Applied Materials, Inc.

Varian Semiconductor Equipment Associates, Inc.

Brooks Automation Gmbh

Sokudo Co., Ltd.

William Tyler Weaver

Charles T Carlson

Robert Brent Vopat

Jason M Schaller

Jeffrey C Hudgens

Robert B Lowrance

Michael Robert Rice

Benjamin B Riordon

Jay D Pinson, Ii

Mohsen Salek

Helen R Armer

Malcolm N Daniel, Jr

Tetsuya Ishikawa

Harald Herchen

Leon Volfovski

David H Quach

Jacob Newman

Chongyang Wang

Rick J Roberts

Andrew J Constant

Jeffrey Charles Blahnik

John A Backer

Eric Andrew Englhardt

David T Blahnik

Vinay K Shah

Dean C Hruzek

Nicholas P T Bateman

Robert J Mitchell

Michael C Kuchar

Paul E Pergande

Aaron Webb

Kirk Van Katwyk

Van Hoskins

Joseph Yudovsky

Russell J Low

Brian C Lue

Shay Assaf

Mike Rice

Morgan Evans

Dave Silvetti

Stephen Hickerson

William John Fosnight

Daniel Babbs

Atul Gupta

Robert Chris May

Steven M Anella

Ala Moradian

Michael Rohrer

Brian Lu

Tuan Anh Nguyen

Joseph C Olson

Julian G Blake

James D Strassner

Alexander Berger

D Jeffrey Lischer

Paul Sullivan

James Paul Buonodono

Marvin L Freeman

Mario David Silvetti

Gregory John Freeman

Paul Forderhase

Dinesh Kanawade

Michael Carrell

Ulrich Oldendorf

Martin Aenis

Frank Sinclair

Kallol Bera

Timothy J Miller

John W Graff

Eric D Hermanson

Kevin M Daniels

Kevin R Anglin

Kim Ramkumar Vellore

Lawrence Randolph Gravell

Luke W Bonecutter

Steve S Hongkham

Jaime A Carrera

Christopher Neil Grant

Scott A Smith

Nick Parisi

Benjamin Riordan

Michael A Beck

Michael C Simmons

A system for transferring semiconductor workpieces from a load lock to an orientation station and onto a platen is disclosed. The system comprises two load locks, a multi-workpiece orientation station, two multi-pick robots that transfer a plurality of workpieces between a respective load lock and the multi-workpiece orientation station, and two backend robots that transfer individual workpieces between the multi-workpiece orientation station and the platen.

Workpiece handling architecture for high workpiece throughput

A system for transferring semiconductor workpieces from a load lock to an orientation station and on to a platen is disclosed. The system comprises two load locks, two robots, and one orientation station. Each robot is associated with a respective load lock and follows a fixed sequence. The robot returns a processed workpiece to the load lock and also removes an unprocessed workpiece. The robot then moved to the orientation station, where it removes an aligned workpiece from the orientation station and deposits the unprocessed workpiece on the orientation station. Next, the robot moves to the platen, where it removes a processed workpiece and deposits the aligned workpiece. The robot then returns to the load lock and repeats this sequence.

A system comprising a spinning disk is disclosed. The system comprises a semiconductor processing system, such as a high energy implantation system. The semiconductor processing system produces a spot ion beam, which is directed to a plurality of workpieces, which are disposed on the spinning disk. The spinning disk comprises a rotating central hub with a plurality of platens. The plurality of platens may extend outward from the central hub and workpieces are electrostatically clamped to the platens. The plurality of platens may also be capable of rotation. The central hub also controls the rotation of each of the platens about an axis orthogonal to the rotation axis of the central hub. In this way, variable angle implants may be performed. Additionally, this allows the workpieces to be mounted while in a horizontal orientation.

Spinning disk with electrostatic clamped platens for ion implantation

Embodiments herein relate to a transport system and a substrate processing and transfer (SPT) system. The SPT system includes a transport system that connects two processing tools. The transport system includes a vacuum tunnel that is configured to transport substrates between the processing tools. The vacuum tunnel includes a substrate transport carriage to move the substrate through the vacuum tunnel. The SPT system has a variety of configurations that allow the user to add or remove processing chambers, depending on the process chambers required for a desired substrate processing procedure.

Transport system

Embodiments of the disclosure are directed to load lock chambers and methods of using load lock chambers. The load lock chambers include a middle section, an upper section connected to the middle section and a lower section connected to the middle section. A slit valve in a facet on the outside of the middle section provides an opening to access the middle volume from outside the load lock.

Multi-wafer volume single transfer chamber facet

Wafer cassettes and methods of use that provide heating a cooling to a plurality of wafers to decrease time between wafer switching in a processing chamber. Wafers are supported on a wafer lift which can move all wafers together or on independent lift pins which can move individual wafers for heating and cooling.

Batch heating and cooling chamber or loadlock

Buffer chamber including robots, a carousel and at least one heating module for use with a batch processing chamber are described. Robot configurations for rapid and repeatable movement of wafers into and out of the buffer chamber and cluster tools incorporating the buffer chambers and robots are described.

Buffer chamber wafer heating mechanism and supporting robots

A substrate processing system including a processing section arranged to hold a processing atmosphere therein, a carrier having a shell forming an internal volume for holding at least one substrate for transport to the processing section, the shell being configured to allow the internal volume to be pumped down to a predetermined vacuum pressure that is different than an exterior atmosphere outside the substrate processing system, and a load port communicably connected to the processing section to isolate the processing atmosphere from the exterior atmosphere, the load port being configured to couple with the carrier to pump down the internal volume of the carrier and to communicably connect the carrier to the processing section, for loading the substrate into the processing section through the load port.

Side opening unified pod

A method and apparatus for of improving processing results in a processing chamber by orienting a substrate support relative to a surface within the processing chamber. The method comprising orienting a supporting surface of a substrate support in a first orientation relative to an output surface of a showerhead, where the first orientation of the supporting surface relative to the output surface is not coplanar, and depositing a first layer of material on a substrate disposed on the supporting surface that is oriented in the first orientation.

Dynamic leveling process heater lift

Methods and apparatus for processing a substrate are provided herein. In one implementation, the apparatus includes a load lock chamber coupled to a transfer chamber. The transfer chamber is coupled to a thermal process chamber and a substrate is transferred between each of the load lock chamber, the transfer chamber, and the thermal process chamber. In other implementations, a process platform having a load lock chamber, a transfer chamber, and a thermal process chamber is disclosed. Methods of measuring oxygen concentration in a load lock chamber via evacuation of a transfer chamber are also described herein.

Ambient controlled transfer module and process system

Apparatus and methods for aligning large susceptors in batch processing chambers are described. Apparatus and methods for controlling the parallelism of a susceptor relative to a gas distribution assembly are also described.

Susceptor position and rational apparatus and methods of use

Various embodiments of wafer processing systems including batch load lock apparatus with temperature control capability are disclosed. The batch load lock apparatus includes a load lock body including first and second load lock openings, a lift assembly within the load lock body, the lift assembly including multiple wafer stations, each of the multiple wafer stations adapted to provide access to wafers through the first and second load lock openings, wherein the batch load lock apparatus includes temperature control capability (e.g., heating or cooling). Batch load lock apparatus is capable of transferring batches of wafers into and out of various processing chambers. Methods of operating the batch load lock apparatus are also provided, as are numerous other aspects.

Wafer processing systems including multi-position batch load lock apparatus with temperature control capability

A system for heating substrates while being transported between the load lock and the platen is disclosed. The system comprises an array of light emitting diodes (LEDs) disposed above the alignment station. The LEDs may be GaN or GaP LEDs, which emit light at a wavelength which is readily absorbed by silicon, thus efficiently and quickly heating the substrate. The LEDs may be arranged so that the rotation of the substrate during alignment results in a uniform temperature profile of the substrate. Further, heating during alignment may also increase throughput and eliminate preheating stations that are currently associated with the processing chamber.

Substrate handling and heating system

Growing community of inventors

Austin, TX, United States of America

William Tyler Weaver