and below the shoulder blades of a reclining person. Other embodiments of the invention include a cylindrical pillow having a transition ramp, a removable pillow apparatus for supporting the neck of a person sitting in a bucket seat of a car, and a chair having a pillow having a substantially semi-cylindrical shape with a center axis that extends between its upper end portion and its lower end portion.

Orthopedic pillow

Orthopedic pillow and method of using it

A wrist brace to prevent injury to persons such as concrete finishers who repetitively use their arms to support themselves or exert pressure against an object is disclosed. The wrist brace has a support element for maintaining the wearer's hand in a clenched fist configuration and a planar alignment of the hand, wrist and forearm. The support element is secured to the dorsal side of the wearer's arm by straps. The brace has a hand strap for securing the support element against the hand and maintaining the hand in a clenched fist during use of the brace. The support element also has cushioning such as foamed polyurethane adjacent to the wearer's arm. The support element may also have a hinge near the forearm to permit wrist and hand portions of the support element to be rotated thereby permitting the brace to be slidably retracted along the arm when the brace is not in use. This obviates the need to remove the brace entirely from the arm. Optionally, a protective guard may be positioned on the hand portion of the support element where contact with the object such as a floor will be made.

Wrist brace

Growing community of inventors

West Linn, OR, United States of America

Paul Franzen