Applied Materials, Inc.

Other

Richard W Plavidal

Eric J Bergman

Paul R McHugh

Yan Ye

John Lee Klocke

Thomas H Oberlitner

Stuart Crane

Andrew Anten

Albert Lan

Gregory J Wilson

Shaoher X Pan

David Walter Groechel

Bryan Y Pu

Randy Harris

Michael D Welch

Hongching Shan

Claes H Bjorkman

Roger Alan Lindley

Nolan Layne Zimmerman

Marvin L Bernt

Brian Aegerter

Gang Grant Peng

Daniel L Durado

Sam Lee

Ji Ding

Petru N Nitescu

Zongyu Li

Kuang-Han Ke

Adam Marc McClure

Tricia A Youngbull

Bridger Earl Hoerner

Timothy G Stolt

Scott Osterman

Richard H Crockett

John Z Smith

Xue Yu Qian

Greg Mudwilder

Cameron Law

Electroplating processing systems according to the present technology may include a recirculating tank containing a first volume of processing fluid. The recirculating tank may be fluidly coupled with a delivery pump. The systems may include a vessel configured to receive the processing fluid from the pump. The vessel may include an inner chamber and an outer chamber, and the inner chamber may be sized to hold a second volume of processing fluid less than the first volume of processing fluid. A liquid level sensor may be associated with the vessel to provide a liquid level indication in the outer chamber. The systems may include a return line coupled with an outlet of the vessel and coupled with an inlet of the recirculating tank. The systems may also include a return pump fluidly coupled with the return line. The return pump may be electrically coupled with the liquid level sensor.

Plating systems having reduced air entrainment

Processing methods may be performed to form a fan-out interconnect structure. The methods may include forming a semiconductor active device structure overlying a first substrate. The semiconductor active device structure may include first conductive contacts. The methods may include forming an interconnect structure overlying a second substrate. The interconnect structure may include second conductive contacts. The methods may also include joining the first substrate with the second substrate. The joining may include coupling the first conductive contacts with the second conductive contacts. The interconnect structure may extend beyond the lateral dimensions of the semiconductor active device structure.

Fan-out interconnect integration processes and structures

Systems for cleaning electroplating system components may include an electroplating apparatus including a plating bath vessel. The electroplating apparatus may include a rinsing frame extending above the plating bath vessel. The rinsing frame may include a rim extending circumferentially about an upper surface of the plating bath vessel and defining a rinsing channel between the rim and the upper surface of the plating bath vessel. The electroplating apparatus may also include a rinsing assembly including a splash guard that is translatable from a recessed first position to a second position extending at least partially across an access to the plating bath vessel. The rinsing assembly may also include a fluid nozzle extending from the rinsing frame.

Substrate cleaning components and methods in a plating system

Embodiments of a methods and cleaning systems for cleaning components for use in substrate processing equipment are provided herein. In some embodiments, a cleaning system includes a boiler having a heater configured to heat a fluid; a clean chamber fluidly coupled to the boiler via at least one of a gas line and a liquid line, wherein the clean chamber includes one or more fixtures in an interior volume therein for holding at least one component to be cleaned, and wherein the clean chamber includes a heater for heating the interior volume; and an expansion chamber fluidly coupled to the clean chamber via a release line for evacuating the clean chamber, wherein the release line includes a release valve to selectively open or close a flow path between the expansion chamber and the clean chamber, and wherein the expansion chamber includes a chiller and a vacuum port.

Hyperbaric clean method and apparatus for cleaning semiconductor chamber components

Methods of drying a semiconductor substrate may include applying a drying agent to a semiconductor substrate, where the drying agent wets the semiconductor substrate. The methods may include heating a chamber housing the semiconductor substrate to a temperature above an atmospheric pressure boiling point of the drying agent until a vapor-liquid equilibrium of the drying agent within the chamber has been reached. The methods may further include venting the chamber, where the venting vaporizes the liquid phase of the drying agent from the semiconductor substrate.

Drying high aspect ratio features

Methods of wetting a semiconductor substrate may include forming a controlled atmosphere in a processing chamber housing the semiconductor substrate. The semiconductor substrate may define a plurality of features, which may include vias. The methods may include flowing a wetting agent into the processing chamber. A chamber pressure may be maintained below about 100 kPa. The methods may also include wetting the plurality of features defined in the substrate.

Systems and methods for wetting substrates

A system for stiffening members such as joists, beams, trusses, and other like supporting members, the system affected by pre-tensioning. The system is offered in a plurality of embodiments for various applications provided little or no clearance below members. A corner brace embodiment is also provided.

Joist stiffening system

A floor squeak eliminator and floor joist stiffening apparatus, comprising a longitudinal member for extending along a length of a joist, fasteners for attaching each end of the longitudinal member to the joist, and mechanism for pre-tensioning the longitudinal member, the pre-tensioning perpendicular to a length of the longitudinal member and the joist, whereby the joist is pre-tensioned.

Floor squeak eliminator and floor joist stiffening apparatus

A reticle adapter that is capable of supporting a reticle in a conventional reactive ion etch chamber that is designed for etching circular silicon wafers. The adapter has a lower portion that is milled to cover the upper portion of a pedestal within a reactive ion etch chamber. A top portion of the adapter has an opening that is sized and shaped to hold a reticle.

Reticle adapter for a reactive ion etch system

A plasma chamber having a magnet which produces a magnetic field such that, within a region parallel to and adjacent to the workpiece, the direction of the magnetic field is approximately the vector cross product of (i) the gradient of the magnitude of the magnetic field, and (ii) a vector extending perpendicularly from the workpiece surface toward the plasma. Alternatively, the plasma chamber includes a north magnetic pole and a south magnetic pole located at distinct azimuths around the periphery of the workpiece. The azimuth of the south magnetic pole relative to the north magnetic pole is clockwise around the central axis, and each magnetic pole faces a direction which is more toward than away from a central axis of the workpiece area. An additional aspect of the invention is a plasma chamber having a rotating magnetic field produced by electromagnets spaced around the periphery of the workpiece which receive successive fixed amounts of electrical current during successive time intervals. During each transition between the time intervals, the current supplied to each electromagnet is changed relatively slowly or relatively quickly according to whether the current change includes a change in polarity.

Magnetically-enhanced plasma chamber with non-uniform magnetic field

The present invention is embodied in a plasma reactor for processing a workpiece such as a semiconductor wafer having an axis of symmetry, the reactor including a reactor chamber with a ceiling having an upwardly extending annular pocket bounded by a pair of circumferential side walls, a pedestal for supporting the workpiece within the chamber under the ceiling, a processing gas supply inlet into the chamber, an RF plasma power source coupled to the pedestal, and a magnetic field source near the ceiling providing a radially symmetrical magnetic field having a magnetic pole of one type facing said inner circumferential wall and a magnetic pole of the opposite type facing said outer circumferential wall so as to apply a magnetic field generally straight across said annular pocket. The straight magnetic field lines of the radially symmetrical magnetic field are generally confined to the annular pocket, penetrating into the chamber to a very shallow depth, if at all, and the height of the ceiling above the workpiece exceeds the magnetic field penetration depth.

Radial magnetic field enhancement for plasma processing

A two piece throttling valve is disclosed. The valve assembly includes a stationary outer housing with an inner removable operable assembly. In this configuration the piping (pump stack) does not have to disassembled to remove, clean or replace the internal valve pieces or the in-line screen. The inner assembly can be quickly removed for cleaning. The entire valve assembly is heated to reduce deposition of volatile process byproducts on the internal valve surfaces and reduce the cleaning frequency. A wedge plate is provided in the outer stationary valve housing to mate with a sloped bottom surface of the inner valve housing such that when the inner assembly is in position in the outer valve housing there is a tight fit between adjacent sealing surfaces around the valve bore. A single flat surface seal provides vacuum sealing between the inner assembly and outer housing. A dual valve stem (shaft) seal seals the valve shaft. The seal includes an inner O-ring made of a chemically resistant material and an outer O-ring that is less chemically resistant, but has a dual-quad profile to prevent vacuum leakage. A screen in the fluid passage adjacent to and supported by the outer housing can easily be accessed from the inside of the outer housing.

Heated removable throttle valve

Growing community of inventors

Kalispell, MT, United States of America

Richard W Plavidal