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:
Nov. 12, 2013
Filed:
Jan. 26, 2007
Andrew D. Bailey, Iii, Pleasanton, CA (US);
Alan M. Schoepp, Ben Lomond, CA (US);
Gregory Sexton, Fremont, CA (US);
William S. Kennedy, Fremont, CA (US);
Andrew D. Bailey, III, Pleasanton, CA (US);
Alan M. Schoepp, Ben Lomond, CA (US);
Gregory Sexton, Fremont, CA (US);
William S. Kennedy, Fremont, CA (US);
Lam Research Corporation, Fremont, CA (US);
Abstract
A bevel etcher incorporating a vacuum chuck used for cleaning the bevel edge and for reducing the bending curvature of a semiconductor substrate. The bevel etcher includes a vacuum chuck and a plasma generation unit which energizes process gas into a plasma state. The vacuum chuck includes a chuck body and a support ring. The top surface of the chuck body and inner periphery of the support ring form a vacuum region enclosed by the bottom surface of a substrate mounted on the support ring. A vacuum pump evacuates the vacuum region during operation. The vacuum chuck is operative to hold the substrate in place by the pressure difference between the top and bottom surfaces of the substrate. The pressure difference also generates a bending force to reduce the bending curvature of the substrate.