Applied Materials, Inc.

William Nixon Taylor, Jr

David Wingto Cheung

Mark A Fodor

Sebastien Raoux

Ben Pang

Jeffrey C Hudgens

Kevin P Fairbairn

Jun Zhao

Judy H Huang

Dean C Hruzek

Satish Sundar

Jeffrey Allen Brodine

Mario Dave Silvetti

Stefan A Wolff

William P Laceky

Kuo-Shih Liu

Ashish V Shrotriya

Kenneth D Smyth

Prasanth Kumar

Ernest L Cheung

Michael G Friebe

John Ferguson

Prudhvi R Chintalapati

Gerald McNutt

Sebastion Raoux

Systems, apparatus and methods for transporting substrates between system components of an electronic device manufacturing system are provided. The systems and apparatus include an electrostatic end effector having a base, an electrode pair on the base, and spacer members for spacing the substrate from the electrode pairs to provide a gap between the electrode pair and the substrate. Methods of the invention as well as numerous other aspects are provided.

Electrostatic end effector apparatus, systems and methods

An apparatus for preventing particulate matter and residue build-up within a vacuum exhaust line of a semiconductor processing device. The apparatus uses RF energy to form excite the constituents of particulate matter exhausted from a semiconductor processing chamber into a plasma state such that the constituents react to form gaseous products that may be pumped through the vacuum line. The apparatus may include a collection chamber structured and arranged to collect particulate matter flowing through the apparatus and inhibiting egress of the particulate matter from the apparatus. The apparatus may further include an electrostatic collector to enhance particle collection in the collection chamber and to further inhibit egress of the particulate matter.

Method and apparatus for cleaning an exhaust line in a semiconductor processing system

An apparatus for preventing particulate matter and residue build-up within a vacuum exhaust line of a semiconductor processing device. The apparatus uses RF energy to excite the constituents of particulate matter exhausted from a semiconductor processing chamber into a plasma state such that the constituents react to form gaseous products that may be pumped through the vacuum line. The apparatus may include a collection chamber structured and arranged to collect particulate matter flowing through the apparatus and inhibiting egress of the particulate matter from the apparatus. The apparatus may further include an electrostatic collector to enhance particle collection in the collection chamber and to further inhibit egress of the particulate matter.

Apparatus for cleaning an exhaust line in a semiconductor processing system

An apparatus for converting PFC gases exhausted from semiconductor processing equipment to less harmful, non-PFC gases. One embodiment of the apparatus includes a silicon filter and a plasma generation system. The plasma generation system forms a plasma from the effluent PFC gases. Constituents from the plasma react with silicon and/or oxygen in the filter and convert the effluent PFC gases to less harmful, non-PFC gaseous products and byproducts. Another embodiment includes a plasma generation system and a particle trapping and collection system. The particle trapping and collection system traps silicon containing residue from deposition processes that produces such residue, and the plasma generation system forms a plasma from the effluent PFC gases. Constituents from the plasma react with the collected residue to convert the effluent PFC gases to less harmful, non-PFC gaseous products and byproducts.

Method and apparatus for reducing perfluorocompound gases from substrate processing equipment emissions

An apparatus and associated method for transporting a first substrate and a second substrate relative to a cell. The cell contains a pedestal that is configured to interact with a single substrate. When swapping wafers in a cell, a first substrate is displaced from the pedestal to a remote location and a second substrate is inserted into the cell and onto the pedestal. The first substrate is then removed from the cell.

Multiple wafer lift apparatus and associated method

A gas feedthrough in a semiconductor processing apparatus comprises a static-dissipative composite material. This material is characterized by good resistance to electromigration and is preferably made of a homogeneous material. This apparatus for preventing the transfer of energy to a gas flown through a gas line and comprises a gas feedthrough comprising a static-dissipative material, the feedthrough having a first end for abuttingly contacting an electrically energized member and a second end for contacting a grounded member, the feedthrough defining a void therein along its length to house a gas line.

Gas feedthrough with electrostatic discharge characteristic

A plasma chamber RF excitation system includes a high frequency RF power source having a fixed RF match circuit at its output and sensing and control apparatus for sensing the amount of RF power delivered by the RF power source and for regulating the output power level of the RF power source so as to maintain the RF power delivered by the RF power source at a desired level, and an RF plasma chamber including an RF radiator. The power source is mounted proximate or directly on the plasma chamber so that the distance between them is much less than an eighth of a wavelength at thr frequency of the RF source. The system may further include an endpoint detector for a plasma etch process or a chamber cleaning process which halts the process when the VSWR or reflected power ceases to change in response to the progress of the etch process.

Plasma chamber with fixed RF matching

Growing community of inventors

Dublin, CA, United States of America

William Nixon Taylor, Jr