System and process for calibrating pyrometers in thermal processing chambers
Granted: January 29, 2019
Patent Number:
10190915
A method and system for calibrating temperature measurement devices, such as pyrometers, in thermal processing chambers are disclosed. According to the present invention, the system includes a calibrating light source that emits light energy onto a substrate contained in the thermal processing chamber. A light detector then detects the amount of light that is being transmitted through the substrate. The amount of detected light energy is then used to calibrate a temperature measurement…
Plasma reactor with inductive excitation of plasma and efficient removal of heat from the excitation coil
Granted: October 2, 2018
Patent Number:
10090134
The plasma reactor of the invention is intended for treating the surfaces of objects such as semiconductor wafers and large display panels, or the like, with plasma. The main part of the plasma reactor is an array of RF antenna cells, which are deeply immersed into the interior of the working chamber. Each antenna cell has a ferromagnetic core with a heat conductor and a coil wound onto the core. The core and coil are sealed in the protective cap. Deep immersion of the antenna cells…
Implanted photoresist stripping process
Granted: September 18, 2018
Patent Number:
10078266
Processes for removing a photoresist from a substrate after, for instance, ion implantation are provided. In one example implementation, a process can include placing a substrate having a bulk photoresist and a crust formed on the bulk photoresist in a processing chamber. The process can include initiating a first strip process in the processing chamber. The process can include accessing an optical emission signal associated with a plasma during the first strip process. The process can…
System and method for protection of vacuum seals in plasma processing systems
Granted: August 14, 2018
Patent Number:
10049858
Systems and methods for protecting vacuum seals in a plasma processing system are provided. The processing system can include a vacuum chamber defining a sidewall and an inductive coil wrapped around at least a portion of the sidewall. A vacuum seal can be positioned between the sidewall of the vacuum chamber and a heat sink. A thermally conductive bridge can be coupled between the sidewall and heat sink. Further, the thermally conductive bridge can be positioned relative to the vacuum…
Inductive plasma source with high coupling efficiency
Granted: July 31, 2018
Patent Number:
10037867
A method and apparatus are provided for processing a substrate with a radiofrequency inductive plasma in the manufacture of a device. The inductive plasma is maintained with an inductive plasma applicator having one or more inductive coupling elements. There are thin windows between the inductive coupling elements and the interior of the processing chamber. Various embodiments have magnetic flux concentrators in the inductive coupling element and feed gas holes interspersed among the…
Substrate breakage detection in a thermal processing system
Granted: April 10, 2018
Patent Number:
9941144
Apparatus, systems, and processes for substrate breakage detection in a thermal processing system are provided. In one example implementation, a process can include: accessing data indicative of a plurality of temperature measurements for a substrate, the plurality of measurements obtained during a cool down period of a thermal process; estimating one or more metrics associated with a cooling model based at least in part on the data indicative of the plurality of temperature…
Inductively coupled plasma source for plasma processing
Granted: May 16, 2017
Patent Number:
9653264
Plasma processing apparatus and methods are disclosed. Embodiments of the present disclosure include a processing chamber having an interior space operable to receive a process gas, a substrate holder in the interior of the processing chamber operable to hold a substrate, and at least one dielectric window. A metal shield is disposed adjacent the dielectric window. The metal shield can have a peripheral portion and a central portion. The processing apparatus includes a primary inductive…
Selective reflectivity process chamber with customized wavelength response and method
Granted: April 25, 2017
Patent Number:
9633876
A customizable chamber spectral response is described which can be used at least to tailor chamber performance for wafer heating, wafer cooling, temperature measurement, and stray light. In one aspect, a system is described for processing a treatment object having a given emission spectrum at a treatment object temperature which causes the treatment object to produce a treatment object radiated energy. The chamber responds in a first way to the heating arrangement radiated energy and in…
Methods and systems for supporting a workpiece and for heat-treating the workpiece
Granted: April 18, 2017
Patent Number:
9627244
Apparatuses and methods for supporting a workpiece such as a semiconductor wafer. A support system is configured to support the workpiece while allowing thermally-induced motion of the workpiece, which may include thermal bowing or thermal bending. The system may include a support member having a moveable engagement portion engageable with the workpiece, the engagement portion being moveable to allow the thermally-induced motion of the workpiece while supporting the workpiece. The…
Low cost high throughput processing platform
Granted: November 15, 2016
Patent Number:
9493306
As part of a system for processing workpieces, a workpiece support arrangement, separate from a process chamber arrangement supports at least two workpieces at least generally in a stacked relationship to form a workpiece column. A transfer arrangement transports at least two of the workpieces between the workpiece column and the process chamber arrangement by simultaneously moving the two workpieces at least generally along first and second transfer paths, respectively, that are defined…
Repeatable heat-treating methods and apparatus
Granted: November 1, 2016
Patent Number:
9482468
A first heat-treating method involves monitoring at least one thermal efficiency parameter associated with an irradiance system configured to produce an irradiance flash incident on a surface of a workpiece, and automatically updating control information used by the irradiance system to produce the irradiance flash, in response to the monitoring of the thermal efficiency parameter. A second method involves predicting a heating effect of an irradiance flash to be incident upon a surface…
Mask removal process strategy for vertical NAND device
Granted: July 19, 2016
Patent Number:
9396963
A method for removing a doped amorphous carbon mask from a semiconductor substrate is disclosed. The method comprises generating a plasma to be used in treating the substrate, wherein the plasma comprises an oxygen containing gas, a halogen containing gas, and a hydrogen containing gas; and treating the substrate by exposing the substrate to the plasma. The doped amorphous carbon mask can be a boron doped amorphous carbon mask or a nitrogen doped amorphous carbon mask. The method can…
Methods, apparatus and media for determining a shape of an irradiance pulse to which a workpiece is to be exposed
Granted: March 8, 2016
Patent Number:
9279727
A method and system for determining a shape of an irradiance pulse to which a semiconductor wafer is to be exposed during a thermal cycle are disclosed. The method includes receiving, with a processor circuit, thermal cycle parameters specifying requirements of the thermal cycle, and determining, with the processor circuit, a shape of a heating portion of the irradiance pulse. Determining includes optimizing at least one parameter of a flux profile model of the heating portion of the…
Apparatus and methods for generating electromagnetic radiation
Granted: January 26, 2016
Patent Number:
9245730
An apparatus for generating electromagnetic radiation includes an envelope, a vortex generator configured to generate a vortexing flow of liquid along an inside surface of the envelope, first and second electrodes within the envelope configured to generate a plasma arc therebetween, and an insulative housing associated surrounding at least a portion of an electrical connection to one of the electrodes. The apparatus further includes a shielding system configured to block electromagnetic…
High efficiency plasma source
Granted: December 15, 2015
Patent Number:
9214319
A plasma reactor and method for improved gas injection for an inductive plasma source for dry strip plasma processing are disclosed. According to embodiments of the present disclosure, gas is fed into a plasma chamber through a gas injection channel located adjacent to the side wall of the plasma chamber, rather than from the center, so that the process gas enters the plasma chamber in a close proximity to the induction coil. In particular embodiments, the process gas that enters the…
Advanced multi-workpiece processing chamber
Granted: November 10, 2015
Patent Number:
9184072
An apparatus and method are described for processing workpieces in a treatment process. A multi-wafer chamber defines a chamber interior including at least two processing stations within the chamber interior such that the processing stations share the chamber interior. Each processing station includes a plasma source and a workpiece pedestal for exposing one of the workpieces to the treatment process using a respective plasma source. The chamber includes an arrangement of one or more…
Workpiece breakage prevention method and apparatus
Granted: June 30, 2015
Patent Number:
9070590
Methods and apparatus for heat-treating a workpiece are disclosed. An illustrative method includes measuring deformation of a workpiece during heat-treating thereof, and taking an action in relation to the heat-treating of the workpiece, in response to the measuring of the deformation of the workpiece. The workpiece may include a semiconductor wafer. Taking an action may include applying a deformation correction to a temperature or reflectivity measurement of the wafer during thermal…
Plasma reactor with inductie excitation of plasma and efficient removal of heat from the excitation coil
Granted: March 31, 2015
Patent Number:
8992725
The plasma reactor of the invention is intended for treating the surfaces of objects such as semiconductor wafers and large display panels, or the like, with plasma. The main part of the plasma reactor is an array of RF antenna cells, which are deeply immersed into the interior of the working chamber. Each antenna cell has a ferromagnetic core with a heat conductor and a coil wound onto the core. The core and coil are sealed in the protective cap. Deep immersion of the antenna cells…
Inductive plasma source with high coupling efficiency
Granted: December 30, 2014
Patent Number:
8920600
A method and apparatus are provided for processing a substrate with a radiofrequency inductive plasma in the manufacture of a device. The inductive plasma is maintained with an inductive plasma applicator having one or more inductive coupling elements. There are thin windows between the inductive coupling elements and the interior of the processing chamber. Various embodiments have magnetic flux concentrators in the inductive coupling elements and feed gas holes interspersed among the…
System and process for calibrating pyrometers in thermal processing chambers
Granted: December 23, 2014
Patent Number:
8918303
A method and system for calibrating temperature measurement devices, such as pyrometers, in thermal processing chambers are disclosed. According to the present invention, the system includes a calibrating light source that emits light energy onto a substrate contained in the thermal processing chamber. A light detector then detects the amount of light that is being transmitted through the substrate. The amount of detected light energy is then used to calibrate a temperature measurement…
