Asm International N.v.

Other

Koninklijke Philips Corporation N.v.

Levitech B.v.

Vladimir Ivanovich Kuznetsov

Ernst Hendrik August Granneman

Ernst H A Granneman

Pascal Gustaaf Vermont

Herbert Terhorst

Theo Anjes Maria Ruijl

Ronald Bast

Xavier Pages

Sijbrand Radelaar

Jan Zinger

Cornelius A Van Der Jeugd

Gert-Jan Snijders

Gert Jan Snijders

Christianus Gerardus M De Ridder

Jacobus Cornells Gerardus Van Der Sanden

Arjen Storm

Theodorus Gerardus Maria Oosterlaken

Jacobus Cornelis Gerardus Van Der Sanden

Ernst H Granneman

Christianus Gerardus Maria Ridder

Pieter Tak

Arjen Benjamin Storm

Wilhelmus Gerardus Van Velzen

Gonzalo Felipe Ramirez Troxler

Xavier Pagès

Ruud Grisel

Ernest H A Granneman

Bartholomeus Hans L Lindeboom

Jacobus Hubertus Maria Beijersbergen

Simon Cornelis Van Der Linde

Martijn Gerben Van Der Wal

A method of contactlessly advancing a substrate (), comprising: &#x2014;providing a process tunnel (), extending in a longitudinal direction and bounded by at least a first () and a second () wall; &#x2014;providing first and second gas bearings () by providing substantially laterally flowing gas alongside the first and second walls respectively; &#x2014;bringing about a first longitudinal division of the process tunnel into a plurality of pressure segments (), wherein the gas bearings () in a pressure segment have an average gas pressure that is different from an average gas pressure of the gas bearings in an adjacent pressure segment; &#x2014;providing a substrate () in between the first wall () and the second wall (); and 1&#x2014;allowing differences in average gas pressure between adjacent pressure segments () to drive the substrate along the longitudinal direction of the process tunnel.

Method and apparatus for contactlessly advancing substrates

A method, comprising: &#x2014;providing a process space atmosphere at a process space atmosphere pressure; &#x2014;providing an exterior atmosphere at an exterior atmosphere pressure that is different from the process space atmosphere pressure; &#x2014;providing a passage via which the exterior atmosphere is in open communication with the process space atmosphere, and via which substrates are exchangeable between the exterior atmosphere and the process space atmosphere; &#x2014;injecting an exchange fluid into the passage at at least one exchange fluid injection point, so as to effect a flow of exchange fluid that extends through at least a part of the passage, wherein said flow is directed towards &#x2014;the exterior in case the exterior atmosphere pressure is greater than the process space atmosphere pressure; or &#x2014;the process space in case the exterior atmosphere pressure is smaller than the process space atmosphere pressure.

Dynamic fluid valve and method for establishing the same

Disclosed is a process tunnel () through which substrates () may be transported in a floating condition between two gas bearings (). To monitor the transport of the substrates through the process tunnel, the upper and lower walls () of the tunnel are fitted with at least one substrate detection sensor (S, . . . , S) at a respective substrate detection sensor location, said substrate detection sensor being configured to generate a reference signal reflecting a presence of a substrate between said first and second walls near and/or at said substrate detection sensor location. Also provided is a monitoring and control unit () that is operably connected to the at least one substrate detection sensor (S, . . . , S), and that is configured to record said reference signal as a function of time and to process said reference signal.

Floating substrate monitoring and control device, and method for the same

Holes in semiconductor processing reactor parts are sized to facilitate deposition of protective coatings, such as by chemical vapor deposition at atmospheric pressure. In some embodiments, the holes each have a flow constriction that narrows the holes in one part and that also divides the holes into one or more other portions. In some embodiments, the aspect ratios of the one or more other portions are about 15:1 or less, or about 7:1 or less, and have a cylindrical or conical cross-sectional shape. The holes are coated with a protective coating, such as a silicon carbide coating, by chemical vapor deposition, including chemical vapor deposition at atmospheric pressure.

Semiconductor processing parts having apertures with deposited coatings and methods for forming the same

Inserts are used to line openings in parts that form a semiconductor processing reactor. In some embodiments, the reactor parts delimit a reaction chamber. The reactor parts may be formed of graphite. A layer of silicon carbide is deposited on surfaces of the openings in the reactor parts and the inserts are placed in the openings. The inserts are provided with a hole, which can accept another reactor part such as a thermocouple. The insert protects the walls of the opening from abrasion caused by insertion of the other reactor part into the opening.

Protective inserts to line holes in parts for semiconductor process equipment

The publication discloses a method for determining a temperature of a substrate, comprising: providing a gas channel that is confined by at least one wall having a certain wall temperature; providing a substrate in said gas channel, proximate to the at least one wall, such that a gap exists between a surface of the substrate and the at least one wall; providing a gas flow with a certain mass flow rate through said gas channel, which gas flow extends at least partially through said gap; determining a pressure drop in the gas flow along the gas channel; and deriving from said pressure drop the temperature of said substrate using a pre-determined relation between the pressure drop along the gas channel, the wall temperature and the temperature of the substrate, at said mass flow rate. Also disclosed is a device for implementing the disclosed method.

Method and device for determining the temperature of a substrate

A method of self-aligned silicidation involves interruption of the silicidation process prior to complete reaction of the blanket material (e.g., metal) in regions directly overlying patterned and exposed other material (e.g., silicon). Diffusion of excess blanket material from over other regions (e.g., overlying insulators) is thus prevented. Control and uniformity are insured by use of conductive rapid thermal annealing in hot wall reactors, with massive heated plates closely spaced from the substrate surfaces. Interruption is particularly facilitated by forced cooling, preferably also by conductive thermal exchange with closely spaced, massive plates.

Methods of forming films in semiconductor devices with solid state reactants

Disclosed is a method involving repeatedly measuring a pressure within a flow of processing gas that is provided in a semiconductor processing apparatus for treatment of a semiconductor substrate, such as a semiconductor wafer. The flow of processing gas is made to extend between a surface of the substrate and a surface of a processing body. From the pressure measurements the occurrence of an event that is related to a variation in the position of the substrate's surface relative to the surface of the processing body is determined.

Method relating to the accurate positioning of a semiconductor wafer

A reactor for heat treatment of a substrate having a process chamber within a substrate enclosing structure, and a support structure configured to position a substrate at a predetermined spacing between the upper part and the bottom part within the process chamber during processing. Streams of gas may lift the substrate from the support structure so that the substrate floats. A plurality of heating elements is associated with at least one of the upper part and the bottom part and are arranged to define heating zones. A controller controls the heating elements individually so that each heating zone is configured to have a predetermined temperature determined by the controller. The heating zones provide for a non-uniform heating laterally across the substrate.

Temperature control for single substrate semiconductor processing reactor

A substrate undergoes a semiconductor fabrication process at different temperatures in a reactor without changing the temperature of the reactor. The substrate is held suspended by flowing gas between two heated surfaces of the reactor. Moving the two heated surfaces in close proximity with the substrate for a particular time duration heats the substrate to a desired temperature. The desired temperature is then maintained by distancing the heated surfaces from the substrate and holding the heated surface at the increased distance to minimize further substrate heating.

Method for the heat treatment of substrates

Method and device for rotating a wafer which is arranged floating in a reactor. The wafer is treated in a reactor of this nature, and it is important for this treatment to be carried out as uniformly as possible. For this purpose, it is proposed to rotate the wafer by allowing the gas flow to emerge perpendicular to the surface of the wafer and then to impart to this gas a component which is tangential with respect to the wafer, thus generating rotation. This tangential component may be generated by the provision of grooves, which may be of spiral or circular design.

Method and device for rotating a wafer

Methods of forming silicide films in semiconductor devices

For wafer processing, wafers are transferred between a thermal treatment chamber and a thermal treatment installation. The treatment chamber has a top section and a bottom section between which the wafer is accommodated during treatment. The thermal treatment installation has a loading chamber having loading means and transport means. The wafer is place on a wafer support while in the loading chamber, wherein the wafer support is configured as a ring having support elements to support the wafer. The wafer support loaded with the wafer is inserted into the thermal treatment chamber so that the wafer and the wafer support are positioned between the top section and the bottom section. The wafer is individually processed in the thermal treatment chamber. After processing the wafer, the wafer support is removed from the thermal treatment chamber.

Apparatus for transferring wafer and ring

Growing community of inventors

Delft, Netherlands

Vladimir Ivanovich Kuznetsov