Lam Research Corporation

Novellus Systems Incorporated

Richard M Blank

Peter S Thaulad

Jacob Lee Hiester

Karl Frederick Leeser

Richard Howard Gould

Paul Konkola

Christopher William Burkhart

Michael Nordin

Arulselvam Simon Jeyapalan

Matt McLellan

Curtis Warren Bailey

Benjamin W Mooring

Michael John Janicki

Robert Anthony Sculac

Mark E Emerson

Brett Herzig

Mark K Tan

Marco Piccigallo

Andrew J Nagengast

Ronald Allan Powell

Mohsen Salek

Damien Martin Slevin

Edmund Minshall

Nicholas Michael Kopec

Mukul Khosla

Efrain Quiles

Brandon L Senn

Matthew Jonathon Rodnick

Hossein Sadeghi

Candi Kristoffersen

Aravind Alwan

Charles N Ditmore

Arun Keshavamurthy

Peter Woytowitz

Eric Chan

Simon Chan

Matthew J McLellan

Victor Eduardo Espinosa, Iii

Tyson Lee Ringold

Behnam Behziz

Hironobu Yasuumi

A method for calibration including determining a temperature induced offset in a pedestal of a process module under a temperature condition for a process. The method includes delivering a wafer to the pedestal of the process module by a robot, and detecting an entry offset. The method includes rotating the wafer over the pedestal by an angle. The method includes removing the wafer from the pedestal by the robot and measuring an exit offset. The method includes determining a magnitude and direction of the temperature induced offset using the entry offset and exit offset.

Auto-calibration to a station of a process module that spins a wafer

Disclosed are techniques and systems for automatically determining and correcting the levelness of a wafer handling robot end effector. The systems may use a tilt sensor or a gravitational field sensor which may be calibrated to the wafer handling robot. The output from the tilt sensor may be used to determine or estimate the tilt of an end effector of the wafer handling robot and to perform correctional positioning to reduce or eliminate the tilt, to automatically teach certain positions that have reduced tilt, to perform health checks on the robot, provide feedback to a user, etc.

Wafer handling robot with gravitational field sensor

A pedestal assembly including a pedestal for supporting a substrate. A central shaft positions the pedestal at a height during operation. A ring is placed along a periphery of the pedestal. A ring adjuster subassembly includes an adjuster flange disposed around a middle section of the central shaft. The subassembly includes a sleeve connected to the adjuster flange and extending from the adjuster flange to an adjuster plate disposed under the pedestal. The subassembly includes ring adjuster pins connected to the adjuster plate and extending vertically from the adjuster plate. Each of the ring adjuster pins being positioned on the adjuster plate at locations adjacent to and outside of a pedestal diameter. The ring adjuster pins contacting an edge undersurface of the ring. The adjuster flange coupled to at least three adjuster actuators for defining an elevation and tilt of the ring relative to a top surface of the pedestal.

Dynamic sheath control with edge ring lift

Systems and techniques for determining and using multiple types of offsets for providing wafers to a wafer support of a wafer station of a semiconductor processing tool are disclosed; such techniques and systems may use an autocalibration wafer that may include a plurality of sensors, including a plurality of edge-located imaging sensors that may be used to image fiducials associated with two different structures located in a selected wafer station.

Integrated adaptive positioning systems and routines for automated wafer-handling robot teach and health check

A process module for a substrate processing tool includes a plurality of processing stations each configured to perform a process on a substrate and a mechanical indexer arranged within the process module. The mechanical indexer includes a plurality of end effectors including at least a first end effector, a second end effector, and a third end effector. Each of the plurality of end effectors extends in a radial direction from a central axis of the mechanical indexer and is configured to rotate about the central axis within the process module. The mechanical indexer is configured to position each of the plurality of end effectors at any one of the plurality of processing stations within the process module. The mechanical indexer is configured to position more than one of the plurality of end effectors at a same one of the plurality of processing stations at a same time.

Mechanical indexer for multi-station process module

A system comprises an equipment front end module (EFEM), a vacuum transfer module (VTM), a plurality off quad station process modules (QSMs). The EFEM is configured to receive a plurality of wafers. The EFEM comprises an EFEM transfer robot. The vacuum transfer module (VTM) is configured to receive the plurality of wafers from the EFEM. The VTM comprises a VTM transfer robot. The plurality of quad station process modules (QSMs) is coupled to the VTM. The VTM transfer robot is configured Oto transfer wafers between the VTM and the plurality of QSMs. The EFEM transfer robot is configured to transfer wafers between the EFEM and the VTM.

Reduced footprint wafer handling platform

A robot calibration system includes a calibration fixture configured to be mounted on a substrate processing chamber. The calibration fixture includes at least one camera arranged to capture an image including an outer edge of a test substrate and an edge ring surrounding the test substrate. A controller is configured to receive the captured image, analyze the captured image to measure a distance between the outer edge of the test substrate and the edge ring, calculate a center of the test substrate based on the measured distance, and calibrate a robot configured to transfer substrate to and from the substrate processing chamber based on the calculated center of the test substrate.

Fixture for automatic calibration of substrate transfer robot

A transfer robot assembly arranged within an ATV transfer module includes a transfer robot that includes an end effector and one or more arm segments connected between the end effector and a transfer robot platform. A first robot alignment arm is connected to the transfer robot platform. A second robot alignment arm is connected to the first robot alignment arm and to a mounting chassis of the ATV transfer module. The transfer robot assembly is configured to actuate the first robot alignment arm and the second robot alignment arm to raise and lower the transfer robot to adjust a position of the transfer robot in a vertical direction and in a horizontal direction. The transfer robot is configured to fold into a folded configuration having a narrow profile occupying less than 50% of an overall depth of the ATV transfer module.

Transfer robot for reduced footprint platform architecture

A collar may be provided having an aperture through it through which the turret of a wafer handling robot may be extended or retracted. The collar may have one or more radial gas passages. Gas directed inwards towards the turret from the radial passage(s) may turn downward when it strikes the turret. A bellows may be optionally affixed to the bottom of the turret and to the bottom of the base such that the volume of the base occupied by the turret and the bellows remains generally fixed regardless of the degree to which the turret is extended from the base.

Wafer handling robot with radial gas curtain and/or interior volume control

A rotational indexer rotatable to move semiconductor wafers or other items between various stations arranged in a circular array. The items being moved may be supported by arms of the indexer during such movement. The rotational indexer may be further configured to also cause the items being moved to rotate about other rotational axes to cause rotation of the items relative to the arms supporting them.

Rotational indexer with additional rotational axes

Systems and techniques for determining and correcting inter-wafer misalignments in a stack of wafers transported by a wafer handling robot. An enhanced automatic wafer centering system is provided that may be used to determine a smallest circle associated with the stack of wafers, which may then be used to determine whether or not the stack of wafer meets various process requirements and/or if a centering correction can be made to better align the wafers with a receiving station coordinate frame.

Enhanced automatic wafer centering system and techniques for same

An atmosphere-to-vacuum (ATV) transfer module for a substrate processing tool includes a first side configured to interface with at least one loading station, a transfer robot assembly arranged within the ATV transfer module, and a second side opposite the first side. The transfer robot assembly is configured to transfer substrates between the at least one loading station and at least one load lock arranged between the ATV transfer module and a vacuum transfer module (VTM). The second side is configured to interface with the at least one load lock. The transfer robot assembly is arranged adjacent to the second side, and the at least one load lock extends through the second side into an interior volume of the ATV transfer module.

Reduced footprint platform architecture with linear vacuum transfer module

A rotational indexer that is rotatable to allow semiconductor wafers or other items to be moved between various stations arranged in a circular array; the items being moved may be supported by arms of the indexer during such movement. The rotational indexer may be further configured to also cause the items being moved to rotate about other rotational axes to cause rotation of the items relative to the arms supporting them.

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San Jose, CA, United States of America

Richard M Blank