Tokyo Electron Limited

Ronald W Nasman

Anton J deVillers

Rodney Lee Robison

James Grootegoed

Norman A Jacobson, Jr

Lior Huli

Gerrit J Leusink

Mirko Vukovic

David Travis

Jacques Faguet

Daniel J Fulford

Joshua Hooge

Hoyoung Kang

Shan Hu

Toshiaki Fujisato

Peter D'Elia

Jeffrey Smith

Robert Daniel Clark

Anton J Devilliers

David Hetzer

Bruce Adair Altemus

Patrick Jay Biel

Daniel Newman

Norman Jacobson

Improved wafer chuck designs and methods are provided herein for retaining a processing liquid on a surface of a semiconductor substrate during a puddle process. More specifically, the present disclosure provides various embodiments of wafer chucks that reshape a surface of a semiconductor substrate to ensure that the substrate surface is concave (or completely flat) before a processing liquid is dispensed onto the substrate surface to form a puddle of the processing liquid on the substrate surface. By providing the substrate surface with a concave (or completely flat) shape, the embodiments disclosed herein provide complete chemical coverage across the substrate surface during a puddle process, retain the puddle on the substrate surface and prevent the puddle from spilling over the substrate edge.

Wafer chuck designs and methods for retaining a processing liquid on a surface of a semiconductor wafer

Embodiments of improved gas cabinets and associated methods are provided herein to reduce diffusion of process gas outside of a gas cabinet. In the disclosed embodiments, a gas cabinet is provided with: (a) an exhausted enclosure for housing at least one gas vessel (containing a process gas) and associated gas distribution components within an interior of the enclosure, (b) an air intake vent for drawing ambient air from outside of the exhausted enclosure into an interior of the exhausted enclosure, and (c) an air plenum that is mounted within the interior of the exhausted enclosure directly behind the air intake vent for increasing the airflow path length from the outside of the exhausted enclosure into the interior of the enclosure. By increasing the airflow path length, the air plenum provided within the gas cabinet reduces the diffusion of process gas outside of the exhausted enclosure.

Gas cabinet with reduced gas emissions and exhaust flow rate

An apparatus for depositing films on a backside of a substrate includes a processing chamber and a substrate support having an annular support surface. A first gas distribution unit includes a plurality of gas delivery openings arranged along the backside surface of the substrate and configured to direct plasma deposition gas to the backside surface. A second gas distribution unit is configured to flow a second gas into the processing chamber such that the front side surface of the substrate is exposed to the second gas. A controller is configured to control flow of the plasma deposition gas from the first gas distribution unit, flow of the second gas from the second gas distribution unit a vacuum system. The controller maintains a gas pressure differential between the front side surface and the backside surface of the substrate sufficient to prevent passage of the deposition gas from the backside surface.

System for backside deposition of a substrate

Improved processing systems and methods are provided for wet and dry processing of a semiconductor wafer. Provided is an enclosed chamber for processing a semiconductor wafer within a processing space and a drainage system for directing processing fluids out of the processing space. The enclosed chamber includes a top plate and a bottom plate, which physically confine the processing fluids within a relatively small, enclosed processing space. This forces the processing fluids to flow radially across the wafer surface(s) without the need to rotate the wafer. The drainage system contains a conduit that is downstream from the processing space and configured to retain a portion of a processing fluid dispensed within the processing space. The portion retained within the conduit provides a pressure resistance against the processing fluid(s) dispensed within the processing space to improve wet and dry processing of the wafer surfaces.

Method and single wafer processing system for processing of semiconductor wafers

Vaporizer cores are disclosed including a housing and a chamber where the chamber includes a porous lattice structure that is thermally conductive. Further, the housing and the chamber including the porous lattice structure are formed as a single integral structure. Three-dimensional (3D) printing can be used to form the housing and the chamber including the porous lattice structure as a single integral structure. For certain embodiments, a concentric-circle fin design, a crisscross fin design, or a conical fin design is used to form the porous lattice structure for the vaporizer chamber. For further embodiments, techniques are implemented to resolve potential problems with 3D printing of the vaporizer cores. One example technique is encapsulation of the vaporizer core within a shell, such as a two-piece shell, to resolve potential problems with leaks. Disclosed embodiments for the vaporizer cores provide manufacturing, material, and design improvements to prior solutions.

Streamlined vaporizer cores

Techniques herein include a process chamber for depositing thin films to backside surfaces of wafers to reduce wafer bowing and distortion. A substrate support provides an annular perimeter seal around the bottom and/or side of the wafer which allows the majority of the substrate backside to be exposed to a process environment. A supported wafer separates the chamber into lower and upper chambers that provide different process environments. The lower section of the processing chamber includes deposition hardware configured to apply and remove thin films. The upper section can remain a chemically inert environment, protecting the existing features on the top surface of the wafer. Multiple exhausts and differential pressures are used to prevent deposition gasses from accessing the working surface of a wafer.

A method and a system are described for mixing liquid chemicals at dynamically changing or static ratios during a given dispense, with extremely high uniformity and repeatability. A mixer includes multiple fluid supply lines including elongate bladders defining a linear flow path and being configured to laterally expand to collect a process fluid and laterally contract to deliver a selected volume of the process fluid to the mixer.

Point-of-use dynamic concentration delivery system with high flow and high uniformity

Techniques herein include processes and systems by which a reproducible CD variation pattern can be mitigated or corrected to yield desirable CDs from microfabrication patterning processes, via resolution enhancement. A repeatable portion of CD variation across a set of wafers is identified, and then a correction exposure pattern is generated. A direct-write projection system exposes this correction pattern on a substrate as a component exposure, augmentation exposure, or partial exposure. A conventional mask-based photolithographic system executes a primary patterning exposure as a second or main component exposure. The two component exposures when combined enhance resolution of the patterning exposure to improve CDs on the substrate being processed without measure each wafer.

Critical dimension correction via calibrated trim dosing

Provided is a method of limiting exposure of a dispense chemical to air and meet dispense objectives in a dispense nozzle system, the method comprising: providing a sample requiring a dispense process of a dispense chemical using a dispense nozzle system; performing an opening cycle of dispense process steps to get the dispense nozzle system ready; dispensing a dispense chemical onto the sample; and performing a closing cycle of dispense process steps to prepare the nozzle system for non-use; repeating the operations of performing the opening cycle of dispense process steps, dispensing the chemical, and performing the closing cycle of dispense process steps a prescribed number of times depending on an application.

Dispense nozzle with a dynamic liquid plug

Techniques herein include a bladder-based dispense system using an elongate bladder configured to selectively expand and contract to assist with dispense actions. This dispense system compensates for filter-lag, which often accompanies fluid filtering for microfabrication. This dispense system also provides a high-purity and high precision dispense unit. A modular hydraulic unit houses the elongate bladder and hydraulic fluid in contact with an exterior surface of the bladder. When pressurized process fluid is in the elongate bladder, hydraulic controls can selectively reduce pressure on the bladder to cause expansion, and then selectively increase hydraulic pressure to assist with a dispense action.

High-purity dispense unit

Provided is a nozzle system for dispensing a dispense chemical onto a substrate, the system comprising: a nozzle comprising a nozzle body and a nozzle tip; a shielding device coupled to the nozzle tip, the shielding device configured to create a mini-environment for a dispense chemical such that a partial pressure of the dispense chemical is maintained in the shielding device; wherein the nozzle system is configured to meet selected dispense objectives.

Dispense nozzle with a shielding device

A processing system is disclosed, having a process chamber that houses a substrate for exposure of a surface of the substrate to a travelling electromagnetic (EM) wave. The processing system also includes an EM wave transmission antenna configured to launch the travelling EM wave into the process chamber for the travelling EM wave to propagate in a direction substantially parallel to the surface of the substrate. The processing system also includes a power coupling system configured to supply EM energy into the EM wave transmission antenna to generate the travelling EM wave at a prescribed output power and in a prescribed EM wave mode during treatment of the substrate. The processing system also includes an EM wave receiving antenna configured to absorb the travelling EM wave after propagation through the process chamber.

Processing system for electromagnetic wave treatment of a substrate at microwave frequencies

Techniques herein include a bladder-based dispense system using an elongate bladder configured to selectively expand and contract to assist with dispense actions. This dispense system compensates for filter-lag, which often accompanies fluid filtering for microfabrication. This dispense system also provides a high-purity and high precision dispense unit. A process fluid filter is located downstream from a process fluid source as well as a system valve. Downstream from the process fluid filter there are no valves. Dispense actions can be initiated and stop while the system valve is open by using the elongate bladder. The elongate bladder can be expanded to stop or pause a dispense action, and then be contracted to assist with a dispense action.

High-purity dispense system

Techniques herein include a bladder-based dispense system using an elongate bladder configured to selectively expand and contract to assist with dispense actions. This dispense system compensates for filter-lag, which often accompanies fluid filtering for microfabrication. This dispense system also provides a high-purity and high precision dispense unit. A meniscus sensor monitors a position of a meniscus of process fluid at a nozzle. The elongate bladder unit is used to maintain a position of the meniscus at a particular location by selectively expanding or contracting the bladder, thereby moving or holding a meniscus position. Expansion of the elongate bladder is also used for a suck-back action after completing a dispense action.

High-precision dispense system with meniscus control

Embodiments include a method for controlled cooling of a heated stage. The method includes setting a stage coupling to a maximum value and heating the stage to a process temperature. The method includes providing a wafer on the heated stage in a process chamber. The method includes performing a process on the wafer and reducing the heating stage coupling to a predetermined minimum value and reducing the heated stage temperature. The method includes removing the wafer from the heated stage and the process chamber. The heated stage is covered with a plurality of pixels, each pixel of the plurality of pixels include a level of emissivity and are equipped with an emissivity control device configured to independently adjust the level of emissivity of the pixel. The heated stage coupling is configured to achieve a predetermined radiative coupling and control the wafer cooling rate and target temperature.

Growing community of inventors

Albany, NY, United States of America

Ronald W Nasman