Applied Materials, Inc.

Lam Research Corporation

Robert M McAndrew

Michael C Kuchar

Tony Ray Kroeker

Adam J Wyatt

Michael Robert Rice

Iqbal A Shareef

Dean C Hruzek

Sushant Suresh Koshti

Travis Morey

Ofer Amir

Mark Ian Wagner

Angela Rose Sico

Vijayabaskar Soundarrajan

Pandu Maddherla

Ronda K Nixon

Joseph Vincent

Mainframe with integrated lid

An equipment front end module interface of an equipment front end module including environmental controls. The equipment front end module interface includes a first mounting member configured to couple to a load lock assembly, and a flexible seal coupled to the first mounting member. The flexible seal provides sealing between the equipment front end module and the load lock assembly and also accommodates axial and other misalignment between the load lock assembly and the equipment front end module during assembly. Equipment front end modules including the equipment front end module interface and methods of assembling a load lock assembly to the equipment front end module using the equipment front end module interface are provided, as are other aspects.

Flexible equipment front end module interfaces, environmentally-controlled equipment front end modules, and assembly methods

A processing chamber for post-wet-etch removing of drying fluid (DF) is disclosed. The chamber includes a chamber wall surrounding a processing volume and a plurality of nozzles disposed annularly about the processing volume and arranged into a set of nozzle rows that includes at least one nozzle row. The chamber also includes a plenum and a set of manifolds coupled to the plurality of nozzles to deliver the supercritical COto the plurality of nozzles. Each nozzle has a nozzle outlet directed toward an interior portion of the processing volume and the nozzles are configured to flow the supercritical COtoward the substrates in a manner that minimizes recirculation loops and vortices.

Methods and apparatus for displacing fluids from substrates using supercritical CO2

A multi-speed slit valve apparatus and method of actuating a slit valve apparatus at least at two distinct speeds is provided. The slit valve apparatus includes a pneumatic cylinder,having a primary channel,and auxiliary channel,at each end, wherein the auxiliary channels,have a cross sectional area smaller than that of the primary channels,. A piston,defining a front volume,and a back volume,is disposed in the cylinder,and is reciprocally actuated by a compressed fluid such as air. At a predetermined stage during the cylinder's out-stroke and in-stroke the primary channels,become sealed from the front and back volumes,, respectively, such that during the remainder of the stroke the fluid is biased to exhaust through the auxiliary channels

Two speed air cylinder for slit valve motion control

A substrate handler for use in a chamber in a vacuum processing system has a single motor for controlling the substrate handler's rotation and extension functions. The single motor is connected to an operating assembly that operates in two modes to alternatively rotate or extend the substrate handler. The two modes are defined by the relative rotational motion of two drive mechanisms that are rotated by the single motor. When the relative rotational motion for the two drive mechanisms is in the same axial direction, then the operating assembly operates in the first mode. When the relative rotational motion for the two drive mechanisms is in the opposite axial direction, then the operating assembly operates in the second mode. The single motor operates one of the drive mechanisms and an assembly that alternatively operates the other drive mechanism in either the same or the opposite axial direction as the first drive mechanism. Under this operation, the substrate handler alternatively rotates or extends depending on whether the drive mechanisms rotate in the same or opposite axial directions.

Single motor control for substrate handler in processing system

Growing community of inventors

Austin, TX, United States of America

Robert M McAndrew