Applied Materials, Inc.

Lam Research Corporation

Kawasaki Robotics (usa), Inc.

Thomas Miu

Kenneth S Collins

Michael Robert Rice

Jun Zhao

Ming Zeng

Claes H Bjorkman

Avish Ashok Bharwani

Simon Jeyapalan

Paul E Brunemeier

Shinya Kitano

The present disclosure is directed to methods and systems for evaluating wafer size handling capabilities of wafer handling robots and wafer stations in a wafer processing environment. In one embodiment, a method is provided in which size parameters for each of one or more wafer stations and one or more robot hands of a wafer handling robot are set based on user input. A user command identifying a desired robot hand and a desired wafer station is received. A first size parameter of the desired robot hand is compared to a second size parameter of the desired wafer station. If the first size parameter is equal to the second size parameter, or if the second size parameter is an all-size parameter, the user command is executed. If the first size parameter is not equal to the second size parameter, an error is generated.

Method of wafer system interlock for the protection of equipment and product in semiconductor processing bridge tool

In a first aspect, a programmable transfer device is provided for transferring conductive pieces to electrode pads of a target substrate. The programmable transfer device includes (1) a transfer substrate; and (2) a plurality of individually addressable electrodes formed on the transfer substrate. Each electrode is adapted to selectively attract and hold a conductive piece during transfer of the conductive piece to an electrode pad of a target substrate. Numerous other aspects are provided.

Methods and apparatus for transferring conductive pieces during semiconductor device fabrication

A method in a plasma processing chamber, the chamber being employed for processing a substrate, for removing corrosive species from the plasma processing chamber after the substrate is processed. The method includes introducing a flash source gas comprising an oxidizing agent such as oxygen into the plasma processing chamber. The method further includes performing, a flash process, including striking a plasma in the plasma processing chamber with the flash source gas, thereby permitting oxygen species in the plasma to reduce a concentration of the corrosive species in the plasma processing chamber.

Plasma-enhanced flash process

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Fremont, CA, United States of America

Thomas Miu