Applied Materials, Inc.

Roy C Nangoy

Saravjeet Singh

Allen L D'Ambra

Ajay Kumar

Hung Chih Chen

Shou-Sung Chang

Sumit Subhash Patankar

Shantanu Rajiv Gadgil

Jon Christian Farr

Sharma V Pamarthy

Nathan Arron Davis

Michael J Coughlin

Dmitry Lubomirsky

Andrew Nguyen

Stan D Tsai

Donald J K Olgado

Sameer Deshpande

Gerald John Alonzo

Chad Pollard

Jivko Dinev

Yevgeniy Rabinovich

David Z Chen

Tao Li

A polishing liquid delivery arm cleaning tool includes a body configured to be removably secured to a polishing liquid delivery arm of a chemical mechanical polishing system, and an insert removably secured to the body. The insert has an arm-facing surface shaped to direct a cleaning fluid from the polishing liquid delivery arm back to an inner surface of an enclosure of the polishing liquid delivery arm.

Cleaning system for polishing liquid delivery arm

A polishing assembly includes a rotatable platen to support a polishing pad, a polishing liquid delivery arm having an enclosure open at a bottom thereof and one or more ports to deliver a polishing liquid and a cleaning fluid downwardly through an interior space of the enclosure onto the polishing pad, and a delivery arm cleaning tool removably attached to the polishing liquid delivery arm, the cleaning tool extending below the delivery arm and having a delivery arm-facing surface shaped such that the cleaning tool directs the cleaning fluid from the polishing liquid delivery arm on to a surface of the enclosure of the polishing liquid delivery arm.

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide for apparatus used to detect clogs in a fluid delivery system during CMP processes and methods of detecting clogs in a fluid delivery system during CMP processes. In particular, embodiments herein provide a flow splitter manifold configured to enable monitoring of the pressure of the polishing fluid disposed therein. Monitoring the fluid pressure in the flow splitter manifold enables the detection of clogs in the delivery lines and/or dispense nozzles that inhibit and/or prevent the flow of polishing fluid therethrough or therefrom.

Clog detection in a multi-port fluid delivery system

An electrostatic chuck assembly including a dielectric layer with a top surface to support a workpiece. A cooling channel base disposed below the dielectric layer includes a plurality of fluid conduits disposed beneath the top surface. A chuck assembly further includes a plurality of resistive heater rods spatially distribute across the chuck assembly. In embodiments, 169 heater rods and three heat transfer fluid flow controls are independently controlled during execution of a plasma etch process.

Multi zone heating and cooling ESC for plasma process chamber

In some embodiments, a gas distribution apparatus may include: a manifold having a gas inlet to receive a process gas from a fast gas exchange unit and a first gas outlet to provide the process gas to a first gas delivery zone; a plurality of flow restrictors fluidly coupled to one another in parallel and to the gas inlet, wherein each of the plurality of flow restrictors are configured to allow at least a portion of a total flow of a process gas through each of the plurality of flow restrictors; and a plurality of valves each coupled to respective ones of the plurality of flow restrictors, wherein the plurality of valves are configured to be selectively opened to allow the process gas to flow through selective ones of the plurality of flow restrictors to provide a desired percentage of a total flow of the process gas to the outlet.

Gas distribution apparatus for directional and proportional delivery of process gas to a process chamber

Embodiments of the invention relate to a gas delivery system. The gas delivery system includes a fast gas exchange module in fluid communication with one or more gas panels and a process chamber. The fast gas exchange module has first and second sets of flow controllers and each of first and second sets of flow controllers has multiple flow controllers. The flow controller is configured such that each of the flow controllers in the first and second sets of the flow controllers is independently operated to selectively open to divert gas to the process chamber or an exhaust. The first and second sets of flow controllers are operated for synchronized switching of gases in a pre-determined timed sequence of flow controller actuation. The invention enables fast switch of resultant gas flow in the process chamber while having individual flow controller operated at lower switching speed to provide longer service life.

Method and apparatus for fast gas exchange, fast gas switching, and programmable gas delivery

Methods of and apparatuses for dicing semiconductor wafers, each wafer having a plurality of integrated circuits, are described. In an example, a plasma processing apparatus includes a processing chamber having a chamber wall. The plasma processing apparatus also includes a plasma source in an upper portion of the processing chamber. A sample support is included for situating a sample below the plasma source. An actively-cooled shadow ring having a cooling channel therein for cooling fluid transport is fixedly attached to the chamber wall of the processing chamber, between the plasma source and the sample support.

Stationary actively-cooled shadow ring for heat dissipation in plasma chamber

Embodiments of the present invention relate to method and apparatus for providing processing gases to a process chamber with improved uniformity. One embodiment of the present invention provides a gas injection assembly. The gas injection assembly includes an inlet hub, a nozzle having a plurality of injection passages disposed against the inlet hub, and a distribution insert disposed between the nozzle and the inlet hub. The distribution insert has one or more gas distribution passages configured to connect the inlet hub to the plurality of the injection passages the nozzle. Each of the one or more gas distribution passages has one inlet connecting with a plurality of outlets, and distances between the inlet and each of the plurality of outlets are substantially equal.

Proportional and uniform controlled gas flow delivery for dry plasma etch apparatus

Methods of and apparatuses for dicing semiconductor wafers, each wafer having a plurality of integrated circuits, are described. In an example, a plasma etch chamber includes a plasma source disposed in an upper region of the plasma etch chamber. A bipolar electrostatic chuck is disposed below the plasma source. The bipolar electrostatic chuck is sized to support a substrate carrier having a tape and tape frame. The bipolar electrostatic chuck is configured to control a backside temperature of the substrate carrier prior to and during plasma processing.

Bipolar electrostatic chuck for dicing tape thermal management during plasma dicing

Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to method and apparatus for providing processing gases to a process chamber with improved plasma dissociation efficiency. One embodiment of the present disclosure provides a baffle nozzle assembly comprising an outer body defining an extension volume connected to a processing chamber. A processing gas is flown to the processing chamber through the extension volume which is exposed to power source for plasma generation.

Method and apparatus for high efficiency gas dissociation in inductive coupled plasma reactor

Methods of and apparatuses for dicing semiconductor wafers, each wafer having a plurality of integrated circuits, are described. In an example, a plasma etch chamber includes a plasma source disposed in an upper region of the plasma etch chamber. The plasma etch chamber also includes a cathode assembly disposed below the plasma source. The cathode assembly includes a cooling RF-powered chuck for supporting an inner portion of a backside of a substrate carrier. The cathode assembly also includes a cooling RF-isolated support surrounding but isolated from the RF-powered chuck. The RF-isolated support is for supporting an outer portion of the backside of the substrate carrier.

Cooling pedestal for dicing tape thermal management during plasma dicing

Embodiments of the present invention relate to a plasma chamber having a coil assembly which improves plasma uniformity and improves power coupling to the plasma. One embodiment provides a plasma chamber. The plasma chamber includes a chamber body having sidewalls and a lid, wherein the chamber body defines a processing volume. The plasma chamber further includes a coil assembly disposed over the lid configured to generate inductively coupled plasma within the processing volume, wherein the coil assembly comprises two or more horizontal coils arranged in a common horizontal plane.

High efficiency gas dissociation in inductively coupled plasma reactor with improved uniformity

Embodiments of the present invention relate to method and apparatus for providing processing gases to a process chamber with improved plasma dissociation efficiency. One embodiment of the present invention provides a baffle nozzle assembly comprising an outer body defining an extension volume connected to a processing chamber. A processing gas is flown to the processing chamber through the extension volume which is exposed to power source for plasma generation.

Method and apparatus for high efficiency gas dissociation in inductive couple plasma reactor

Polishing pads used in CMP machines are consumable components that are typically replaced after a specific number of wafers have been processed. The life of a polishing pad is optimized by controlling the rate of material removal from the polishing pad by the conditioning disk. The conditioning disk removes enough material so the polishing surface can properly process the wafers but does not remove any excess material. Preventing excess material removal extends the life of the polishing pad. During CMP processing, the controller receives data concerning the torque applied to the conditioning disk and the torque applied to the arm to sweep the conditioning disk across the polishing pad. Based upon the detected operating conditions, the system can predict the rate of material removal and adjust the forces applied to the conditioning disk so that the life of the polishing pad is optimized.

In-situ performance prediction of pad conditioning disk by closed loop torque monitoring

Apparatus and methods for conditioning a polishing pad include an arm adapted to support a conditioning disk; a drive mechanism coupled to the arm; and a flexible coupling between the drive mechanism and the conditioning disk adapted to allow the conditioning disk to tilt while transmitting rotary motion from the drive mechanism to the conditioning disk. Numerous other aspects are disclosed.

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Santa Clara, CA, United States of America

Roy C Nangoy