公开(公告)号：US20210028726A1

公开(公告)日：2021-01-28

申请号：US16655168

申请日：2019-10-16

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Alexander N. LERNER ,  Kim Ramkumar VELLORE ,  Steven Trey TINDEL

IPC: H02N13/00 ,  H01L51/00 ,  H01L51/56 ,  C23C16/458

Abstract: A chucking station comprises a chuck, a power supply, and one or more pumping elements. The chuck comprises a plurality of first vacuum ports configured to interface with a surface of a substrate and a plurality of second vacuum ports configured to interface with a surface of a carrier. The chuck further comprises a first electrical pin configured to be in electrical communication with a first electrode of the carrier, and a second electrical pin configured to be in electrical communication with a second electrode of the carrier. The power supply is configured to apply a chucking voltage and a de-chucking voltage to the first and second electrical pins. The one or more pumping elements is coupled to the first and second vacuum ports and configured to generate a vacuum between the substrate and the chuck and a vacuum between the carrier and the chuck.

公开(公告)号：US20210028044A1

公开(公告)日：2021-01-28

申请号：US16552967

申请日：2019-08-27

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Kim Ramkumar VELLORE ,  Alexander N. LERNER ,  Steven Trey TINDEL

IPC: H01L21/68 ,  H01L21/67 ,  H01L21/677 ,  H01L21/687 ,  H01L21/683 ,  H01L21/673

Abstract: A method includes aligning and positioning a carrier in a predetermined orientation and location within a first front opening pod (FOUP) of a cluster tool, transferring the carrier to a charging station of the cluster tool, transferring a substrate from a second front opening pod (FOUP) of the cluster tool to the charging station and chucking the substrate onto the carrier, transferring the carrier having the substrate thereon from the charging station to a factory interface of the cluster tool, aligning the carrier having the substrate thereon in the factory interface of the cluster tool such that during substrate processing within a processing platform of the cluster tool the carrier is properly oriented and positioned relative to components of the processing platform, where the processing platform comprises one or more processing chambers, transferring the aligned carrier having the substrate thereon from the factory interface to the processing platform of the cluster tool for substrate processing, and transferring the aligned carrier having the processed substrate thereon from the processing platform to the factory interface.

公开(公告)号：US20210159106A1

公开(公告)日：2021-05-27

申请号：US17157428

申请日：2021-01-25

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Kim Ramkumar VELLORE ,  Alexander N. LERNER ,  Steven Trey TINDEL

IPC: H01L21/68 ,  H01L21/67 ,  H01L21/677 ,  H01L21/673 ,  H01L21/683 ,  H01L21/687

Abstract: A method includes aligning and positioning a carrier in a predetermined orientation and location within a first front opening pod (FOUP) of a cluster tool, transferring the carrier to a charging station of the cluster tool, transferring a substrate from a second front opening pod (FOUP) of the cluster tool to the charging station and chucking the substrate onto the carrier, transferring the carrier having the substrate thereon from the charging station to a factory interface of the cluster tool, aligning the carrier having the substrate thereon in the factory interface of the cluster tool such that during substrate processing within a processing platform of the cluster tool the carrier is properly oriented and positioned relative to components of the processing platform, where the processing platform comprises one or more processing chambers, transferring the aligned carrier having the substrate thereon from the factory interface to the processing platform of the cluster tool for substrate processing, and transferring the aligned carrier having the processed substrate thereon from the processing platform to the factory interface.

公开(公告)号：US20210028039A1

公开(公告)日：2021-01-28

申请号：US16568910

申请日：2019-09-12

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Steven Trey TINDEL ,  Alexander N. LERNER ,  Kim Ramkumar VELLORE

IPC: H01L21/673 ,  H01L21/68

Abstract: A carrier FOUP and a method of placing a carrier are provided. The carrier FOUP includes a body and a door. The body includes a plurality of chamfers, and one or more carriers are placed on, and supported by, the plurality of chamfers. The method of placing a carrier includes placing the carrier in the carrier FOUP and closing the door of the carrier FOUP. When the door is closed, the door pushes against the carrier and aligns the carrier with the alignment feature. The alignment features align the carrier, removing the need to be aligned by the factory interface robot when placing or removing the carrier from the carrier FOUP.