Varian Semiconductor Equipment Associates, Inc.

Varian Associates, Inc.

Richard John Hertel

Vikram Singh

Christopher W Campbell

Jeffrey E Krampert

Costel Biloiu

Shurong Liang

John Robert Fairhurst

Alexander C Kontos

Eric L Mears

Leo Klos

Tyler Burton Rockwell

Glen Gilchrist

Ernest E Allen

Ernest Everett Allen

Jay R Wallace

Kevin M Daniels

Piero Sferlazzo

Tsung-Liang Chen

Glen F R Gilchrist

Avrum Freytsis

Robert V Brick

Alex Kontos

Philip J McGrail, Jr

Edward D MacIntosh

Frank Sinclair

Morgan Evans

Julian G Blake

Peter F Kurunczi

Alexandre Likhanskii

Richard S Muka

Vijayakumar C Venugopal

Christopher A Rowland

Piotr R Lubicki

Joseph Frederick Sommers

Mayur Jagtap

Adrian C Delforge

Robert E Jennings

Edward Macintosh

Sankar Ganesh Kolappan

Jeffery E Krampert

Carl J Holt, Jr

Akhil Bhargava

In one embodiment, an apparatus to treat a substrate may include an extraction plate to extract a plasma beam from a plasma chamber and direct the plasma beam to the substrate. The plasma beam may comprise ions forming a non-zero angle of incidence with respect to a perpendicular to a plane of the substrate; and a gas outlet system disposed outside the plasma chamber, the gas outlet system coupled to a gas source and arranged to deliver to the substrate a reactive gas received from the gas source, wherein the reactive gas does not pass through the plasma chamber.

Apparatus and techniques to treat substrates using directional plasma and point of use chemistry

A system for implanting ions into a workpiece while minimizing the generation of particles is disclosed. The system includes an ion source having an extraction plate with an extraction aperture. The extraction plate is electrically biased and may also be coated with a dielectric material. The workpiece is disposed on a platen and surrounded by an electrically biased shield. The shield may also be coated with a dielectric material. In operation, a pulsed DC voltage is applied to the shield and the platen, and ions are attracted from the ion source during this pulse. Since a pulsed voltage is used, the impedance of the thin dielectric coating is reduced, allowing the system to function properly.

Low particle capacitively coupled components for workpiece processing

A processing apparatus may include a plasma chamber to house a plasma and having a main body portion comprising an electrical insulator; an extraction plate disposed along an extraction side of the plasma chamber, the extraction plate being electrically conductive and having an extraction aperture; a substrate stage disposed outside of the plasma chamber and adjacent the extraction aperture, the substrate stage being at ground potential; and an RF generator electrically coupled to the extraction plate, the RF generator establishing a positive dc self-bias voltage at the extraction plate with respect to ground potential when the plasma is present in the plasma chamber.

Radio frequency extraction system for charge neutralized ion beam

A gas injection system for an ion beam device, the gas injection system including an extraction plate, an extraction aperture formed in the extraction plate for allowing passage of an ion beam, a first gas distributor removably fastened to the extraction plate on a first side of the extraction aperture, the first gas distributor having a gas orifice formed therein, a second gas distributor removably fastened to the extraction plate on a second side of the extraction aperture opposite the first side, the second gas distributor having a gas orifice formed therein, a first gas conduit extending through the extraction plate between the first gas distributor and a gas manifold mounted to the extraction plate, and a second gas conduit extending through the extraction plate between the second gas distributor the gas manifold, and a residue removal gas source connected to the gas manifold.

Gas injection system for ion beam device

An apparatus to treat a substrate. The apparatus may include a reactive gas source having a reactive gas outlet disposed in a process chamber, the reactive gas outlet to direct a first reactive gas to the substrate; a plasma chamber coupled to the process chamber and including an extraction plate having an extraction aperture extending along a first direction, disposed within the process chamber and movable along a second direction perpendicular to the first direction between a first position facing the reactive gas source and a second position facing the extraction aperture; and a gas flow restrictor disposed between the reactive gas outlet and the extraction aperture, the gas flow restrictor defining a differential pumping channel between at least the plasma chamber and substrate stage.

Apparatus and techniques to treat substrates using directional plasma and reactive gas

A gas injection system, including an extraction plate having an extraction aperture for allowing passage of an ion beam through the extraction plate, the extraction plate further having a gas slot for expulsion of a residue removal gas from the extraction plate. The gas injection system may include a gas conduit extending through the extraction plate between the gas slot and a gas manifold, a gas source connected in fluid communication with the gas manifold, the gas source containing the residue removal gas. The gas manifold may include a valve adjustable between a first position, wherein the residue removal gas is allowed to flow into the extraction plate, and a second portion, wherein the residue removal gas can be vented from the extraction plate. The gas injection system may further include a manifold cover coupled to the gas manifold.

A processing apparatus may include a plasma chamber to house a plasma; and an extraction assembly disposed along a side of the plasma chamber. The extraction assembly may be configured to direct ions from the plasma to a substrate, wherein the ions generate etched species comprising material that is etched from the substrate; and wherein the extraction assembly comprises at least one component having a recess that faces the substrate and is configured to intercept and retain the etched species.

Apparatus and method for efficient materials use during substrate processing

A system and method are disclosed for holding and cooling substrates during processing. A substrate clamp has an engagement portion for engaging a substrate about the inside diameter as well as a portion of the substrate surface immediately adjacent to the inside diameter. The clamp has a retracted position which enables the engagement portion to fit through the substrate ID, and an expanded position which enables the engagement portion to engage the substrate ID and the substrate surface immediately adjacent to the inside diameter. The clamp can include a conformal coating to enhance engagement between the substrate and the engagement portion. The clamp can also include an energy absorbing coating on one or more surfaces to maximize the absorption of radiative energy emitted from the substrate. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

Method and apparatus for clamping and cooling a substrate for ion implantation

A substrate carrier includes a carrier plate, a cover plate and a plurality of substrate support slots. The carrier plate has recesses for receiving substrates. A sidewall of each recess includes protrusions for engaging the OD of a substrate. The cover plate is rotatable and has a cam on an undersurface. The cam is enagageable with a lateral slot in each of a plurality of substrate supports of the carrier plate. Rotating the cover plate causes the cam to move the substrate supports, one by one, so a substrate engaging end of the substrate support moves away from an associated substrate recess. A substrate is loaded into the recess, whereupon the cover plate is rotated further so the cam disengages from the lateral slot. The substrate supports are biased to engage the OD of the substrate to lock the substrate within the recess. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

Method and apparatus for holding a plurality of substrates for processing

A system and method are disclosed for removing vertically oriented substrates from a cassette. A lifter includes a lifter notch and a stabilizer notch for holding a substrate. The lifter notch engages and lifts the substrate along the substrate ID, while the stabilizer notch captures the substrate OD to prevent lateral movement of the substrate during lifting. In use, the cassette is tilted to bias all substrates to one side and ensure consistent spacing. The lifter moves up into the cassette until the notches are adjacent, but beneath, the ID and OD of a substrate. The lifter is moved laterally to position the notches directly below the ID and OD. Upward movement of the lifter causes the lifter notch to lift the substrate along the ID. The lifter continues upward with the substrate until the substrate clears the top of the cassette. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

Method and apparatus for removing a vertically-oriented substrate from a cassette

A processing apparatus includes a process chamber defining an enclosed volume, and a dual sided workpiece assembly disposed in the enclosed volume. The dual sided workpiece assembly includes a base portion and a flip portion coupled to the base portion. The flip portion has a support surface configured to support at least one dual sided workpiece and is configured to rotate about a flipping axis. The processing apparatus also includes a controller configured to control the dual sided workpiece assembly to expose a first side of the at least one dual sided workpiece to accelerating ions in the process chamber during a first time interval and to expose a second side of the at least one dual sided workpiece to accelerating ions during a second time interval different than the first time interval by rotating the flip portion about the flipping axis.

Dual sided workpiece handling

A media carrier, adapted to hold a plurality of pieces of magnetic media, is disclosed. This media carrier can be placed on the workpiece support, or platen, allowing the magnetic media to be processed. In some embodiments, the media carrier is designed such that only one side of the magnetic media is exposed, requiring a robot or other equipment to invert each piece of media in the carrier to process the second side. In other embodiments, the media carrier is designed such that both sides of the magnetic media are exposed. In this scenario, the media carrier is inverted on the platen to allow processing of the second side.

Media carrier

A system and method are disclosed for removing horizontally oriented substrates from a cassette. A substrate lifter has an engagement end for engaging a substrate and an adjustment end for engaging an adjustment assembly. The engagement end includes a recess having first and second arcuate sidewalls configured to engage an OD of the substrate, and a circular protrusion positioned between the first and second arcuate sidewalls. The circular protrusion allows lateral movement of the substrate up to a predetermined amount and prevents lateral movement of the substrate in excess of the predetermined amount. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

Method and apparatus for lifting a horizontally-oriented substrate from a cassette

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Boxford, MA, United States of America

Richard John Hertel