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:
Oct. 26, 2010
Filed:
Sep. 08, 2006
Eric A. Englhardt, Palo Alto, CA (US);
Michael R. Rice, Pleasanton, CA (US);
Jeffrey C. Hudgens, San Francisco, CA (US);
Steve Hongkham, San Ramon, CA (US);
Jay D. Pinson, San Jose, CA (US);
Mohsen Salek, Saratoga, CA (US);
Charles Carlson, Cedar Park, TX (US);
William T Weaver, Austin, TX (US);
Helen R. Armer, Cupertino, CA (US);
Eric A. Englhardt, Palo Alto, CA (US);
Michael R. Rice, Pleasanton, CA (US);
Jeffrey C. Hudgens, San Francisco, CA (US);
Steve Hongkham, San Ramon, CA (US);
Jay D. Pinson, San Jose, CA (US);
Mohsen Salek, Saratoga, CA (US);
Charles Carlson, Cedar Park, TX (US);
William T Weaver, Austin, TX (US);
Helen R. Armer, Cupertino, CA (US);
Applied Materials, Inc., Santa Clara, CA (US);
Abstract
The present invention generally provides an apparatus and method for processing substrates using a multi-chamber processing system (e.g., a cluster tool) that is easily configurable, has an increased system throughput, increased system reliability, improved device yield performance, a more repeatable wafer processing history (or wafer history), and a reduced footprint. In one embodiment, the cluster tool is adapted to perform a track lithography process in which a substrate is coated with a photosensitive material, is then transferred to a stepper/scanner, which exposes the photosensitive material to some form of radiation to form a pattern in the photosensitive material, and then certain portions of the photosensitive material are removed in a developing process completed in the cluster tool.