Tokyo Electron Limited

Takashi Horiuchi

Yumiko Kawano

Jozef Brcka

Hideaki Yamasaki

Rodney Lee Robison

Takashi Mochizuki

Hiromitsu Sakaue

Masami Mizukami

Takeshi Kaizuka

Takehiro Shindo

Teruo Iwata

Toshiaki Kodama

Towl Ikeda

Kazuichi Hayashi

Sensho Kobayashi

Yuichiro Fujikawa

Masahide Itoh

Akira Takahashi

Hisashi Gomi

There is provided an apparatus for transporting a substrate. The apparatus comprises: an end effector including a fork which holds the substrate and a wrist part which holds a proximal end portion of the fork; an arm provided with the end effector installed thereon and a mechanism which moves the fork; and an inclination adjusting mechanism provided between the fork and the wrist part or between the wrist part and the arm to adjust an inclination of the fork.

Apparatus for transporting substrate, system for processing substrate, and method of transporting substrate

A substrate processing method includes transferring unprocessed substrates to a first substrate holder by way of lowering a first substrate accommodation unit and loading the unprocessed substrates into a processing chamber in sequence while sequentially rotating a substrate mounting table at a preset angle in one direction, performing a preset process on substrates in a batch-type, and unloading processed substrates from the processing chamber by the first substrate holder after a completion of the preset process, transferring the processed substrates into the first substrate accommodation unit from the first substrate holder by way of raising the first substrate accommodation unit, transferring unprocessed substrates to a second substrate holder by way of lowering a second substrate accommodation unit and loading the unprocessed substrate into the processing chamber in sequence while sequentially rotating the substrate mounting table at the preset angle in the another direction.

Substrate processing method

A substrate processing system includes a processing chamber that performs a preset process on a plurality of substrates in a batch-type manner; a substrate mounting table, installed within the processing chamber, configured to mount the plurality of substrates on a concentric circle and configured to be rotatable forward and backward; substrate accommodation units configured to accommodate the plurality of substrates in multi-stages in a vertical direction; substrate holders and configured to transfer the substrates between the substrate accommodation units and the processing chamber; elevating mechanisms configured to move the substrate accommodation units up and down. Unprocessed substrates are mounted on the substrate mounting table while the substrate mounting table is being rotated in one direction. After the completion of the processing of the substrates, unloading of processed substrates and loading of new unprocessed substrates are performed while the substrate mounting table is rotated in the another direction.

Substrate processing system and substrate processing method

Calibration wafers and methods for calibrating a plasma process performed in a plasma processing apparatus, such as an ionized physical vapor deposition apparatus. The calibration wafer includes one or more selective-redeposition structures for calibrating a plasma process. The selective-redeposition structures receive a controllable and/or measurable amount of redeposited material during the plasma process.

Selective-redeposition structures for calibrating a plasma process

Calibration wafers and methods for calibrating a plasma process performed in a plasma processing apparatus, such as an ionized physical vapor deposition apparatus. The calibration wafer includes one or more selective-redeposition sources that may be used for calibrating a plasma process. The selective-redeposition sources are constructed to promote the redeposition of a controllable and/or measurable amount of material during the plasma process.

Selective-redeposition sources for calibrating a plasma process

The present invention provides a CVD apparatus and a CVD method for use in forming an Al/Cu multilayered film. The Al/Cu multilayered film is formed in the CVD apparatus comprising a chamber for placing a semiconductor wafer W, a susceptor for mounting the semiconductor wafer W thereon, an Al raw material supply system for introducing a gasified Al raw material into the chamber and a Cu raw material supply system for introducing a gasified Cu raw material into the chamber. The Al/Cu multilayered film is formed by repeating a series of steps consisting of introducing the Al raw material gas into the chamber, depositing the Al film on the semiconductor wafer W by a CVD method, followed by generating a plasma in the chamber in which the Cu raw material gas has been introduced and depositing the Cu film on the semiconductor wafer W by a CVD method. The Al/Cu multilayered film thus obtained is subjected to a heating treatment (annealing), thereby forming a desired Al/Cu multilayered film.

CVD apparatus and CVD method

A film forming apparatus includes a chamber in which a thin film is formed on a semiconductor wafer by supplying a process gas, the interior of which is then cleaned by a cleaning gas, while the gas in the chamber is exhausted by a vacuum system. The vacuum system includes a main vacuum line connected to a vacuum port of the chamber, a high-vacuum pump arranged on an upstream side of the main vacuum line, a coarse control vacuum pump arranged on a downstream side of the main vacuum line, a bypass line which is connected to the main vacuum line so as to bypass the high-vacuum pump and has a first connection portion connected between the vacuum port and the high-vacuum pump and a second connection portion connected between the high-vacuum pump and the coarse control vacuum pump, a trap arranged on the bypass line, heater arranged between the first connection portion and the trap for heating gas flowing from the first connection portion to the trap, and valves for selectively opening/closing the main vacuum line and the bypass line to allow the gas in the chamber to flow through one of the lines.

Film forming apparatus and method

There is provided a trap apparatus, which is inserted in a vacuum exhaust system sucking and discharging an exhaust gas from a process apparatus by a vacuum pump, for trapping a tramp material contained in the exhaust gas, said trap apparatus comprising, a trapping passage container inserted in the exhaust passage, at the upstream side of the vacuum pump, and a heating trap, housed in the trapping passage container, for heating the exhaust gas to a predetermined temperature while the heating trap is brought into contact with the exhaust gas flowing, thereby subjecting the tramp material in the exhaust gas to pyrolysis. Thus, the unaffected process gas circulated through the exhaust passage is touched by the heating trap and pyrolytically decomposed, and separated metal adheres to the heating trap so as to be trapped thereby. The heating trap is formed of an electric heating coil formed spirally so as to define a gap between the wire thereof, so that the electric heating coil can be sufficiently brought into contact with the exhaust gas and the exhaust gas is allowed to flow through the gaps between the wires. Therefore, the area that the exhaust gas is brought into contact with the wires of the electric heating coil becomes larger, and the exhaust gas can flow through the gaps to secure the flowing conductance. As a result, a balance of the contact area and the flowing conductance is maintained.

Trap apparatus

An exhaust system for a film forming apparatus including an exhaust pipe passage connected to an exhaust port of the film forming apparatus for forming a film on a object by using vaporized gas of an organic metal compound. The film forming apparatus includes a pressure transfer unit provided for the exhaust pipe passage and arranged to transfer, through the exhaust pipe passage, gas in the film forming apparatus as exhaust gas. A cooling mechanism is provided for the pressure transfer unit and arranged to cool the pressure transfer unit to a temperature lower than a temperature, at which the organic metal compound is decomposed, so as to prevent precipitation of the organic metal compound contained in the exhaust gas introduced into the pressure transfer unit. A removing unit is disposed at an intermediate position of the exhaust pipe passage, downstream from the pressure transfer unit, so as to remove the organic metal compound contained in the exhaust gas which is introduced through the exhaust pipe passage.

Growing community of inventors

Yamanashi, Japan

Takashi Horiuchi