公开(公告)号：US20230187239A1

公开(公告)日：2023-06-15

申请号：US18107701

申请日：2023-02-09

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Jacob Newman ,  Andrew J. Constant ,  Michael R. Rice ,  Paul B. Reuter ,  Shay Assaf ,  Sushant S. Koshti

IPC: H01L21/67 ,  B65G47/90 ,  H01L21/677

CPC classification number: H01L21/67201 ,  B65G47/90 ,  H01L21/67727

Abstract: The disclosure describes devices, systems, and methods for integrating load locks into a factory interface footprint space. A factory interface for an electronic device manufacturing system can include an interior volume defined by a bottom, a top and a plurality of sides, a load lock disposed within the interior volume of the factory interface, and a factory interface robot disposed within the interior volume of the factory interface, wherein the factory interface robot is configured to transfer substrates between a set of substrate carriers and the load lock.

公开(公告)号：US20230057145A1

公开(公告)日：2023-02-23

申请号：US17831781

申请日：2022-06-03

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： DAISUKE SHIMIZU ,  Kenji Takeshita ,  James D. Carducci ,  Li Ling ,  Hikaru Watanabe ,  Kenneth S. Collins ,  Michael R. Rice

IPC: H01J37/32 ,  H01L21/3065

Abstract: A plasma treatment chamber comprises one or more sidewalls and a support surface within the sidewalls holds a workpiece. An array of individual gas injectors is distributed about the sidewalls. Pump ports are along the sidewalls to eject gas from the chamber. Aa etch rate uniformity of a material on the workpiece is controlled by: using the array gas injectors to inject one or more gas flows in across the workpiece; injecting a first gas flow from a first set of adjacent individual gas injectors to etch the materials on the workpiece; and simultaneously injecting a second gas flow from remaining gas injectors. The second gas flow either dilutes the first gas flow to reduce an area on the workpiece having a faster etch rate, or acts as an additional etchant to increase the etch rate in the area of the workpiece having the faster etch rate.

公开(公告)号：US11355321B2

公开(公告)日：2022-06-07

申请号：US15630828

申请日：2017-06-22

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Kenneth S. Collins ,  Michael R. Rice ,  Kartik Ramaswamy ,  James D. Carducci

IPC: H01J37/32 ,  C23C16/458 ,  C23C16/54 ,  C23C16/509 ,  C23C16/455

Abstract: A processing tool for a plasma process includes a chamber body that has an interior space that provides a plasma chamber and that has a ceiling and an opening on a side opposite the ceiling, a workpiece support to hold a workpiece such that at least a portion of a front surface of the workpiece faces the opening, an actuator to generate relative motion between the chamber body and the workpiece support such that the opening moves laterally across the workpiece, a gas distributor to deliver a processing gas to the plasma chamber, an electrode assembly comprising a plurality of coplanar filaments extending laterally through the plasma chamber between the workpiece support and the ceiling, each of the plurality of filaments including a conductor, and a first RF power source to supply a first RF power to the conductors of the electrode assembly to form a plasma.

公开(公告)号：US20210272825A1

公开(公告)日：2021-09-02

申请号：US17322633

申请日：2021-05-17

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Michael R. Rice

IPC: H01L21/67 ,  B65G47/90 ,  H01L21/687 ,  H01L21/677

Abstract: In an embodiment, a mainframe of a device fabrication system comprises a base and a plurality of facets on the base, wherein each facet of the plurality of facets comprises a frame. The mainframe further comprises a plurality of replaceable interface plates, each replaceable interface plate of the plurality of replaceable interface plates attached to a respective facet of the plurality of facets such that at most one replaceable interface plate is attached to each facet, wherein at least one replaceable interface plate of the plurality of replaceable interface plates comprises one or more access ports. The mainframe further comprises a lid over the plurality of facets, wherein the base, the lid and the plurality of facets with the attached plurality of replaceable interface plates together define an interior volume. The mainframe further comprises a robot arm in the interior volume.

公开(公告)号：US20210216054A1

公开(公告)日：2021-07-15

申请号：US17219692

申请日：2021-03-31

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Michael R. Rice ,  Dean C. Hruzek

IPC: G05B15/02 ,  H01L21/677

Abstract: A system comprises a factory interface (FI) comprising an FI chamber and a carrier purge chamber, the FI configured to receive a substrate carrier that becomes coupled to the FI such that the carrier purge chamber is positioned between the FI chamber and the substrate carrier, the substrate carrier comprising a carrier door. The system further comprises an environmental control system coupled to at least one of the FI chamber or the carrier purge chamber and configured to couple to the substrate carrier, the environmental control system operable to separately control environmental conditions within at least one of: the carrier purge chamber and the substrate carrier; the carrier purge chamber and the FI chamber; or the FI chamber and the substrate carrier, while the carrier door of the substrate carrier is closed.

公开(公告)号：US11003149B2

公开(公告)日：2021-05-11

申请号：US16442187

申请日：2019-06-14

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Michael R. Rice ,  Dean C. Hruzek

IPC: G05B15/02 ,  H01L21/677

Abstract: Electronic device processing systems including environmental control of the factory interface, a carrier purge chamber, and one or more substrate carriers are described. One electronic device processing system has a factory interface having a factory interface chamber, one or more substrate carriers coupled to the factory interface, and an environmental control system coupled to the factory interface, the carrier purge chamber, and the one or more substrate carriers and operational to control an environment at least within the factory interface chamber, carrier purge chamber, and the one or more substrate carriers. Methods for processing substrates are described, as are numerous other aspects.

公开(公告)号：US10720348B2

公开(公告)日：2020-07-21

申请号：US15983683

申请日：2018-05-18

Applicant: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.

Inventor： Michael R. Rice

IPC: H01L21/67 ,  H01L21/687 ,  B25J15/06

Abstract: Dual load lock chambers for use in a multi-chamber processing system are disclosed herein. In some embodiments, a dual load lock chamber, includes a first load lock chamber having a first interior volume and a first substrate support, wherein the first substrate support includes a first plurality of support surfaces vertically spaced apart by a first predetermined distance; at least one heat transfer device disposed within the first substrate support to heat or cool the first plurality of substrates; and a second load lock chamber disposed adjacent to the first load lock chamber and having a second interior volume and a second substrate support, wherein the second substrate support includes a second plurality of support surfaces vertically spaced apart by a second predetermined distance that less than the first predetermined distance.

公开(公告)号：US20190391602A1

公开(公告)日：2019-12-26

申请号：US16563774

申请日：2019-09-06

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Ming Xu ,  Sushant S. Koshti ,  Michael R. Rice ,  Steven E. Babayan ,  Jennifer Y. Sun

IPC: G05D7/06 ,  C23C14/54 ,  C23C16/52 ,  G01F1/684 ,  G01F15/14 ,  G01F15/18 ,  G01F1/696

Abstract: An electronic device manufacturing system includes a mass flow controller (MFC) that has a thermal flow sensor. The thermal flow sensor may measure a mass flow rate and may include a sensor tube having an inner surface coated with a material to form an inner barrier layer. The inner barrier layer may prevent or substantially reduce the likelihood of a corrosive reaction from occurring on the inner surface, which may prevent or reduce the likelihood of the MFC drifting beyond the MFC's mass flow rate accuracy specifications. This may improve the repeatability of flow detection by the MFC. Methods of measuring and controlling a mass flow rate in an electronic device manufacturing system are also provided, as are other aspects.

公开(公告)号：US10418225B2

公开(公告)日：2019-09-17

申请号：US16107855

申请日：2018-08-21

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Kenneth S. Collins ,  Michael R. Rice ,  Kartik Ramaswamy ,  James D. Carducci ,  Yue Guo ,  Olga Regelman

IPC: H01J37/32

Abstract: Embodiments of the disclosure provide a plasma source assembly and process chamber design that can be used for any number of substrate processing techniques. The plasma source may include a plurality of discrete electrodes that are integrated with a reference electrode and a gas feed structure to generate a uniform, stable and repeatable plasma during processing. The plurality of discrete electrodes include an array of electrodes that can be biased separately, in groups or all in unison, relative to a reference electrode. The plurality of discrete electrodes may include a plurality of conductive rods that are positioned to generate a plasma within a processing region of a process chamber. The plurality of discrete electrodes is provided RF power from standing or traveling waves imposed on a power distribution element to which the electrodes are connected.

公开(公告)号：US10312056B2

公开(公告)日：2019-06-04

申请号：US16059608

申请日：2018-08-09

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Kenneth S. Collins ,  Michael R. Rice ,  Kartik Ramaswamy ,  James D. Carducci ,  Yue Guo ,  Olga Regelman

IPC: H01J37/32

Abstract: Embodiments of the disclosure provide a plasma source assembly and process chamber design that can be used for any number of substrate processing techniques. The plasma source may include a plurality of discrete electrodes that are integrated with a reference electrode and a gas feed structure to generate a uniform, stable and repeatable plasma during processing. The plurality of discrete electrodes include an array of electrodes that can be biased separately, in groups or all in unison, relative to a reference electrode. The plurality of discrete electrodes may include a plurality of conductive rods that are positioned to generate a plasma within a processing region of a process chamber. The plurality of discrete electrodes is provided RF power from standing or traveling waves imposed on a power distribution element to which the electrodes are connected.