Applied Materials, Inc.

Other

Lam Research Corporation

Syscend, Inc.

Peter Reimer

Dennis R Smith

Michael Robert Rice

Tetsuya Ishikawa

Kartik Bhupendra Shah

Swaminathan T Srinivasan

Ala Moradian

Matthias Bauer

Manjunath Subbanna

Errol Antonio C Sanchez

Jayesh S Patel

Brian Michael Riley

Sudhakar Gopalakrishnan

Marc David Shull

Pedram Sabouri

Vincent Seidl

Roger C Tong

Chandra V Deshpandey

Tony Kaushal

Ofer Amir

Hong P Gao

Sohrab Zokaei

Andrew Ouellet

Douglas Royce

Jay Patel

Mariusch Gregor

Sungmin Cho

Jon Thorn

Hannie Thi Vo

Shawn Thanhson Le

David Jorgensen

Amir H Tavakoli

John Haruff

Exemplary methods of coating a metal-containing component are described. The methods are developed to increase corrosion resistance and improve coating adhesion to a metal substrate. The methods include forming a bonding layer on a metal substrate, where the bonding layer includes an oxide of a metal in the metal substrate. The coating methods further include depositing a stress buffer layer on the bonding layer, where the stress buffer layer is characterized by a stress buffer layer coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) that is less than a metal substrate CTE and a bonding layer CTE. The coating methods also include depositing an environmental barrier layer on the stress buffer layer, where a ratio of the metal substrate CTE to an environmental barrier layer CTE is greater than or about 20:1, and where the environmental barrier layer includes silicon oxide. The metal-containing components may be used in fabrication equipment for electronic devices.

Multilayer coating for corrosion resistance

Embodiments described herein include processes and apparatuses relate to epitaxial deposition. A method for epitaxially depositing a material is provided and includes positioning a substrate on a substrate support surface of a susceptor within a process volume of a chamber body, where the process volume contains upper and lower chamber regions. The method includes flowing a process gas containing one or more chemical precursors from an upper gas inlet on a first side of the chamber body, across the substrate, and to an upper gas outlet on a second side of the chamber body, flowing a purge gas from a lower gas inlet on the first side of the chamber body, across the lower surface of the susceptor, and to a lower gas outlet on the second side of the chamber body, and maintaining a pressure of the lower chamber region greater than a pressure of the upper chamber region.

Method for epitaxially depositing a material on a substrate by flowing a process gas across the substrate from an upper gas inlet to an upper gas outlet and flowing a purge gas from a lower gas inlet to a lower gas outlet

Exemplary deposition methods may include introducing hydrogen into a processing chamber, a powder disposed within a processing region of the processing chamber. The method may include striking a first plasma in the processing region, the first plasma including energetic hydrogen species. The method may include exposing the powder to the energetic hydrogen species in the processing region. The method may include chemically reducing the powder through a reaction of the powder with the energetic hydrogen species. The method may include removing process effluents including unreacted hydrogen from the processing region. The method may also include forming a layer of material on grains of the powder within the processing region.

Microstructure control of conducting materials through surface coating of powders

The present disclosure generally relates to a process chamber for processing of semiconductor substrates. The process chamber includes an upper lamp assembly, a lower lamp assembly, a substrate support, an upper window disposed between the substrate support and the upper lamp assembly, a lower window disposed between the lower lamp assembly and the substrate support, an inject ring, and a base ring. Each of the upper lamp assembly and the lower lamp assembly include vertically oriented lamp apertures for the placement of heating lamps therein. The inject ring includes gas injectors disposed therethrough and the base ring includes a substrate transfer passage, a lower chamber exhaust passage, and one or more upper chamber exhaust passages. The gas injectors are disposed over the substrate transfer passage and across from the lower chamber exhaust passage and the one or more upper chamber exhaust passages.

Chamber architecture for epitaxial deposition and advanced epitaxial film applications

The present disclosure generally relates to gas inject apparatus for a process chamber for processing of semiconductor substrates. The gas inject apparatus include one or more gas injectors which are configured to be coupled to the process chamber. Each of the gas injectors are configured to receive a process gas and distribute the process gas across one or more gas outlets. The gas injectors include a plurality of pathways, a fin array, and a baffle array. The gas injectors are individually heated. A gas mixture assembly is also utilized to control the concentration of process gases flown into a process volume from each of the gas injectors. The gas mixture assembly enables the concentration as well as the flow rate of the process gases to be controlled.

Gas injector for epitaxy and CVD chamber

Disclosed is a slit valve gate. The slit valve gate includes a base portion configured to couple to a slit valve actuator. The slit valve gate further includes a seal portion coupled to the base portion. The seal portion is configured to create an airtight seal between the slit valve gate and a sealing surface of a slit valve opening. The slit valve gate further includes a clamp portion coupled to the base portion. The clamp portion retains the seal portion at least partially between the clamp portion and the base portion.

Multi-piece slit valve gate

A mass flow controller assembly includes a housing defining a cavity, a plurality of internal passages, a first inlet, a first outlet, a second inlet, and a second outlet. A valve is connected to the housing, has an inlet fluidly coupled to the second outlet of the housing and an outlet fluidly coupled to the second inlet of the housing. The valve is configured to control fluid flow from the second outlet of the housing to the second inlet of the housing. A microelectromechanical (MEMS) Coriolis flow sensor is arranged in the cavity, includes an inlet fluidly coupled by at least one of the plurality of internal passages to the first inlet of the housing and is configured to measure at least one of a mass flow rate and density of fluid flowing through the MEMS Coriolis flow sensor. An outlet of the MEMS Coriolis flow sensor is fluidly coupled by at least one of the plurality of internal passages to the second outlet of the housing. The second inlet of the housing is fluidly coupled by at least one of the plurality of internal passages to the first outlet of the housing.

MEMS-based Coriolis mass flow controller

A gas pump and processes for preparing the gas pump are presented. The gas pump includes a bottom Holweck stage with internal heaters for cleaning deposits resulting from exhausting gases from a semiconductor manufacturing chamber. One example gas pump includes a turbomolecular stage on a top section of the gas pump and a Holweck stage below the turbomolecular stage. The Holweck stage comprises a rotor element, a stator element with an opening in the center, and one or more heaters. The opening has a substantially cylindrical shape and an inside surface with a plurality of grooves separated by threads. Each heater is situated on a surface of one of the plurality of grooves. The heaters may be turned on to clean the deposits accumulated on the gas pump during the processing of a substrate.

Turbomolecular pump deposition control and particle management

Methods and apparatuses for delivering a process gas to a processing chamber are provided. A mass flow controller includes a first flow line for introducing a process fluid and an inlet valve disposed along the first flow line for controlling a flow rate of the process fluid. The mass flow controller includes a second flow line for introducing a carrier fluid into the mass flow controller and a micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) Coriolis sensor for providing a density signal and a mass flow rate signal for a mixture of the process fluid and the carrier fluid. The mass flow controller provided includes an outlet valve for controlling a mass flow rate of the mixture that is output by the mass flow controller as well as a controller for operating the inlet valve based on the density signal and for operating the outlet valve based on the mass flow rate signal.

Mass flow controller for substrate processing

A braking system includes a moveable structure connected to a rear brake. The rear brake may be a hub brake or a disc brake. A cable to the front brake is connected to the moveable structure. When the rear brake is actuated, the moveable structure moves. The movement of the structure pulls the cable to actuate the front brake. The movement may include a translation, rotation, or both.

Hub and disk brake system and apparatus

A braking system includes a brake pad that is coupled to a slider assembly that moves linearly within a guide. The slider assembly and guide are coupled to a first brake. A second brake actuator is coupled to the slider assembly, the guide and a second brake. When the first brake is actuated, the slider assembly is pressed against a rotating braking surface and the friction of the brake pad against the rotating braking surface can cause the slider assembly to move within the guide which actuates the second brake actuator. The second brake actuator then actuates the second brake. When the first brake is released, the slider assembly is removed from the rotating braking surface and the second brake actuator is released which releases the second brake.

Brake system and apparatus

A method and apparatus for preventing substrate damage in a factory interface. In one embodiment, a method for preventing substrate damage in a factory interface includes the steps of receiving an indicia of potential substrate damage, and automatically preventing substrates from moving out of a substrate storage cassette in response to the received indicia. The indicia may be a seismic warning signal, among others. In another embodiment, a method for preventing substrate damage in a factory interface includes the steps of moving a pod door in a first direction to a position spaced-apart and adjacent a pod, and moving the pod door laterally in a second direction to close the pod. The lateral closing motion of the pod door urges substrates, which may be misaligned in the pod, into a predefined position within the pod.

Semiconductor substrate damage protection system

A method and apparatus for transferring a substrate is provided. In one embodiment, an apparatus for transferring a substrate includes at least one end effector. A disk is rotatably coupled to the end effector. The disk is adapted to rotate the substrate relative to the end effector. The end effector may additionally include a sensor coupled thereto. The sensor is adapted to detect an indicia of orientation of the substrate supported by the end effector. In another embodiment, a method for transferring a substrate includes rotating the substrate disposed on an end effector and detecting an indicia of orientation of the substrate.

Method and apparatus for transferring a semiconductor substrate

An apparatusfor processing a substratecomprises an integrated pumping systemhaving a high operating efficiency, small size, and low vibrational and noise levels. The apparatuscomprises a chamber, such as a load-lock chambertransfer chamberor process chamberAn integrated and local pumpis abutting or adjacent to one of the chambersfor evacuating gas from the chambers. The pump has an inletconnected to a chamberand an outletthat exhausts the gas to atmospheric pressure. Preferably, the pumpcomprises a pre-vacuum pump or a low vacuum pump.

Processing apparatus having integrated pumping system

An apparatus for supporting a substrate and a method for positioning a substrate include a substrate support, a stator circumscribing the substrate support, and an actuator. The actuator is coupled to the stator and adapted to change the elevation of the stator and/or adjust an angular orientation of the stator relative to its central axis. As the substrate support is magnetically coupled to the stator, a position, i.e., elevation and angular orientation, of the substrate support may be controlled.

Growing community of inventors

Los Altos, CA, United States of America

Peter Reimer