Lam Research Corporation

Novellus Systems Incorporated

Yield Engineering Systems, Inc.

Peter Krotov

Randy Hall

M Ziaul Karim

Panya Wongsenakhum

Colin F Smith

Eric H Lenz

Sooyun Joh

The present disclosure is directed to a compact vertical oven for reflow of solder bumps for backend processes in semiconductor wafer assembly and packaging. This disclosure describes a vertical oven which uses a plurality of wafers (e.g., an example value is 50-100 wafers) in a batch with controlled injection of the reducing agent (e.g. formic acid), resulting in a process largely free of contamination. This disclosure describes controlled formic acid flow through a vertical system using laminar flow technology in a sub-atmospheric pressure environment, which is not currently available in the industry. The efficacy of the process depends on effective formic acid vapor delivery, integrated temperature control during heating and cooling, and careful design of the vapor flow path with exhaust. Zone-dependent reaction dynamics managed by vapor delivery process, two-steps temperature ramp control, and controlled cooling process and formic acid content ensures the effective reaction without any flux.

Batch processing oven and method

A solder reflow oven may include a reflow chamber and a plurality of vertically spaced apart wafer-support plates positioned in the reflow chamber. A plurality of semiconductor wafers each including a solder are configured to be disposed in the reflow chamber such that each semiconductor wafer is disposed proximate to, and vertically spaced apart from, a wafer-support plate. Each wafer-support plate may include at least one of liquid-flow channels or resistive heating elements. A control system control the flow of a hot liquid through the channels or activate the heating elements to heat a wafer to a temperature above the solder reflow temperature.

Solder reflow oven for batch processing

A semiconductor processing chamber is provided and may include a wafer transfer passage that extends through a chamber wall and has an inner passage surface defining an opening, an insert including an insert inner surface defining an insert opening, and a gas inlet. A first recessed surface of the wafer transfer passage extending at least partially around and outwardly offset from the inner passage surface, a first insert outer surface extending at least partially around and outwardly offset from the insert inner surface, and a first wall surface extending between the inner passage surface and the first recessed surface, at least partially define a gas distribution channel fluidically connected to the gas inlet, the first recessed surface is separated from the first insert outer surface by a first distance and an insert front surface faces and is separated from the first wall surface by a first gap distance.

Apparatus for purging semiconductor process chamber slit valve opening

An apparatus for semiconductor processing that includes a pedestal that includes a wafer support surface that includes a plurality of mesas and a pattern of grooves is provided. Each mesa may be bracketed between two or more grooves, each mesa may include a plurality of mesa side walls that intersect, at least in part, with one of the grooves and with a mesa top surface that is a substantially planar surface, the mesa top surfaces may be substantially coplanar with each other, and the mesa top surfaces may be configured to support a wafer during semiconductor operations.

Wafer support pedestal with wafer anti-slip and anti-rotation features

An apparatus and method for depositing film on a substrate includes a plurality of conduits that allow by-product and reactant gases to flow past the edge of a substrate. The apparatus and process of the present invention has several advantages for enhanced chamber performance, particularly for micro-volume chambers using pulsed deposition layer processes.

Deposition sub-chamber with variable flow

In one embodiment, a mixing device includes a nozzle that is disposed tangent to a wall of a chamber. Gas flowing from the nozzle rotates in the chamber forming a vortex. Another gas may be flown near a middle portion of the chamber, thereby uniformly mixing the two gases. In another embodiment, an evaporation and mixing device includes a nozzle configured to impart rotation to a gas flowing into a chamber. An injector flows a liquid material near a middle portion of the chamber, thereby mixing the gas and the liquid material. A heater may be employed to help evaporate the liquid material.

Growing community of inventors

San Jose, CA, United States of America

Peter Krotov