公开(公告)号：USD1042374S1

公开(公告)日：2024-09-17

申请号：US29831299

申请日：2022-03-18

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Designer： Sahiti Nallagonda ,  Jonathan Simmons ,  Xinwei Huang ,  Peter Muraoka ,  Andreas Schmid

Abstract: FIG. 1 is a top, front, right isometric view of a support pipe for an interlocking process kit for a substrate processing chamber, showing our new design.
FIG. 2 is a bottom, left, back isometric view thereof.
FIG. 3 is a top plan view thereof.
FIG. 4 is a bottom plan view thereof.
FIG. 5 is a front elevation view thereof.
FIG. 6 is a back elevation view thereof.
FIG. 7 is a right side elevation view thereof.
FIG. 8 is a left side elevation view thereof; and,
FIG. 9 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along line 9-9 in FIG. 3.
The dashed lines in FIGS. 1-9 represent unclaimed environment and form no part of the claimed design.

公开(公告)号：US12009236B2

公开(公告)日：2024-06-11

申请号：US16391262

申请日：2019-04-22

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Yaoling Pan ,  Patrick John Tae ,  Michael D. Willwerth ,  Leonard M. Tedeschi ,  Daniel Sang Byun ,  Philip Allan Kraus ,  Phillip A. Criminale ,  Changhun Lee ,  Rajinder Dhindsa ,  Andreas Schmid ,  Denis M. Koosau

IPC: H01L21/67 ,  H01J37/32 ,  H01L21/66 ,  H03K17/955

CPC classification number: H01L21/67259 ,  H01J37/32477 ,  H01J37/3288 ,  H01L22/12 ,  H03K17/955 ,  H01J2237/022

Abstract: The present disclosure generally relates to a method and apparatus for determining a metric related to erosion of a ring assembly used in an etching within a plasma processing chamber. In one example, the apparatus is configured to obtain a metric indicative of erosion on an edge ring disposed on a substrate support assembly in a plasma processing chamber. A sensor obtains the metric for the edge ring. The metric correlates to the quantity of erosion in the edge ring. In another example, the ring sensor may be arranged outside of a periphery of a substrate support assembly. The metric may be acquired by the ring sensor through a plasma screen.

公开(公告)号：US11823937B2

公开(公告)日：2023-11-21

申请号：US16990839

申请日：2020-08-11

Applicant: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.

Inventor： Nicholas Michael Bergantz ,  Andreas Schmid ,  Leon Volfovski ,  Sanggyum Kim ,  Damon Cox ,  Paul Wirth

IPC: H01L21/68 ,  B25J11/00 ,  H01L21/687 ,  H01L21/67 ,  B25J9/16

CPC classification number: H01L21/681 ,  B25J9/1692 ,  B25J11/0095 ,  H01L21/67196 ,  H01L21/67201 ,  H01L21/67259 ,  H01L21/68707

Abstract: A calibration object is retrieved, by a first robot arm of a transfer chamber, from a processing chamber connected to the transfer chamber and placed in a load lock connected to the transfer chamber. The calibration object is retrieved from the load lock by a second robot arm of a factory interface connected to the load lock and placed at an aligner station housed in or connected to the factory interface. The calibration object has a first orientation at the aligner station. A difference is determined between the first orientation and an initial target orientation at the aligner station. A first characteristic error value associated with the processing chamber is determined based on the determined difference. The first characteristic error value is recorded in a storage medium. The aligner station is to use the first characteristic error value for alignment of objects to be placed in the processing chamber.

公开(公告)号：US11668553B2

公开(公告)日：2023-06-06

申请号：US17161271

申请日：2021-01-28

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Sathyendra Ghantasala ,  Leonid Dorf ,  Evgeny Kamenetskiy ,  Peter Muraoka ,  Denis M. Koosau ,  Rajinder Dhindsa ,  Andreas Schmid

IPC: G01B7/06 ,  H01L21/67 ,  H01J37/32 ,  H01L21/687

CPC classification number: G01B7/08 ,  H01J37/32642 ,  H01L21/67069 ,  H01L21/68721 ,  H01J2237/24564

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a method and apparatus for controlling surface characteristics by measuring capacitance of a process kit ring. The method includes interfacing a ring with a jig assembly for measuring capacitance in at least a first location of the ring. The ring has that includes a top surface, a bottom surface, and an inner surface opposite an outer surface. At least the bottom surface has an external coating placed thereon. The method further includes contacting a measuring device to the first location on the outer surface proximate the bottom surface. The measuring device contacts an opening in the external coating to the body. The measuring device contacts a first conductive member that is electrically coupled to the ring. A capacitance is measured on the measuring device. The capacitance across the top surface is measured.

公开(公告)号：US11651987B2

公开(公告)日：2023-05-16

申请号：US17672507

申请日：2022-02-15

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Stephen Donald Prouty ,  Andreas Schmid ,  Jonathan Simmons ,  Sumanth Banda

IPC: H01T23/00 ,  H01L21/683 ,  H01L21/673

CPC classification number: H01L21/6833 ,  H01L21/67376

Abstract: A substrate support pedestal comprises an electrostatic chuck, a cooling base, a gas flow passage, a porous plug, and a sealing member. The electrostatic chuck comprises body having a cavity. The cooling base is coupled to the electrostatic chuck via a bond layer. The gas flow passage is formed between a top surface of the electrostatic chuck and a bottom surface of the cooling base. The gas flow passage further comprises the cavity. The porous plug is positioned within the cavity to control the flow of gas through the gas flow passage. The sealing member is positioned in a groove formed in the cooling base and configured to form a seal between the cooling base and one or both of the porous plug and the body of the electrostatic chuck.

公开(公告)号：US11101115B2

公开(公告)日：2021-08-24

申请号：US16824394

申请日：2020-03-19

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Nicholas M. Kopec ,  Damon K. Cox ,  Andreas Schmid

IPC: H01J37/32 ,  H01L21/687

Abstract: A method and apparatus for replacing process kits that include edge rings and/or support rings in processing chambers. In one implementation, a process kit comprises a multi-segment edge ring. The multi-segment edge ring comprises a first segment, a second segment, and a first annular body. The first annular body comprises a first upper surface, a first lower surface opposite the first upper surface, a first inner surface and a first outer surface. The first segment and the second segment are connectable to form the first annular body. The first lower surface is operable to be positioned over a substrate support disposed within a processing chamber, and at least a portion of the inner surface, which is positioned between the first upper surface and the first lower surface has a diameter greater than a diameter of a substrate to be processed in the processing chamber.

公开(公告)号：US20200373190A1

公开(公告)日：2020-11-26

申请号：US16417348

申请日：2019-05-20

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Helder Lee ,  Nicholas Michael Kopec ,  Leon Volfovski ,  Douglas R. McAllister ,  Andreas Schmid ,  Jeffrey Hudgens ,  Yogananda Sarode Vishwanath ,  Steven Babayan

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

Abstract: A process kit enclosure system includes surfaces to enclose an interior volume, a first support structure including first fins, a second support structure including second fins, and a front interface to interface the process kit enclosure system with a load port of a wafer processing system. The first and second fins are sized and spaced to hold process kit ring carriers and process kit rings in the interior volume. Each of the process kit rings is secured to one of the process kit ring carriers. The process kit enclosure system enables first automated transfer of a first process kit ring carrier securing a first process kit ring from the process kit enclosure system into the wafer processing system and second automated transfer of a second process kit ring carrier securing a second process kit ring from the wafer processing system into the process kit enclosure system.

公开(公告)号：USD1042373S1

公开(公告)日：2024-09-17

申请号：US29831295

申请日：2022-03-18

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Designer： Sahiti Nallagonda ,  Jonathan Simmons ,  Xinwei Huang ,  Peter Muraoka ,  Andreas Schmid

Abstract: FIG. 1 is a top, front, right isometric view of a sliding ring for an interlocking process kit for a substrate processing chamber, showing our new design.
FIG. 2 is a bottom, left, back isometric view thereof.
FIG. 3 is a top plan view thereof.
FIG. 4 is a bottom plan view thereof.
FIG. 5 is a front elevation view thereof.
FIG. 6 is a back elevation view thereof.
FIG. 7 is a right side elevation view thereof.
FIG. 8 is a left side elevation view thereof; and,
FIG. 9 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along line 9-9 in FIG. 3.

公开(公告)号：US20240021458A1

公开(公告)日：2024-01-18

申请号：US18476223

申请日：2023-09-27

Applicant: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.

Inventor： Nicholas Michael Bergantz ,  Andreas Schmid ,  Leon Volfovski ,  Sanggyum Kim ,  Damon Cox ,  Paul Wirth

IPC: H01L21/68 ,  B25J11/00 ,  H01L21/687 ,  H01L21/67 ,  B25J9/16

CPC classification number: H01L21/681 ,  B25J11/0095 ,  H01L21/68707 ,  H01L21/67201 ,  H01L21/67259 ,  H01L21/67196 ,  B25J9/1692

Abstract: A calibration object is transferred from a processing chamber to an aligner station by one or more robot arms. The calibration object has a first processing chamber orientation in the processing chamber and a second orientation at the aligner station. A first characteristic error value associated with a transfer path between the processing chamber and the aligner is determined based on the first processing chamber orientation and the second orientation of the calibration object at the aligner station. In response to detecting an object at the aligner station to be transferred to the processing chamber along the transfer path, the object is aligned by the aligner station to be placed in the processing chamber according to a target processing chamber orientation based on a target aligner orientation as adjusted by the first characteristic error value determined for the transfer path between the processing chamber and the aligner station.

公开(公告)号：US11721569B2

公开(公告)日：2023-08-08

申请号：US17352097

申请日：2021-06-18

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Andrew Myles ,  Andreas Schmid ,  Phillip A. Criminale ,  Steven E. Babayan

IPC: H01L21/67 ,  G01B11/27 ,  G01B9/02002 ,  G05B23/02 ,  H01L21/687

CPC classification number: H01L21/67259 ,  G01B9/02002 ,  G01B11/272 ,  G05B23/0205 ,  H01L21/68735

Abstract: Examples disclosed herein are directed to a method and apparatus for determining a position of a ring within a process kit. In one example, a sensor assembly for a substrate processing chamber is provided. The sensor assembly includes a housing having a top surface, a bottom surface opposite the top surface, and a plurality of sidewalls connecting the top surface to the bottom surface. The housing also has a recess in the top surface, the recess forming an interior volume within the housing. The sensory assembly includes a bias member, and a contact member disposed on the bias member. The bias member and contact member are disposed within the recess. A sensor is configured to detect a displacement of the contact member. The displacement of the contact member corresponds to a relative position of an edge ring.