Patent application number | Description | Published |
20080268753 | NON-CONTACT WET WAFER HOLDER - The present invention relates to a load cup configured to speed up substrate transferring to and from a carrier head and to reduce corrosion during the transferring. One embodiment of the present invention provides a non-contact substrate holder comprising a pedestal having a top surface configured to support a substrate, and at least one injection port configured to eject a high velocity liquid stream on the top surface of the pedestal, wherein the liquid stream in configured to secure the substrate on the pedestal without the substrate contacting the top surface of the pedestal. | 10-30-2008 |
20090029629 | METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR POLISHING AN EDGE OF A SUBSTRATE - Methods for polishing an edge of a substrate are provided. The invention includes rotating a substrate against a polishing film so as to remove material from the edge of the substrate; and detecting an amount of force exerted in pressing the polishing film against the substrate. Numerous other aspects are provided. | 01-29-2009 |
20090036035 | APPARATUS AND METHODS FOR CONDITIONING A POLISHING PAD - Apparatus and methods for conditioning a polishing pad include a base, an arm pivotally coupled to the base and adapted to support a conditioning disk, and an actuator coupled to the base and the arm. The actuator is adapted to cause the arm to press the conditioning disk against the polishing pad with a linearly variable amount of force. A first force is produced with the actuator. The first force is scaled by a linearly variable amount to a second force that is applied to the polishing pad by a conditioning disk. Numerous other aspects are disclosed. | 02-05-2009 |
20090036036 | APPARATUS AND METHODS FOR CONDITIONING A POLISHING PAD - Apparatus and methods for conditioning a polishing pad are provided. An apparatus includes a base, an arm adapted to support a conditioning disk; and a drive mechanism coupled between the arm and the conditioning disk, wherein the drive mechanism is adapted to directly rotate the conditioning disk relative to the arm. Numerous other aspects are disclosed. | 02-05-2009 |
20090038642 | METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR CLEANING AN EDGE OF A SUBSTRATE - In one aspect, a method for cleaning an edge of a substrate is provided. The method comprises employing one or more rollers of a first diameter to rotate a substrate; contacting an edge of the substrate with one or more rollers of a second diameter that is larger than the first diameter; and cleaning the edge of the substrate using the one or more rollers of the second diameter. Numerous other aspects are provided. | 02-12-2009 |
20090264049 | PLATEN EXHAUST FOR CHEMICAL MECHANICAL POLISHING SYSTEM - The present invention generally relates to a substrate transferring system. Particularly, the present invention relates to apparatus and method to effectively remove the chemical fume, vapor and other byproducts generated during a polishing process. One embodiment of the present invention provides an apparatus for polishing a substrate comprising a platen having a polishing surface configured to polish the substrate by contacting the substrate while moving relatively to the substrate, a polishing head configured to support the substrate and position the substrate to be in contact with the polishing surface during polishing, a solution nozzle configured to dispense a polishing solution on the polishing surface, and an exhaust assembly configured to remove fume, vapor and other byproducts generated during polishing. | 10-22-2009 |
20090280727 | POLISHING SYSTEM WITH THREE HEADED CAROUSEL - Embodiments of the present invention provide a polishing module configured to use in a polishing system. The polishing module comprises a base member, two polishing stations disposed on the base member, one load cup, and a carousel having three polishing heads. | 11-12-2009 |
20100099342 | PAD CONDITIONER AUTO DISK CHANGE - A method and apparatus for replacing a polishing pad conditioning disk is a chemical mechanical polishing system is provided. The apparatus comprises a disk load/unload station for unloading used conditioning disks from a pad conditioning assembly and loading unused conditioning disks onto the pad conditioning assembly, on or more disk storage stations for storing both used and unused conditioning disks, and a central robot having a range of motion sufficient for transferring both used an unused conditioning disks between the disk load/unload station and the one or more disk storage stations. Embodiments described herein reduce the length of system interruption by eliminating the need to safety lock out the system for the replacement of polishing pad conditioning disks. | 04-22-2010 |
20100314244 | Ionized Physical Vapor Deposition for Microstructure Controlled Thin Film Deposition - Methods of processing a substrate in a PVD chamber comprising a target, a substrate and a process gas at a pressure sufficient to cause ionization of a substantial portion of species sputtered from the target are described. A capacitively coupled high density plasma is maintained by applying very high frequency power to the target. Sputtered material is ionized in the plasma and accelerated toward the substrate by a high frequency bias power applied to the substrate. The microstructure of the resultant film is controlled by modifying one or more of the pressure and the high frequency bias power. | 12-16-2010 |
20100314245 | Ionized Physical Vapor Deposition for Microstructure Controlled Thin Film Deposition - Methods of processing a substrate in a PVD chamber comprising a target, a substrate and a process gas at a pressure sufficient to cause ionization of a substantial portion of species sputtered from the target are described. A capacitively coupled high density plasma is maintained by applying very high frequency power to the target. Sputtered material is ionized in the plasma and accelerated toward the substrate by a high frequency bias power applied to the substrate. The microstructure of the resultant film is controlled by modifying one or more of the pressure and the high frequency bias power. | 12-16-2010 |
20110045170 | IN-SITU DEPOSITION OF BATTERY ACTIVE LITHIUM MATERIALS BY THERMAL SPRAYING - A method and apparatus for forming an electrochemical layer of a thin film battery is provided. A precursor mixture comprising electrochemically active precursor particles dispersed in a carrying medium is provided to a processing chamber and thermally treated using a combustible gas mixture also provided to the chamber. The precursor is converted to nanocrystals by the thermal energy, and the nanocrystals are deposited on a substrate. A second precursor may be blended with the nanocrystals as they deposit on the surface to enhance adhesion and conductivity. | 02-24-2011 |
20110045206 | IN-SITU DEPOSITION OF BATTERY ACTIVE LITHIUM MATERIALS BY PLASMA SPRAYING - A method and apparatus for forming an electrochemical layer of a thin film battery is provided. A precursor mixture comprising precursor particles dispersed in a carrying medium is activated in an activation chamber by application of an electric field to ionize at least a portion of the precursor mixture. The activated precursor mixture is then mixed with a combustible gas mixture to add thermal energy to the precursor particles, converting them to nanocrystals, which deposit on a substrate. A second precursor may be blended with the nanocrystals as they deposit on the surface to enhance adhesion and conductivity. | 02-24-2011 |
20110064545 | SUBSTRATE TRANSFER MECHANISM WITH PREHEATING FEATURES - Embodiments of the present invention provide apparatus and method for heating one or more substrates during transfer. One embodiment provides a robot blade assembly for supporting a substrate or a substrate carrier thereon. The robot blade assembly comprises a base plate, an induction heating assembly disposed on the base plate, and a top plate disposed above the induction heating assembly. Another embodiment provides an induction heating assembly disposed over a transfer chamber having a substrate transfer mechanism disposed therein. | 03-17-2011 |
20110097518 | VERTICALLY INTEGRATED PROCESSING CHAMBER - A method and apparatus for plasma processing of substrates in a substantially vertical orientation is described. Substrates are positioned on a carrier comprising at least two frames oriented substantially vertically. The carrier is disposed in a plasma chamber with an antenna structure positioned between the substrates. Multiple plasma chambers may be coupled to a transfer chamber with a turntable for directing the carrier to a target chamber. A loader moves substrates between the carrier and a load-lock chamber in which substrates are staged in a substantially horizontal position. | 04-28-2011 |
20110097878 | CHAMBER FOR PECVD - A method and apparatus for plasma processing of substrates in a substantially vertical orientation is described. Substrates are positioned on a carrier comprising at least two frames oriented substantially vertically. The carrier is disposed in a plasma chamber with an antenna structure positioned between the substrates. Multiple plasma chambers may be coupled to a transfer chamber with a turntable for directing the carrier to a target chamber. A loader moves substrates between the carrier and a load-lock chamber in which substrates are staged in a substantially horizontal position. | 04-28-2011 |
20110129732 | COMPRESSED POWDER 3D BATTERY ELECTRODE MANUFACTURING - Embodiments of the invention contemplate forming an electrochemical device and device components, such as a battery cell or supercapacitor, using thin-film or layer deposition processes and other related methods for forming the same. In one embodiment, a battery bi-layer cell is provided. The battery bi-layer cell comprises an anode structure comprising a conductive collector substrate, a plurality of pockets formed on the conductive collector substrate by conductive microstructures comprising a plurality of columnar projections, and an anodically active powder deposited in and over the plurality of pockets, an insulative separator layer formed over the plurality of pockets, and a cathode structure joined over the insulative separator. | 06-02-2011 |
20110217585 | INTEGRATED COMPOSITE SEPARATOR FOR LITHIUM-ION BATTERIES - Embodiments of the present invention relate generally to lithium-ion batteries, and more specifically, to batteries having integrated separators and methods of fabricating such batteries. In one embodiment, a lithium-ion battery having an electrode structure is provided. The lithium-ion battery comprises an anode stack, a cathode stack, and an integrated separator formed between the anode stack and the cathode stack. The anode stack comprises an anodic current collector and an anode structure formed over a first surface of the anodic current collector. The cathode stack comprises a cathodic current collector and a cathode structure formed over a first surface of the cathodic current collector. The integrated separator comprises a first ceramic layer, a second ceramic layer, and a polymer material layer deposited between the first ceramic layer and the second ceramic layer. | 09-08-2011 |
20110308551 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR INDUCING TURBULENT FLOW OF A PROCESSING CHAMBER CLEANING GAS - Embodiments of the invention generally relate to apparatus and methods for cleaning chamber components using a cleaning plate. The cleaning plate is adapted to be positioned on a substrate support during a cleaning process, and includes a plurality of turbulence-inducing structures. The turbulence-inducing structures induce a turbulent flow of cleaning gas while the cleaning plate is rotated during a cleaning process. The cleaning plate increases the retention time of the cleaning gas near the showerhead during cleaning. Additionally, the cleaning plate reduces concentration gradients within the cleaning plate to provide a more effective clean. The method includes positioning a cleaning plate adjacent to a showerhead, and introducing cleaning gas to the space between the showerhead and the cleaning plate. A material deposited on the surface of the showerhead is then heated and vaporized in the presence of the cleaning gas, and then exhausted from the processing chamber. | 12-22-2011 |
20120009765 | COMPARTMENTALIZED CHAMBER - Embodiments of the present invention generally relate to apparatus for improving processing uniformity and reducing needs of chamber cleaning. Particularly, embodiments of the present invention relate to a processing chamber having a loading compartment and a processing compartment in substantial fluid isolation and methods of depositing films in the processing chamber. | 01-12-2012 |
20120012049 | HVPE CHAMBER - Embodiments disclosed herein generally relate to an HVPE chamber. The chamber may have one or more precursor sources coupled thereto. For example, a gallium source and a separate aluminum source may be coupled to the processing chamber to permit gallium nitride and aluminum nitride to be separately deposited onto a substrate in the same processing chamber. The nitrogen may be introduced to the processing chamber at a separate location from the precursors and at a lower temperature. The chamber has a truncated box shape formed by a curved cover which improves the flow of the nitrogen and precursor gases and the uniformity of the film deposition. | 01-19-2012 |
20120037068 | COMPOSITE SUBSTRATES FOR DIRECT HEATING AND INCREASED TEMPERATURE UNIFORMITY - Embodiments of the present invention generally relate to apparatus and methods for uniformly heating substrates. The apparatus include a transferable puck having at least one electrode and a dielectric coating. The transferable puck can be biased with a biasing assembly relative to a substrate, and transferred independently of the biasing assembly during a fabrication process while maintaining the bias relative to the substrate. The puck absorbs radiant heat from a heat source and uniformly conducts the heat to a substrate coupled to the puck. The puck has high emissivity and high thermal conductivity for absorbing and transferring the radiant heat to the substrate. The high thermal conductivity allows for a uniform temperature profile across the substrate, thereby increasing deposition uniformity. The method includes disposing a light-absorbing material on an optically transparent substrate, and radiating the light-absorbing material with a radiant heat source to heat the optically transparent substrate. | 02-16-2012 |
20120064698 | MULTIPLE SECTION SHOWERHEAD ASSEMBLY - Embodiments of the present invention generally provide a method and apparatus that may be utilized for deposition of Group III-nitride films using MOCVD and/or HVPE hardware. In one embodiment, the apparatus is a showerhead assembly made of multiple sections that are isolated from one another and attached to a top plate. Each showerhead section has separate inlets and passages for delivering separate processing gases into a processing volume of a processing chamber without mixing the gases prior to entering the processing volume. In one embodiment, each showerhead section includes a temperature control manifold for flowing a cooling fluid through the respective showerhead section. By providing multiple, isolated showerhead sections, manufacturing complexity and costs are significantly reduced as compared to conventionally manufacturing the entire showerhead from a single block or stack of plates. | 03-15-2012 |
20120108081 | APPARATUS HAVING IMPROVED SUBSTRATE TEMPERATURE UNIFORMITY USING DIRECT HEATING METHODS - Embodiments of the present invention generally relate to an apparatus and methods for uniformly heating substrates in a processing chamber. In one embodiment, an apparatus generally includes a substrate supporting structure that is able to help minimize the temperature variation across each of the substrates during thermal processing. In one configuration, a substrate supporting structure is adapted to selectively support a substrate carrier to control the heat lost from regions of each of the substrates disposed on the substrate carrier. The substrate supporting structure is thus configured to provide a uniform temperature profile across each of the plurality of substrates during processing. | 05-03-2012 |
20120118225 | EPITAXIAL GROWTH TEMPERATURE CONTROL IN LED MANUFACTURE - Apparatus and method for control of epitaxial growth temperatures during manufacture of light emitting diodes (LEDs). Embodiments include measurement of a substrate and/or carrier temperature during a recipe stabilization period; determination of a temperature drift based on the measurement; and modification of a growth temperature based on a temperature offset determined in response to the temperature drift exceeding a threshold criteria. In an embodiment, a statistic derived from a plurality of pyrometric measurements made during the recipe stabilization over several runs is employed to offset each of a set of growth temperatures utilized to form a multiple quantum well (MQW) structure. | 05-17-2012 |
20120227665 | APPARATUS FOR MONITORING AND CONTROLLING SUBSTRATE TEMPERATURE - A system and methods for heating substrates during high temperature processing is provided. The system uses multiple temperature inputs of the backside of a substrate carrier and known parameters within the processing chamber to estimate the temperature of substrates being processed on the substrate carrier. Temperature readings of the substrate carrier taken from above the processing volume may be used to correct any drift that may occur with respect to temperature readings taken from below the substrate carrier. Temperature readings of heat exchanging fluid flowing through a showerhead assembly may be used to estimate the temperature of the surface of the showerhead, which may be used in the estimation of the temperature of the substrates being processed. The system then uses the estimated temperature to control the amount of power supplied to a plurality of heat sources configured to heat the substrates from below the substrate carrier. | 09-13-2012 |
20120234229 | SUBSTRATE SUPPORT ASSEMBLY FOR THIN FILM DEPOSITION SYSTEMS - Substrate support assemblies and deposition chambers employing such support assemblies to improve temperature uniformity during film depositions, such as epitaxial growths of group-V material stacks for LEDs. In one embodiment, the support assembly includes a first component having a first thermal resistance and a top surface upon which the substrate is to be disposed at a first location. The support assembly further includes a second component to be disposed over the first component and cover a second location of the susceptor while the substrate is disposed over the first location and having a second thermal resistance to insulate regions of the susceptor adjacent to the substrate by an amount approximating that of the substrate during a deposition process. In embodiments, the second component is removable from the first component and supports the substrate in absence of the first component during transfer of the substrate between multiple deposition systems. | 09-20-2012 |
20120234945 | MULTIPLE LEVEL SHOWERHEAD DESIGN - Embodiments of the present invention generally provide a showerhead assembly made of multiple plates fastened together. The showerhead assembly includes a gas manifold defined by a top and middle plate and a diverter plate defined by the middle plate and a bottom, heat exchange plate. A first processing gas enters the gas manifold and is diverted by the diverter plate through the bottom plate. A second processing gas enters the gas manifold and is diverted by the diverter plate through the bottom plate such that the second and first processing gases do not mix prior to exiting the showerhead. In one embodiment, the first processing gas can be distributed through central and outer regions of the showerhead at different flow rates and/or pressures. In addition, the second processing gas can be distributed through the central and outer regions of the showerhead at different flow rates and/or pressures. | 09-20-2012 |
20130032085 | PLASMA ASSISTED HVPE CHAMBER DESIGN - Embodiments of the invention disclosed herein generally relate to a hydride vapor phase epitaxy (HVPE) deposition chamber that utilizes a plasma generation apparatus to form an activated precursor gas that is used to rapidly form a high quality compound nitride layer on a surface of a substrate. In one embodiment, the plasma generation apparatus is used to create a desirable group-III metal halide precursor gas that can enhance the deposition reaction kinetics, and thus reduce the processing time and improve the film quality of a formed group-III metal nitride layer. In addition, the chamber may be equipped with a separate nitrogen containing precursor activated species generator to enhance the activity of the delivered nitrogen precursor gases. | 02-07-2013 |
20130087093 | APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR HVPE PROCESSING USING A PLASMA - Embodiments of the present invention generally relate to a hydride vapor phase epitaxy (HVPE) apparatus that utilizes a high temperature gas distribution device and plasma generation to form an activated precursor gas used to rapidly form a high quality compound nitride layer on a surface of a substrate. In one embodiment, plasma is formed from a nitrogen containing precursor within a gas distribution device prior to injection into a processing region of the HVPE apparatus. In another embodiment, plasma is formed from a nitrogen containing precursor within the processing region by using the gas distribution device as an electrode for forming the plasma in the processing region. In each embodiment, a second precursor gas may be separately introduced into the processing region of the HVPE apparatus through the gas distribution device without mixing with the nitrogen containing precursor prior to entering the processing region. | 04-11-2013 |