Abstract: Methods and apparatus for processing substrates are disclosed. In some embodiments, a process chamber for processing a substrate includes: a body having an interior volume and a target to be sputtered, the interior volume including a central portion and a peripheral portion; a substrate support disposed in the interior volume opposite the target and having a support surface configured to support the substrate; a collimator disposed in the interior volume between the target and the substrate support; a first magnet disposed about the body proximate the collimator; a second magnet disposed about the body above the support surface and entirely below the collimator and spaced vertically below the first magnet; and a third magnet disposed about the body and spaced vertically between the first magnet and the second magnet. The first, second, and third magnets are configured to generate respective magnetic fields to redistribute ions over the substrate.

Abstract: A gas flow system is provided, including a gas flow source, one or more gas inlets, one or more gas outlets, a gas flow region, a low pressure region, wherein the low pressure region is fluidly coupled to the one or more gas outlets, a high pressure region, and a gap. The one or more gas inlets are fluidly coupleable to the gas flow source. The gas flow region is fluidly coupled to the one or more gas inlets and the one or more gas outlets. The gap fluidly couples the gas flow region to the high pressure region. The high pressure region near the targets allows for process gas interactions with the target to sputter onto the substrate below. The low pressure region near the substrate prevents unwanted chemical interactions between the process gas and the substrate.

Abstract: Embodiments of process kits for use in plasma process chambers are provided herein. In some embodiments, a process kit for use in a process chamber includes an annular body having an upper portion and a lower portion extending downward and radially inward from the upper portion, wherein the annular body includes an inner surface having a first segment that extends downward, a second segment that extends radially outward from the first segment, a third segment that extends downward from the second segment, a fourth segment that extends radially outward from the third segment, a fifth segment that extends downward from the fourth segment, a sixth segment that extends radially inward from the fifth segment, a seventh segment that extends downward from the sixth segment, and an eighth segment that extends radially inward from the seventh segment.

Abstract: The present invention discloses an isolation system, comprising a flexible, portable, disposable membrane with no rigid structures. The membrane inflates from a contracted state having a small form-factor for storage to an inflated state for use. The membrane has an opening on one side defining a chamber within, with the opening having a sealing member that when closed, seals off the chamber. The membrane includes a first port for ingress of gas into the chamber a second port for egress of exhaust gas via an associated exhaust filter assembly, with the second port intrinsically functioning as a passive pressure regulator.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for substrate processing and a cluster tool including a transfer chamber assembly and a plurality of processing assemblies. The transfer chamber assembly and processing assemblies may include processing platforms for ALD, CVD, PVD, etch, cleaning, implanting, heating, annealing, and/or polishing processes. Processing chamber volumes are sealed from the transfer chamber volume using a support chuck on which a substrate is disposed thereon. The support chuck is raised to form an isolation seal between the processing chamber volume and the transfer chamber volume using a bellows assembly and a chuck sealing surface.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for passivating a target are provided herein. For example, a method includes a) supplying an oxidizing gas into an inner volume of the process chamber; b) igniting the oxidizing gas to form a plasma and oxidize at least one of a target or target material deposited on a process kit disposed in the inner volume of the process chamber; and c) performing a cycle purge comprising: c1) providing air into the process chamber to react with the at least one of the target or target material deposited on the process kit; c2) maintaining a predetermined pressure for a predetermined time within the process chamber to generate a toxic by-product caused by the air reacting with the at least one of the target or target material deposited on the process kit; and c3) exhausting the process chamber to remove the toxic by-product.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for cleaning a process kit configured for processing a substrate are provided. For example, a process chamber for processing a substrate can include a chamber wall; a sputtering target disposed in an upper section of the inner volume; a pedestal including a substrate support having a support surface to support a substrate below the sputtering target; a power source configured to energize sputtering gas for forming a plasma in the inner volume; a process kit surrounding the sputtering target and the substrate support; and an ACT connected to the pedestal and a controller configured to tune the pedestal using the ACT to maintain a predetermined potential difference between the plasma in the inner volume and the process kit, wherein the predetermined potential difference is based on a percentage of total capacitance of the ACT and a stray capacitance associated with a grounding path of the process chamber.

Abstract: Embodiments of a process shield for use in a process chamber are provided herein. In some embodiments, a process shield for use in a process chamber includes a body having a cylindrical shape, wherein the body includes an upper portion and a lower portion, the upper portion having an outer lip and the lower portion extending downward and radially inward from the upper portion, wherein the outer lip includes a plurality of openings to accommodate fasteners, a plurality of alignment slots extending radially inward from an outer surface of the outer lip, and a notched lower peripheral edge, and wherein a lower surface of the outer lip includes a plurality of grooves.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing parts or devices using additive manufacturing is provided. The method forms the parts or devices, and also forms a transition layer or transition layers of partially or incompletely sintered powder between a build-plate and/or supports provided on the build-plate, and/or a gap or gaps of unsintered powder, or partially or incompletely sintered powder between the supports and the parts. The transition layer(s) and the gap(s) facilitate separation of the parts or devices from the build-plate or the supports provided on the build-plate.

Abstract: Methods and systems are provided to generate a base digital file for a garment, which may be used in garment production. For example, a system may receive a library from a data source and generate a base digital file for the garment. The base digital file may include a garment identifier, a panel object associated with a panel identifier and references to garment information in the library, and a seam object representing a seam that forms a portion of the garment.

Abstract: An excavator coupler including a front jaw for receiving a first attachment pin of an accessory and a rear pin receiving area for receiving a second attachment pin of the accessory, a first closure mechanism for the rear pin receiving area, the first closure mechanism including an actuator and a movable second pin engaging surface for selectively securing the second attachment pin in the rear pin receiving area and for pulling the first attachment pin into the front jaw of the coupler, a second closure member for the front jaw for selectively retaining the front attachment pin in the front jaw, and a front latch control component for selectively controlling the second closure member between an open state and a closed state wherein the actuator includes a release member for selectively engaging a release arm on the front latch control component to activate or deactivate the front latch control component.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for controlling the ion fraction in physical vapor deposition processes are disclosed. In some embodiments, a process chamber for processing a substrate having a given diameter includes: an interior volume and a target to be sputtered, the interior volume including a central portion and a peripheral portion; a rotatable magnetron above the target to form an annular plasma in the peripheral portion; a substrate support disposed in the interior volume to support a substrate having the given diameter; a first set of magnets disposed about the body to form substantially vertical magnetic field lines in the peripheral portion; a second set of magnets disposed about the body and above the substrate support to form magnetic field lines directed toward a center of the support surface; a first power source to electrically bias the target; and a second power source to electrically bias the substrate support.

Abstract: A coupler including a housing with a top part for attachment to an excavator arm of an excavator, and a bottom part for attachment to an accessory for the excavator, such as an excavator bucket, the bottom part including a front jaw open to a front of the coupler for receiving a first attachment pin of an accessory and a rear pin receiving area for receiving a second attachment pin of the accessory, a latching member for the rear pin receiving area, the latching member including a body, a further jaw extending below the body, a release member extending forward of the body, an attachment point for an end of an actuator and a hole through the body into which a sprung member is located, wherein the sprung member extends through and to under the body and into or partially across a mouth of the further jaw.

Abstract: Embodiments of process chambers are provided herein. In some embodiments, a process chamber includes: a chamber wall defining an inner volume within the process chamber; a substrate support disposed in the inner volume having a support surface to support a substrate, wherein the inner volume includes a processing volume disposed above the support surface and a non-processing volume disposed at least partially below the support surface; a gas supply plenum fluidly coupled to the processing volume via a gas supply channel disposed above the support surface; a pumping plenum fluidly coupled to the processing volume via an exhaust channel disposed above the support surface; and a sealing apparatus configured to fluidly isolate the processing volume from the non-processing volume when the substrate support is in a processing position, wherein the processing volume and the non-processing volume are fluidly coupled when the substrate support is in a non-processing position.

Abstract: A coupler control system (10) for coupler on an excavator arm (14) of an excavator (12), the coupler comprising a hydraulic actuator (60), the excavator comprising a solenoid valve (20) for controlling operation of the coupler's hydraulic actuator (60), the excavator arm (14) comprising a boom arm (36) and a stick (40), both operated by separate hydraulic actuators, and a bucket actuator (44) for rotating an accessory relative to the stick (40), the coupler control system (10) comprising a controller linked to the solenoid valve (20) for controlling operation of the coupler's hydraulic actuator (60), a status indicator (22), a coupler control switch (24) for locating in the cab of the excavator and a pressure sensor (28) for connecting to the hydraulic system for at least one of the hydraulic actuators for the boom arm, the stick or the bucket actuator, wherein the coupler control switch and the status indicator are connected to the controller, the pressure sensor is arranged to sense when the hydraulic fluid

Abstract: A method, or corresponding dynamic display system, for customizing a controller of a display system includes presenting a visual stimulus to a subject at at least one known location relative to the subject's eye gaze; measuring brain activity of the subject's left and right brain hemispheres in response to the subject's viewing of the stimulus; processing the measured brain activity to determine a frequency-dependent metric of the measured brain activity; assessing independent cognitive capacities of the subject's left and right brain hemispheres based on the frequency-dependent metric; and adjusting a function of the controller in the display system according to the assessed independent capacities, such as by adjusting the function to change a stimulus load in a visual hemifield according to the brain activity in the contralateral brain hemisphere. Example applications include head-up display (HUD), augmented reality (AR) or virtual reality (VR) display systems, and brain injury assessment systems.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for controlling the ion fraction in physical vapor deposition processes are disclosed. In some embodiments, a physical vapor deposition chamber includes: a body having an interior volume and a lid assembly including a target to be sputtered; a magnetron disposed above the target, wherein the magnetron is configured to rotate a plurality of magnets about a central axis of the physical vapor deposition chamber; a substrate support disposed in the interior volume opposite the target and having a support surface configured to support a substrate; a collimator disposed between the target and the substrate support, the collimator having a central region having a first thickness and a peripheral region having a second thickness less than the first thickness; a first power source coupled to the target to electrically bias the target; and a second power source coupled to the substrate support to electrically bias the substrate support.