Patents by Inventor Kurt Weiner
Kurt Weiner has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
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Patent number: 9164517Abstract: A pressure gauge may be coupled to a supply line which carries liquid from a bottle to either one or more mixing vessels and/or one or more reactors in a combinatorial processing tool. A control device may monitor the pressure measured by the pressure gauge, and the control device may be configured to change the pressure supplied to the bottle based on a comparison of the measured pressure to a predetermined pressure value. The control device may adjust the pressure provided to the bottle using a pressure regulator coupled to the pressure source. By changing the pressure provided to the bottle, the control device may maintain a relatively constant flow rate of fluids from the liquid source into one or more mixing vessels and/or the one or more reactors.Type: GrantFiled: August 22, 2011Date of Patent: October 20, 2015Assignee: Intermolecular, Inc.Inventors: Rajesh Kelekar, Gaurav Verma, Kurt Weiner
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Publication number: 20150235875Abstract: A combinatorial processing system having modular dispense heads is provided. The modular dispense heads are disposed on a rail system enabling an adjustable pitch of the modular dispense heads for the combinatorial processing. The modular dispense heads are configured so that sections of the modular dispense heads are detachable in order to accommodate various processes through a first section without having to completely disconnect and re-connect facilities to a second section.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 1, 2015Publication date: August 20, 2015Inventors: Kurt Weiner, Aaron Francis, Ken Williams
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Patent number: 9059223Abstract: A combinatorial processing system having modular dispense heads is provided. The modular dispense heads are disposed on a rail system enabling an adjustable pitch of the modular dispense heads for the combinatorial processing. The modular dispense heads are configured so that sections of the modular dispense heads are detachable in order to accommodate various processes through a first section without having to completely disconnect and re-connect facilities to a second section.Type: GrantFiled: December 11, 2008Date of Patent: June 16, 2015Assignee: Intermolecular, Inc.Inventors: Kurt Weiner, Aaron Francis, Ken Williams
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Patent number: 9016233Abstract: A reactor assembly having vertically adjustable flow cells is provided. The vertically adjustable flow cells include passageways for distributing a fluid to a reaction region isolated below a bottom surface of corresponding flow cells. The adjustable flow cells enable another dimension of variability for combinatorial processing. Thus, additional data may be gathered for effects on process parameter variations, material variations, process sequence variations, etc., for semiconductor processing operations.Type: GrantFiled: April 23, 2008Date of Patent: April 28, 2015Assignee: Intermolecular, Inc.Inventors: Kurt Weiner, Aaron Francis, John Schmidt
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Publication number: 20150093898Abstract: A combinatorial processing chamber is provided. The combinatorial processing chamber is configured to isolate a radial portion of a rotatable substrate support, which in turn is configured to support a substrate. The chamber includes a plurality of clusters process heads in one embodiment. An insert having a base plate disposed between the substrate support and the process heads defines a confinement region for a deposition process in one embodiment. The base plate has an opening to enable access of the deposition material to the substrate. Through rotation of the substrate and movement of the opening, multiple regions of the substrate are accessible for performing combinatorial processing on a single substrate.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 8, 2014Publication date: April 2, 2015Inventors: Rick Endo, Jeremy Cheng, Indranil De, James Tsung, Kurt Weiner, Maosheng Zhao
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Publication number: 20150031148Abstract: A method for performing a physical vapor deposition (PVD) on a substrate is disclosed, comprising placing a substrate on a susceptor disposed below one or more PVD guns and below a plasma shield assembly having a bellows and a shadow mask coupled to a bottom side of the bellows, lowering the bellows toward the substrate to place the shadow mask in contact with the substrate; and depositing a material on an isolated region on the substrate through the shadow mask. In one implementation, the shadow mask may include a plate having openings in the shape of individual dies on the substrate, and a layer having openings in the shape of features patterned on the substrate, wherein the layer is coupled to a bottom surface of the plate by an epoxy.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 2, 2014Publication date: January 29, 2015Inventors: Indranil De, Kurt Weiner
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Patent number: 8932995Abstract: A combinatorial processing chamber is provided. The combinatorial processing chamber is configured to isolate a radial portion of a rotatable substrate support, which in turn is configured to support a substrate. The chamber includes a plurality of clusters process heads in one embodiment. An insert having a base plate disposed between the substrate support and the process heads defines a confinement region for a deposition process in one embodiment. The base plate has an opening to enable access of the deposition material to the substrate. Through rotation of the substrate and movement of the opening, multiple regions of the substrate are accessible for performing combinatorial processing on a single substrate.Type: GrantFiled: December 21, 2011Date of Patent: January 13, 2015Assignee: Intermolecular, Inc.Inventors: Rick Endo, Kurt Weiner, Indranil De, James Tsung, Maosheng Zhao, Jeremy Cheng
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Patent number: 8881677Abstract: A method for performing a physical vapor deposition (PVD) on a substrate is disclosed, comprising placing a substrate on a susceptor disposed below one or more PVD guns and below a plasma shield assembly having a bellows and a shadow mask coupled to a bottom side of the bellows, lowering the bellows toward the substrate to place the shadow mask in contact with the substrate; and depositing a material on an isolated region on the substrate through the shadow mask. In one implementation, the shadow mask may include a plate having openings in the shape of individual dies on the substrate, and a layer having openings in the shape of features patterned on the substrate, wherein the layer is coupled to a bottom surface of the plate by an epoxy.Type: GrantFiled: December 7, 2012Date of Patent: November 11, 2014Assignee: Intermolecular, Inc.Inventors: Indranil De, Kurt Weiner
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Publication number: 20140311408Abstract: The various embodiments of the invention provide for relative movement of the substrate and a process head to access the entire wafer in a minimal space to conduct combinatorial processing on various regions of the substrate. The heads enable site isolated processing within the chamber described and method of using the same are described.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 1, 2014Publication date: October 23, 2014Inventors: Indranil De, Rick Endo, James Tsung, Kurt Weiner, Maosheng Zhao
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Patent number: 8822346Abstract: A reaction block having a plurality of reaction chambers defined therein is provided. A bottom surface of each of the reaction chambers is configured to provide a seal for a corresponding reaction region on the substrate and around a periphery of the substrate. The reaction block includes a plurality of inlet channels and provides a gap between a top surface of the substrate and a bottom surface of the reaction block. The gap accepts a fluid from the inlet channels, wherein the reaction block includes a plurality of vacuum channels having access to the bottom surface of the reaction block to remove the fluid from the gap. A method of selectively etching a substrate for combinatorial processing is also provided.Type: GrantFiled: June 10, 2008Date of Patent: September 2, 2014Assignee: Intermolecular, Inc.Inventor: Kurt Weiner
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Patent number: 8771483Abstract: A combinatorial processing chamber is provided. The combinatorial processing chamber is configured to isolate a radial portion of a rotatable substrate support, which in turn is configured to support a substrate. The chamber includes a plurality of clusters process heads in one embodiment. An insert having a base plate disposed between the substrate support and the process heads defines a confinement region for a deposition process in one embodiment. The base plate has an opening to enable access of the deposition material to the substrate. Through rotation of the substrate and movement of the opening, multiple regions of the substrate are accessible for performing combinatorial processing on a single substrate.Type: GrantFiled: February 7, 2008Date of Patent: July 8, 2014Assignee: Intermolecular, Inc.Inventors: Rick Endo, Kurt Weiner, Indranil De, James Tsung, Maosheng Zhao, Jeremy Cheng
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Patent number: 8770143Abstract: The various embodiments of the invention provide for relative movement of the substrate and a process head to access the entire wafer in a minimal space to conduct combinatorial processing on various regions of the substrate. The heads enable site isolated processing within the chamber described and method of using the same are described.Type: GrantFiled: May 12, 2011Date of Patent: July 8, 2014Assignee: Intermolecular, Inc.Inventors: Rick Endo, Kurt Weiner, Indranil De, James Tsung, Maosheng Zhao
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Patent number: 8758581Abstract: A combinatorial processing chamber is provided. The combinatorial processing chamber is configured to isolate a radial portion of a rotatable substrate support, which in turn is configured to support a substrate. The chamber includes a plurality of clusters process heads in one embodiment. An insert having a base plate disposed between the substrate support and the process heads defines a confinement region for a deposition process in one embodiment. The base plate has an opening to enable access of the deposition material to the substrate. Through rotation of the substrate and movement of the opening, multiple regions of the substrate are accessible for performing combinatorial processing on a single substrate.Type: GrantFiled: September 5, 2008Date of Patent: June 24, 2014Assignee: Intermolecular, Inc.Inventors: Rick Endo, Kurt Weiner, Indranil De, James Tsung, Maosheng Zhao, Jeremy Cheng
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Patent number: 8707897Abstract: A reactor assembly having a plurality of reaction chambers defined therein is provided. The reactor assembly includes conductive leads that mate with contacts disposed on a substrate being combinatorially processed. The conductive leads may be disposed within walls of the reactor assembly so that one end of the lead mates with the contacts on the substrate or anywhere on the surface of a conductive blanket substrate, while the other end of the lead enables communication with an external monitoring or control device.Type: GrantFiled: March 6, 2008Date of Patent: April 29, 2014Assignee: Intermolecular, Inc.Inventors: Greg Lim, Gauray Vorma, John Schmidt, Kurt Weiner, Zachary Fresco
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Patent number: 8528608Abstract: A pressure gauge may be coupled to a vessel into which a liquid chemical is to be dispensed. The volume of the vessel may be known and a control device may determine an initial pressure of the vessel using the pressure gauge. A volume of liquid chemical may be dispensed into the vessel which may cause the pressure within the vessel to increase to a second pressure. The control device may determine the second pressure using the pressure gauge may calculate the volume of liquid chemical dispensed into the vessel using the volume of the vessel, the initial pressure of the vessel, and the second pressure of the vessel.Type: GrantFiled: June 8, 2012Date of Patent: September 10, 2013Assignee: Intermolecular, Inc.Inventors: Rajesh Kelekar, Guarav Verma, Kurt Weiner
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Patent number: 8449678Abstract: A combinatorial processing chamber is provided. The combinatorial processing chamber is configured to isolate a radial portion of a rotatable substrate support, which in turn is configured to support a substrate. The chamber includes a plurality of clusters process heads in one embodiment. An insert having a base plate disposed between the substrate support and the process heads defines a confinement region for a deposition process in one embodiment. The base plate has an opening to enable access of the deposition material to the substrate. Through rotation of the substrate and movement of the opening, multiple regions of the substrate are accessible for performing combinatorial processing on a single substrate.Type: GrantFiled: February 8, 2008Date of Patent: May 28, 2013Assignee: Intermolecular, Inc.Inventors: Rick Endo, Kurt Weiner, Indranil De, James Tsung, Maosheng Zhao, Jeremy Cheng
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Patent number: 8387563Abstract: A combinatorial processing chamber is provided. The combinatorial processing chamber is configured to isolate a radial portion of a rotatable substrate support, which in turn is configured to support a substrate. The chamber includes a plurality of clusters process heads in one embodiment. An insert having a base plate disposed between the substrate support and the process heads defines a confinement region for a deposition process in one embodiment. The base plate has an opening to enable access of the deposition material to the substrate. Through rotation of the substrate and movement of the opening, multiple regions of the substrate are accessible for performing combinatorial processing on a single substrate.Type: GrantFiled: February 14, 2012Date of Patent: March 5, 2013Assignee: Intermolecular, Inc.Inventors: Rick Endo, Jeremy Cheng, Indranil De, James Tsung, Kurt Weiner, Maosheng Zhao
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Patent number: 8349143Abstract: A shadow mask for patterning a substrate during a semiconductor process. In one implementation, a method for performing a Physical vapor deposition (PVD) on a substrate is provided. The method includes placing a substrate on a susceptor disposed below one or more PVD guns and below a plasma shield assembly having an aperture piece comprising a bellows and a shadow mask coupled to a bottom side of the bellows, the aperture piece detachably coupled to the plasma shield assembly, wherein a region defined between sides of the bellows is smaller than a width of the substrate. The method includes lowering the bellows toward the substrate to place the shadow mask in contact with the substrate and depositing a material on an isolated region on the substrate through the shadow mask.Type: GrantFiled: December 30, 2008Date of Patent: January 8, 2013Assignee: Intermolecular, Inc.Inventors: Indranil De, Kurt Weiner
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Patent number: 8317925Abstract: A structure for independently supporting a wafer and a mask in a processing chamber is provided. The structure includes a set of extensions for supporting the wafer and a set of extensions supporting the mask. The set of extensions for the wafer and the set of extensions for the mask enable independent movement of the wafer and the mask. In one embodiment, the extensions are affixed to an annular ring which is capable of moving in a vertical direction within the processing chamber. A processing chamber, a mask, and a method for combinatorially processing a substrate are also provided.Type: GrantFiled: June 27, 2011Date of Patent: November 27, 2012Assignee: Intermolecular, Inc.Inventors: Rick Endo, Kurt Weiner, James Tsung
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Publication number: 20120273072Abstract: A pressure gauge may be coupled to a vessel into which a liquid chemical is to be dispensed. The volume of the vessel may be known and a control device may determine an initial pressure of the vessel using the pressure gauge. A volume of liquid chemical may be dispensed into the vessel which may cause the pressure within the vessel to increase to a second pressure. The control device may determine the second pressure using the pressure gauge may calculate the volume of liquid chemical dispensed into the vessel using the volume of the vessel, the initial pressure of the vessel, and the second pressure of the vessel.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 8, 2012Publication date: November 1, 2012Applicant: Intermolecular, Inc.Inventors: Rajesh Kelekar, Gaurav Verma, Kurt Weiner