Applied Materials, Inc.

Shay Assaf

Jacob Newman

Andrew J Constant

William Tyler Weaver

Michael Robert Rice

Paul Benjamin Reuter

Sushant Suresh Koshti

Jeffrey C Hudgens

Charles T Carlson

Alexander Berger

Stephen Hickerson

Ulrich Oldendorf

Martin Aenis

Schubert S Chu

Todd J Egan

Seshadri Ramaswami

Zhepeng Cong

Chongyang Wang

Leonid Mark Tertitski

Kim Ramkumar Vellore

Douglas Brian Baumgarten

Devendra Channappa Holeyannavar

Amikam Sade

Arunkumar Ramachandraiah

Narayanan Ramachandran

Niranjan Kumar

Ami Sade

David Phillips

Srinivas Poshatrahalli Gopalakrishna

Krishna Kumar Kuttannair

Adrian Rhee

Maureen Frances Breiling

Venkatesh Babu

Andy Constant

Robert D Flores

Brendan Hickey

Song J Park

Devices, systems, and methods for integrating load locks into a factory interface footprint space. A factory interface for an electronic device manufacturing system can include an interior volume defined by a bottom, a top and a plurality of sides, a load lock disposed within the interior volume of the factory interface, and a factory interface robot disposed within the interior volume of the factory interface, wherein the factory interface robot is configured to transfer substrates between a set of substrate carriers and the load lock.

Systems and methods for integrating load locks into a factory interface footprint space

A factory interface for an electronic device manufacturing system can include a load lock disposed within the interior volume of a factory interface and a factory interface robot disposed within the interior volume of the factory interface. The factory interface robot can be configured to transfer substrates between a first set of substrate carriers and the first load lock. The factory interface robot can comprise a vertical tower, a plurality of links, and an end effector.

Factory interface robots usable with integrated load locks

Embodiments herein relate to a transport system and a substrate processing and transfer (SPT) system. The SPT system includes a transport system that connects two processing tools. The transport system includes a vacuum tunnel that is configured to transport substrates between the processing tools. The vacuum tunnel includes a substrate transport carriage to move the substrate through the vacuum tunnel. The SPT system has a variety of configurations that allow the user to add or remove processing chambers, depending on the process chambers required for a desired substrate processing procedure.

Transport system

Embodiments of the disclosure are directed to load lock chambers and methods of using load lock chambers. The load lock chambers include a middle section, an upper section connected to the middle section and a lower section connected to the middle section. A slit valve in a facet on the outside of the middle section provides an opening to access the middle volume from outside the load lock.

Multi-wafer volume single transfer chamber facet

The disclosure describes devices, systems, and methods for integrating load locks into a factory interface footprint space. A factory interface for an electronic device manufacturing system can include an interior volume defined by a bottom, a top and a plurality of sides, a first load lock disposed within the interior volume of the factory interface, and a first factory interface robot disposed within the interior volume of the factory interface, wherein the first factory interface robot is configured to transfer substrates between a first set of substrate carriers and the first load lock.

Systems for integrating load locks into a factory interface footprint space

Full wafer in-situ metrology chambers and methods of use are described. The metrology chambers include a substrate support and a sensor bar that are rotatable relative to each other. The sensor bar includes a plurality of sensors at different radii from a central axis.

In-situ full wafer metrology system

Methods and apparatus for processing a substrate are provided herein. In one implementation, the apparatus includes a load lock chamber coupled to a transfer chamber. The transfer chamber is coupled to a thermal process chamber and a substrate is transferred between each of the load lock chamber, the transfer chamber, and the thermal process chamber. In other implementations, a process platform having a load lock chamber, a transfer chamber, and a thermal process chamber is disclosed. Methods of measuring oxygen concentration in a load lock chamber via evacuation of a transfer chamber are also described herein.

Ambient controlled transfer module and process system

Embodiments include a method for processing thin substrates. Embodiments may include electrostatically bonding a substrate to a first electrostatic carrier (ESC), with a backside of the substrate is facing away from the first ESC. Thereafter, the substrate may be thinned to form a thinned substrate. The thinned substrate may then be transferred to a second ESC with a front side of the thinned substrate facing away from the second ESC. Embodiments may include cleaning the front side surface of the thinned substrate and transferring the thinned substrate to a third ESC. In an embodiment, a backside of the thinned substrate is facing away from the third ESC. Embodiments may also include processing the backside surface of the thinned substrate, and transferring the thinned substrate to a tape frame.

Automated apparatus to temporarily attach substrates to carriers without adhesives for processing

A method and apparatus for detecting substrate misalignment (i.e., position displacement error) and/or substrate support misalignment. According to certain aspects, a method for detecting a misalignment of an object in a processing system is provided. The method generally includes obtaining a first image of the object, determining first values associated with pixels in at least one region of the first image, calculating at least one of a center of gravity value of the pixels in the at least one region or an average weight of the pixels in the at least one region, and detecting a misalignment of the object based on at least one of the calculated center of gravity or average weight of the pixels in the at least one region.

System and method to detect substrate and/or substrate support misalignment using imaging

A method and system for managing process jobs in a semiconductor fabrication facility is described. In one embodiment, the method includes receiving a plurality of process jobs associated with one or more priorities. The method further includes executing the plurality of process jobs in an order reflecting the priorities. The order is modifiable in real time upon receiving a new process job with a priority higher than the priorities of the plurality of process jobs.

Method and system for managing process jobs in a semiconductor fabrication facility

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Gilroy, CA, United States of America

Shay Assaf