Yield Engineering Systems, Inc.

Other

William A Moffat

Craig Walter McCoy

Kenneth M Sautter

Stuart Vernon Allen

Royston James Reynolds

Boris C Randazzo

A process for the drying, and subsequent imidization, of polyimide precursors which minimizes or eliminates voids and which minimizes or eliminates discoloration. The process uses a sequential set of descending pressure operations that allow for time efficient processing of wafers. The set of descending pressure operations are interspersed with evacuation processes using heated gasses, which combine heating and byproduct evacuation. The process results in layers with reduced or eliminated voiding, discoloration, and solvent retention.

Method for the rapid processing of polymer layers in support of imidization processes and fan out wafer level packaging including efficient drying of precursor layers

A process chamber system adapted for both vacuum process steps and steps at pressures higher than atmospheric pressure. The chamber door may utilize a double door seal which allows for high vacuum in the gap between the seals such that the sealing force provided by the high vacuum in the seal gap is higher than the opposing forces due to the pressure inside the chamber and the weight of the components.

Combination vacuum and over-pressure process chamber and methods related thereto

A device and method of spreading plasma which allows for plasma etching over a larger range of process chamber pressures. A plasma source, such as a linear inductive plasma source, may be choked to alter back pressure within the plasma source. The plasma may then be spread around a deflecting disc which spreads the plasma under a dome which then allows for very even plasma etch rates across the surface of a substrate. The apparatus may include a linear inductive plasma source above a plasma spreading portion which spreads plasma across a horizontally configured wafer or other substrate. The substrate support may include heating elements adapted to enhance the etching.

Plasma spreading apparatus and method of spreading plasma in process ovens

Method for the rapid processing of polymer layers in support of imidization processes and fan out wafer level packaging including effiecient drying of precursor layers

A process for the coating of substrates comprising insertion of a substrate into a process oven, plasma cleaning of the substrate, rehydration of the substrate, dehydration of the substrate, withdrawal of a metered amount of one or more chemicals from one or more chemical reservoirs, vaporizing the withdrawn chemicals in one or more vapor chambers, and transfer of the vaporized chemicals into a process oven, thereby reacting with the substrate. An apparatus for the coating of substrates comprising a process oven, a gas plasma generator, a metered chemical withdrawal subsystem, and a vaporization subsystem.

Method for efficient coating of substrates including plasma cleaning and dehydration

A process for the coating of substrates comprising insertion of a substrate into a process oven, plasma cleaning of the substrate, dehydration of the substrate, withdrawal of a metered amount of one or more chemicals from one or more chemical reservoirs, vaporizing the withdrawn chemicals in one or more vapor chambers, and transfer of the vaporized chemicals into a process oven, thereby reacting with the substrate. An apparatus for the coating of substrates comprising a process oven, a gas plasma generator, a metered chemical withdrawal subsystem, and a vaporization subsystem.

Apparatus for the efficient coating of substrates including plasma cleaning

A process for the coating of substrates comprising insertion of a substrate into a process oven, dehydration of the substrate, withdrawal of a metered amount of one or more chemicals from one or more chemical reservoirs, vaporizing the withdrawn chemicals in one or more vapor chambers, and transfer of the vaporized chemicals into a process oven, thereby reacting with the substrate. An apparatus for the coating of substrates comprising a process oven, a metered chemical withdrawal subsystem, and a vaporization subsystem.

Apparatus for the efficient coating of substrates

A plasma cleaning apparatus for cleaning lead frames or other items comprised of a chamber adapted for containing a plasma, a magazine positioned in the chamber for holding the lead frames, a first active electrode positioned in the chamber on one side of the magazine and a second active electrode positioned in the chamber on the other side of the magazine. A first grounded electrode is positioned between the first active electrode and the magazine and a second grounded electrode is positioned between the second active electrode and the magazine. The magazine is held at the same voltage as the first and second active electrodes and a plasma is generated which extends from the first active electrode to the second active electrode.

Apparatus for cleaning items using gas plasma

An oven for processing semiconductor wafers comprised of a first cylindrical canister, a second cylindrical canister that surrounds the first canister, and a third cylindrical canister that surrounds the second canister. The first canister is comprised of thin stainless steel so that it can be heated and cooled rapidly by band heaters positioned around its exterior. The second canister is comprised of stainless that it thermally insulates the first canister. The third canister is comprised of stainless steel that is thicker than the second canister so that the third canister can hold a sufficient vacuum for processing the wafers.

Rapid heating and cooling vacuum oven

A semiconductor wafer processing station comprising a plasma etching unit, a wet processing spin-spray unit, a robotic wafer transfer arm, and a central control computer all contained in a single housing. The apparatus is designed to perform manufacturing tasks especially related to photoresist processing: photoresist developing, descumming, baking and hardening, and stripping. The apparatus follows preprogrammed instructions which allow the station to automatically perform wafer processing routines by removing wafers from a storage cassette, then transferring the wafers to the processing unit with the robotic arm. Custom processing procedures are programmable, allowing practical small-scale low volume wafer development. Wafer processing routines envisioned include photoresist application and developing, plasma etching and descumming, and procedures involving multiple processing steps utilizing both the plasma/oven unit and the wet chemical spin-spray unit. Such routines would perform precision etching or serve to remove contaminants produced in the photoresist processing procedures.

Wafer processing apparatus

An oven employing a group of identical modular oven units, each unit divided into a main cavity with a first upper auxiliary chamber and a second lower auxiliary chamber. A barrier plate separating the upper chamber from the main cavity is gas pervious and serves as a filter to separate micron size particles and larger from entering the main chamber as the particles are carried by heated inert gas or air passing into the main cavity. The barrier plate separating the lower chamber from the main cavity is also gas pervious and serves as a sink to adsorb particles of sizes up to 100 microns. The group of modular ovens is partially surrounded by a heat transfer wall which allows heat to be rejected from the modular ovens and removed by a fluid coolant in contact with the wall.

Modular convective oven with anti-contamination features

A method and apparatus for heating semiconductor wafers characterized by the release of preheated nitrogen into an oven to considerably reduce heating time for the wafers. The oven is evacuated prior to the release of the preheated nitrogen.

Growing community of inventors

San Jose, CA, United States of America

William A Moffat