Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Comp. Ltd.

Sheng-Yuan Lin

Yuan-Hsin Chi

Yin-Tun Chou

Chuan-Yi Lin

I-Shi Wang

Hung-Chih Wang

Ching-Chen Hao

Chen Cheng Chou

Jui-Chun Weng

Chiu-Hua Chung

Han-Zong Pan

You-Cheng Jhang

Kuo-Hao Lee

Ming-Sze Chen

Yu-Chi Liu

Chih-Wei Chou

Hong-Ta Kuo

Tzu-Ping Yang

Hsing-Yu Wang

Hsin-Yu Chen

Hsi-Cheng Hsu

Chun-Yi Chen

Yi-Lii Huang

Jui-Long Chen

Chen-Liang Liao

Po-An Chen

Shu-Han Chao

Chia-Yao Liang

Kuo-Hsi Lee

Ming-Fa Chen

Kong-Beng Thei

Chien-Chih Chou

Song-Bor Lee

Yen-Hao Huang

Chen-Peng Fan

Hsin-yu Chen

Chung-Long Cheng

Kuo-Hsien Cheng

Ching-Kun Huang

Chin-Wei Chen

Yao-Fong Dai

Ming-Yi Shen

Hsin-Lin Wu

Pei-Yuan Tai

Yu Li Wang

Yen Hao Huang

Huang-Liang Lin

Yin-Tung Chou

A bonding tool includes a gas supply line that may extend directly between valves associated with one or more gas supply tanks and a processing chamber such that gas supply line is uninterrupted without any intervening valves or other types of structures that might otherwise cause a pressure buildup in the gas supply line between the processing chamber and the valves associated with the one or more gas supply tanks. The pressure in the gas supply line may be maintained at or near the pressure in the processing chamber so that gas provided to the processing chamber through the gas supply line does not cause a pressure imbalance in the processing chamber, which might otherwise cause early or premature contact between semiconductor substrates that are to be bonded in the processing chamber.

Semiconductor substrate bonding tool and methods of operation

A preclean process may be omitted from a eutectic bonding sequence. To remove oxide from one or more surfaces of a device wafer of a micro-electromechanical-system (MEMS) structure, a duration of an acid-based etch process in the eutectic bonding sequence may be increased relative to the duration of the acid-based etch process when the preclean process is performed. The increased duration of the acid-based etch process enables the acid-based etch process to remove the oxide from the one or more surfaces of the device wafer without the use of a preceding preclean process. This reduces the complexity and cycle time of the eutectic bonding sequence, reduces the risk of stiction between suspended mechanical components of the MEMS structure, and/or reduces the likelihood that the MEMS structure may be rendered defective or inoperable during manufacturing, which increases process yield.

Extended acid etch for oxide removal

A wafer storage elevator and method for detecting wafer position shift. The elevator includes a first storage elevator sidewall, a second storage elevator sidewall, and a storage seat positioned between the first and second storage elevator sidewalls. A first mirror block is coupled to a front side of the storage seat having a mirror positioned on a top surface of the block, and a second mirror block is coupled to the front side of the storage seat having a mirror that is positioned on the top surface of the second mirror block. The mirror of the first mirror block reflects a laser beam from an emission sensor to the second mirror block, and the mirror of the second mirror block reflects the laser beam from the mirror of the first mirror block to a receive sensor. A wafer misalignment is determined based upon an output of the receive sensor.

Wafer shift detection

The present disclosure relates to exclusion rings for use in processing a semiconductor substrate in a processing chamber, such as a chemical vapor deposition chamber. The exclusion ring includes an alignment structure that cooperates with an alignment structure on a platen on which the exclusion ring will rest during processing of the wafer. The first alignment structure includes a guiding surface which promotes the reception of and positioning of the second alignment structure within the first alignment structure. Methods of utilizing the described exclusion rings are also described.

Structures and methods for processing a semiconductor substrate

Methods and systems for improving fusion bonding are disclosed. Plasma treatment is performed on a substrate prior to the fusion bonding, which leaves residual charge on the substrate to be fusion bonded. The residual charge is usually dissipated through an electrically conductive silicone cushion on a loading pin. In the methods, the amount of residual voltage on a test silicon wafer is measured. If the residual voltage is too high, this indicates the usable lifetime of the silicone cushion has passed, and the electrically conductive silicone cushion is replaced. This ensures the continued dissipation of residual charge during use in production, improving the quality of fusion bonds between substrates.

Methods and systems for improving fusion bonding

A photomask assembly may be formed such that stress relief trenches are formed in a pellicle frame of the photomask assembly. The stress relief trenches may reduce or prevent damage to a pellicle that may otherwise result from deformation of the pellicle. The stress relief trenches may be formed in areas of the pellicle frame to allow the pellicle frame to deform with the pellicle, thereby reducing the amount damage to the pellicle caused by the pellicle frame.

Pellicle frame with stress relief trenches

A connect structure for semiconductor processing equipment includes a housing configured to mate a deformable pipe with a non-deformable pipe. The housing includes a first annular sidewall to receive the deformable pipe and a second annular sidewall defining a first thread structure. An annular bead is connected to the first annular sidewall to flexibly deform the deformable pipe toward the non-deformable pipe structure when the first thread structure rotatably engages a second thread structure of the non-deformable pipe.

Connect structure for semiconductor processing equipment

A deposition tool includes a power cable pedestal including a pedestal body with a first surface and a second surface and a guide hole that extends through the pedestal body from the first surface to the second surface, where at least a portion of a sidewall of the guide hole has a slanted surface, and where the pedestal body is formed from a first material with a melting point that is higher than a melting point of Polyoxymethylene (POM). The deposition tool includes a bushing arranged over the guide hole, where the bushing is formed from a second material with a melting point that is higher than the melting point of POM.

Power alarm and fire loading risk reduction for a deposition tool

A wafer pod transfer assembly includes a wafer pod port to receive a wafer pod, a transfer axle coupled to the wafer pod port, a shaft receiver, a shaft coupled to the transfer axle and to the shaft receiver, a pin through the shaft receiver and through the shaft, wherein the pin comprises a first end and a second end, opposite the first end, and a pin buckle including a first loop and a second loop. The pin buckle is coupled to the pin, the first loop encircles the first end of the pin, and the second loop encircles the second end of the pin.

Wafer pod transfer assembly

A radio frequency (RF) match assembly for a chemical vapor deposition processing chamber. The assembly includes a top electrically insulating column and a bottom electrically insulating column. The assembly further includes a one-piece RF match strap that has a head, a main body and a body extension. The main body of the one-piece RF match strap is configured to extend through the top electrically insulating column and the bottom electrically insulating column. A flexible chamber lid strap connects the processing chamber to the top of the one piece RF match strap.

Radio frequency match strap assembly

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Hsin-Chu, Taiwan

Sheng-Yuan Lin