Patent application number | Description | Published |
20090155028 | Wafer carrier with hub - A wafer carrier for a rotating disc CVD reactor includes a unitary plate of a ceramic such as silicon carbide defining wafer-holding features such as pockets on its upstream surface and also includes a hub removably mounted to the plate in a central region of the plate. The hub provides a secure connection to the spindle of the reactor without imposing concentrated stresses on the ceramic plate. The hub can be removed during cleaning of the plate. | 06-18-2009 |
20110114022 | WAFER CARRIER WITH HUB - A wafer carrier for a rotating disc CVD reactor includes a unitary plate of a ceramic such as silicon carbide defining wafer-holding features such as pockets on its upstream surface and also includes a hub removably mounted to the plate in a central region of the plate. The hub provides a secure connection to the spindle of the reactor without imposing concentrated stresses on the ceramic plate. The hub can be removed during cleaning of the plate. The wafer carrier also preferably includes a gas flow facilitating element on the upstream surface of the plate in the central region of the plate. The gas flow facilitating element helps redirect the flow of incident gases along the upstream surface and away from a flow discontinuity in the central region. | 05-19-2011 |
20110206843 | PROCESSING METHODS AND APPARATUS WITH TEMPERATURE DISTRIBUTION CONTROL - Wafer treatment process and apparatus is provided with a wafer carrier arranged to hold wafers and to inject a fill gas into gaps between the wafers and the wafer carrier. The apparatus is arranged to vary the composition, flow rate, or both of the fill gas so as to counteract undesired patterns of temperature non-uniformity of the wafers. | 08-25-2011 |
20110287635 | WAFER CARRIER WITH HUB - A wafer carrier for a rotating disc CVD reactor includes a unitary plate of a ceramic such as silicon carbide defining wafer-holding features such as pockets on its upstream surface and also includes a hub removably mounted to the plate in a central region of the plate. The hub provides a secure connection to the spindle of the reactor without imposing concentrated stresses on the ceramic plate. The hub can be removed during cleaning of the plate. | 11-24-2011 |
20120170609 | METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR IN-SITU PYROMETER CALIBRATION - A method of in-situ pyrometer calibration for a wafer treatment reactor such as a chemical vapor deposition reactor desirably includes the steps of positioning a calibrating pyrometer at a first calibrating position and heating the reactor until the reactor reaches a pyrometer calibration temperature. The method desirably further includes rotating the support element about the rotational axis, and while the support element is rotating about the rotational axis, obtaining first operating temperature measurements from a first operating pyrometer installed at a first operating position, and obtaining first calibrating temperature measurements from the calibration pyrometer. Both the calibrating pyrometer and the first operating pyrometer desirably are adapted to receive radiation from a first portion of a wafer support element at a first radial distance from a rotational axis of the wafer support element. | 07-05-2012 |
20120304926 | HEATED WAFER CARRIER PROFILING - An apparatus includes a carrier rotatable about an axis of rotation where the carrier has a top surface adapted to hold at least one semiconductor wafer and a surface characterization tool which is operative to move over a plurality of positions relative to the top surface of the carrier and/or the wafer transverse to the axis of rotation. The surface characterization tool is operative to move over a plurality of positions relative to the top surface of the carrier and/or the wafer transverse to the axis of rotation and is further adapted to produce characterization signals over the plurality of positions on at least a portion of the carrier and/or on at least a portion of said major surface of the wafer as the carrier rotates. | 12-06-2012 |
20120307233 | HEATED WAFER CARRIER PROFILING - A method for characterizing a surface comprises rotating a carrier about an axis of rotation where the carrier has a top surface adapted to hold at least one semiconductor wafer with a major surface of the wafer extending generally transverse to the axis of rotation. A surface characterization tool is moved over a plurality of positions relative to the top surface of the carrier, where a measurement location over the top surface of the carrier is changed while said top surface of the carrier is heated to a predetermined temperature. Characterization signals over the plurality of positions with the surface characterization tool are produced and contain information about the heated top surface of the carrier, or when semiconductor wafers are held on the carrier, information about the semiconductor wafer can also be obtained. | 12-06-2012 |
20130252404 | KEYED WAFER CARRIER - A structure for a chemical vapor deposition reactor desirably includes a reaction chamber having an interior, a spindle mounted in the reaction chamber, and a wafer carrier releasably mounted onto the spindle for rotation therewith. The spindle desirably has a shaft extending along a vertical rotational axis and a key projecting outwardly from the shaft. The wafer carrier preferably has a body defining oppositely-facing top and bottom surfaces and at least one wafer-holding feature configured so that a wafer can be held therein with a surface of the wafer exposed at the top surface of the body. The wafer carrier desirably further has a recess extending into the body from the bottom surface of the body and a keyway projecting outwardly from a periphery of the recess along a first transverse axis. The shaft preferably is engaged in the recess and the key preferably is engaged into the keyway. | 09-26-2013 |
20130298831 | AUTOMATED PROCESS CHAMBER CLEANING IN MATERIAL DEPOSITION SYSTEMS - A cleaning carrier for in-situ cleaning of a process chamber of a material deposition tool and method for in-situ cleaning using a cleaning carrier. The cleaning carrier includes a body formed symmetrically about a central axis and having a geometry generally corresponding to the geometry of the removable wafer carrier for use with the tool, and a tool interface that facilitates mounting of the cleaning carrier body on a portion of the material deposition tool that accepts the removable wafer carrier. A set of deployable and retractable brushes are operatively coupled with the cleaning carrier body via a corresponding set of deployment and retraction mechanisms, the brushes being movable between a retracted position for handling of the cleaning carrier and a deployed position for cleaning an interior surface of the process chamber. | 11-14-2013 |
20140042147 | TERMINAL FOR MECHANICAL SUPPORT OF A HEATING ELEMENT - A terminal for mechanical support of a heating element, includes a base device, a mounting device, the mounting device adapted to support the heating element, and a support device connecting the base device to the mounting device, the support device allowing displacement of the heating element about a radial axis and less than about 10% displacement of the heating element about a tangential and/or axial axis. | 02-13-2014 |