DEVICE AND METHOD FOR PROCESSING WAFER-SHAPED ARTICLES
Granted: May 16, 2013
Application Number:
20130118535
A device for processing wafer-shaped articles includes a spin chuck for holding and rotating a wafer-shaped article about a rotation axis and at least one dispenser for dispensing liquid onto at least one surface of a wafer-shaped article. A liquid collector surrounds the spin chuck for collecting liquid spun off the substrate during rotation, with at least two collector levels for separately collecting liquids in different collector levels. At least one lifting device moves the spin…
INSTALLATION FIXTURE FOR ELASTOMER BANDS AND METHODS OF USING THE SAME
Granted: May 16, 2013
Application Number:
20130117986
A kit comprising an installation fixture, a plurality of mechanical fasteners and an embedding tool is provided which allows for an elastomer band to be disposed in a mounting groove around a semiconductor substrate support in a manner that relieves the internal stresses of the elastomer band, leading to an elastomer band with a longer operational lifetime. The installation fixture is secured to a substrate support with mechanical fasteners. An elastomer band is placed around an outer…
PRESSURE CONTROL VALVE ASSEMBLY OF PLASMA PROCESSING CHAMBER AND RAPID ALTERNATING PROCESS
Granted: May 9, 2013
Application Number:
20130115776
A pressure control valve assembly of a plasma processing chamber in which semiconductor substrates are processed includes a housing having an inlet, an outlet and a conduit extending between the inlet and the outlet, the inlet adapted to be connected to an interior of the plasma processing chamber and the outlet adapted to be connected to a vacuum pump which maintains the plasma processing chamber at desired pressure set points during rapid alternating phases of processing a…
Substrate Clamping System and Method for Operating the Same
Granted: May 9, 2013
Application Number:
20130114181
An electrostatic chuck includes an electrically conductive baseplate and an electrically non-conductive substrate support member disposed on the baseplate. First and second sets of clamp electrodes are disposed within the support member. A power supply system includes a clamp power supply, a center tap power supply, and a baseplate power supply. The clamp power supply generates a positive output voltage and a negative output voltage, each of which is equidistant from a center tap…
Systems Comprising Silicon Coated Gas Supply Conduits And Methods For Applying Coatings
Granted: May 2, 2013
Application Number:
20130105083
In one embodiment, a plasma etching system may include a process gas source, a plasma processing chamber, and a gas supply conduit. A plasma can be formed from a process gas recipe in the plasma processing chamber. The gas supply conduit may include a corrosion resistant layered structure forming an inner recipe contacting surface and an outer environment contacting surface. The corrosion resistant layered structure may include a protective silicon layer, a passivated coupling layer and…
Mixed Acid Cleaning Assemblies
Granted: May 2, 2013
Application Number:
20130104942
In one embodiment, a cleaning assembly may include a modular electrode sealing housing, an acid injection inlet, and a fluid injection inlet. The modular electrode sealing housing may include a high pressure closure member that contains a first cleaning volume and a low pressure closure member that contains a second cleaning volume. The acid injection inlet can be in fluid communication with the first cleaning volume of the high pressure closure member. The fluid injection inlet can be…
Methods For Mixed Acid Cleaning Of Showerhead Electrodes
Granted: May 2, 2013
Application Number:
20130104938
In one embodiment, a method for cleaning a showerhead electrode my include sealing a showerhead electrode within a cleaning assembly such that a first cleaning volume is formed on a first side of the showerhead electrode and a second cleaning volume is formed on a second side of the showerhead electrode. An acidic solution can be loaded into the first cleaning volume on the first side of the showerhead electrode. The first cleaning volume on the first side of the showerhead electrode can…
METHOD OF CLEANING ALUMINUM PLASMA CHAMBER PARTS
Granted: May 2, 2013
Application Number:
20130104930
A method of cleaning a surface of a component of a plasma chamber, wherein the component has an aluminum or anodized aluminum surface, the method including the steps of: soaking the surface of the component in a diluted sulfuric peroxide (DSP) solution; spray rinsing the surface with water following removal of the surface from the DSP solution; soaking the surface in a dilute nitric acid (HNO3) solution; spray rinsing the surface with water following removal of the surface from the…
COMPONENTS OF PLASMA PROCESSING CHAMBERS HAVING TEXTURED PLASMA RESISTANT COATINGS
Granted: April 25, 2013
Application Number:
20130102156
A component of a plasma processing chamber includes a three dimensional body having a highly dense plasma resistant coating thereon wherein a plasma exposed surface of the coating has a texture which inhibits particle generation from film buildup on the plasma exposed surface. The component can be a window of an inductively coupled plasma reactor wherein the window includes a textured yttria coating. The texture can be provided by contacting the plasma exposed surface with a polishing…
METHOD, APPARATUS AND COMPOSITION FOR WET ETCHING
Granted: April 25, 2013
Application Number:
20130102158
A liquid composition for wet etching has improved selectivity for polysilicon over silicon dioxide, even when the polysilicon is heavily doped and/or the silicon dioxide is a low temperature oxide. The composition comprises 0.05-0.4 percent by weight hydrofluoric acid, 15-40 percent by weight nitric acid, 55-85 percent by weight sulfuric acid and 2-20 percent by weight water. A method and apparatus for wet etching using the composition are also disclosed.
METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PROCESSING WAFER-SHAPED ARTICLES
Granted: April 25, 2013
Application Number:
20130101372
A device for processing wafer-shaped articles comprises a closed process chamber. The closed process chamber has a side wall, a holder located within the closed process chamber adapted to receive a wafer shaped article, and a door for loading and unloading a wafer shaped article into and from the closed process chamber. The door in a first position blocks an opening in the side wall of the chamber and seals against an interior surface of the side wall of the chamber. The door is…
AUTOMATED BUBBLE DETECTION APPARATUS AND METHOD
Granted: April 25, 2013
Application Number:
20130100278
An automated hydrogen bubble detection apparatus includes a horizontal support surface on which a test coupon can be supported, a transparent tube having an open top and an open bottom and operable to contain a test solution when positioned on a test coupon, a camera arranged to view a test solution in the transparent tube, and a controller in communication with the camera and effective to operate the camera such that at least one video segment is recorded by the camera and analyzed to…
WINDOW AND MOUNTING ARRANGEMENT FOR TWIST-AND-LOCK GAS INJECTOR ASSEMBLY OF INDUCTIVELY COUPLED PLASMA CHAMBER
Granted: April 25, 2013
Application Number:
20130098554
An improved gas injection assembly for mounting in a central bore of a dielectric window of an inductively coupled plasma chamber includes a window having a central bore and cylindrical recess configured to receive an annular insert having a bayonet opening. The gas injector assembly includes a gas injector, an RF shield surrounding the gas injector, and a faceplate surrounding the RF shield, the faceplate including projections at the bottom thereof for engaging the bayonet opening in…
METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PROCESSING WAFER-SHAPED ARTICLES
Granted: April 25, 2013
Application Number:
20130098392
In a method and apparatus for treating a surface of an article, an improved rinse liquid prevents build-up of static charge while avoiding damages to certain types of exposed metal-containing surfaces. In one embodiment, a semiconductor wafer having structures including at least one of cobalt, nickel and platinum is rotated on a spin chuck, as a rinse liquid is dispensed onto a surface of the wafer. The rinse liquid is a dilute aqueous solution of a base of the formula in which R1,…
METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PROCESSING WAFER-SHAPED ARTICLES
Granted: April 25, 2013
Application Number:
20130098391
In a method and apparatus for treating a surface of an article, an improved rinse liquid prevents build-up of static charge while avoiding damages to certain types of exposed metal surfaces. In one embodiment, a semiconductor wafer having structures including at least one of cobalt, nickel and platinum is rotated on a spin chuck, as a rinse liquid is dispensed onto a surface of the wafer. The rinse liquid is a dilute aqueous solution of a base of the formula in which R1, R2 and R3…
EDGE SEAL FOR LOWER ELECTRODE ASSEMBLY
Granted: April 25, 2013
Application Number:
20130097840
A lower electrode assembly useful for supporting a semiconductor substrate in a plasma processing chamber includes a temperature controlled lower base plate, an upper plate, a mounting groove surrounding a bond layer and an edge seal comprising an elastomeric band having an outer concave surface in an uncompressed state, the band mounted in the groove such that upper and lower ends of the band are axially compressed and a maximum outward bulging of the band is no greater than a…
PLASMA CONFINEMENT RINGS INCLUDING RF ABSORBING MATERIAL FOR REDUCING POLYMER DEPOSITION
Granted: April 18, 2013
Application Number:
20130095666
Plasma confinement rings are adapted to reach sufficiently high temperatures on plasma-exposed surfaces of the rings to substantially reduce polymer deposition on those surfaces. The plasma confinement rings include an RF lossy material effective to enhance heating at portions of the rings. A low-emissivity material can be provided on a portion of the plasma confinement ring assembly to enhance heating effects.
METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR DIAGNOSING STATUS OF PARTS IN REAL TIME IN PLASMA PROCESSING EQUIPMENT
Granted: April 18, 2013
Application Number:
20130093443
Apparatus and methods for diagnosing status of a consumable part of a plasma reaction chamber, the consumable part including at least one conductive element embedded therein. The method includes the steps of: coupling the conductive element to a power supply so that a bias potential relative to the ground is applied to the conductive element; exposing the consumable part to plasma erosion until the conductive element draws a current from the plasma upon exposure of the conductive element…
Systems For Cooling RF Heated Chamber Components
Granted: April 11, 2013
Application Number:
20130087283
In one embodiment, a plasma processing device may include a dielectric window, a vacuum chamber, an energy source, and at least one air amplifier. The dielectric window may include a plasma exposed surface and an air exposed surface. The vacuum chamber and the plasma exposed surface of the dielectric window can cooperate to enclose a plasma processing gas. The energy source can transmit electromagnetic energy through the dielectric window and form an elevated temperature region in the…
ORGANIC LINE WIDTH ROUGHNESS WITH H2 PLASMA TREATMENT
Granted: April 11, 2013
Application Number:
20130087284
An apparatus for reducing very low frequency line width roughness (LWR) is provided. A plasma processing chamber is provided, comprising a chamber wall, a substrate support, a pressure regulator, at least one antenna, a gas inlet, and a gas outlet. A gas source comprises an etchant gas source and a H2 treatment gas source. A controller comprises at least one processor and computer readable media, comprising computer readable code for treating a patterned organic mask, comprising computer…
