The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jun. 08, 1999
Filed:
Sep. 12, 1997
Stella Zofia Gornicki, Livermore, CA (US);
Douglas J Krajnovich, San Jose, CA (US);
Western Digital Corporation, Irvine, CA (US);
Abstract
A stationary vacuum deposition machine is used in a method for controlling the height of bumps formed in annular regions of substrates; the substrates are transported to the machine in a first condition in which each substrate is subject to a chemicapillary effect when subjected to localized thermal heating and melting. The machine includes a series of stations including an entrance station for receiving substrates into the machine, first and second predetermined stations, and a transport for operating in a cycle with each cycle including a transport phase and a stationary phase such that the transport causes all the substrates that are in the machine to be moved during the transport phase, and be temporarily held stationary during the stationary phase, such that during each stationary phase a predetermined one of the stations is occupied by one of the substrates while each of a plurality of others of the stations is occupied by a respective one of a plurality of others of the substrates. The machine also includes a plurality of vacuum deposition stations, each for operating during each stationary phase such that each vacuum deposition station causes a thin film to be deposited on a respective one of the substrates and an ion gun for etching a surface of the substrate occupying the first predetermined station while the substrate is held stationary, in an environment such that the first condition of the substrate is changed to a second condition that substantially reduces its susceptibility to the chemicapillary effect. The machine also includes a main chamber for providing an environment that reduces the substrate's risk of reversion to the first condition when the transport moves the substrate from the first predetermined station to the second predetermined station and scanning beam generator for directing a scanning beam at the substrate occupying the second predetermined station while the substrate is held stationary to form the bumps in the annular region of the substrate, wherein the height of bumps is controlled.