Abstract: A mounting platform is provided for securing munitions. The platform includes a flat plate, a front block and a rear block. The plate includes a plurality of cutout holes. The front block has a first saddle disposed between first flanking ends and at least one extension at one of the flanking ends for inserting into a first opening of the cutouts. The rear block has a second saddle disposed between second flanking ends at least one extension for inserting into a second opening of the cutouts. The munitions are disposable atop the first and second saddles of the front and rear blocks. The munitions are restrained axially against a rear stop block and laterally by the saddles and straps.

Abstract: A pressure/force sensor comprises a diaphragm structure including a sensing element and a lead structure extending from the diaphragm structure and including first and second traces electrically coupled to the sensing element. The diaphragm structure and the lead structure include a circuit assembly comprising a common insulating layer and a common conductor layer on the insulating layer. The conductor layer includes at least a portion of the sensing element and at least the first trace.

Abstract: An apparatus for removing volatile residues from a substrate is provided. In one embodiment, an apparatus for removing halogen-containing residues from a substrate includes a chamber suitable for operating maintaining a vacuum therein and a heat module positioned to heat a substrate disposed in the chamber. The apparatus for removing halogen-containing residues from a substrate also includes at least one of A) a temperature controlled pedestal having a projection extending radially therefrom suitable for supporting the temperature control pedestal on a ledge of the chamber body, the projection thermally isolating the base from the chamber body; B) a pair of substrate holders that include two support flanges extending radially inward from an inner edge of an arc-shaped body, each support flange having a substrate support step that includes a sloped landing; or C) a domed window.

Abstract: An apparatus for removing volatile residues from a substrate is provided. In one embodiment, an apparatus for removing halogen-containing residues from a substrate includes a chamber suitable for operating maintaining a vacuum therein and a heat module positioned to heat a substrate disposed in the chamber. The apparatus for removing halogen-containing residues from a substrate also includes at least one of A) a temperature controlled pedestal having a projection extending radially therefrom suitable for supporting the temperature control pedestal on a ledge of the chamber body, the projection thermally isolating the base from the chamber body; B) a pair of substrate holders that include two support flanges extending radially inward from an inner edge of an arc-shaped body, each support flange having a substrate support step that includes a sloped landing; or C) a domed window.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for in-situ metrology of a workpiece disposed in a vacuum processing chamber. The apparatus may include an optical assembly external to the processing chamber configured to focus a relatively large optical spot over a relatively large working distance to acquire a TE and TM spectra from a periodic array on the workpiece. The workpiece may be disposed in the processing chamber with an arbitrary orientation which is first determined via a reflectance measurement. TE and/or TM spectra may then be acquired by initiating a periodic triggering of a flash lamp based on the determined workpiece orientation to account for variation in placement of the workpiece within the processing chamber. The periodic array from which spectra are collected may be a memory array being fabricated in a semiconductor wafer.

Abstract: An apparatus for adaptive self-aligned dual patterning and method thereof. The method includes providing a substrate to a processing platform configured to perform an etch process and a deposition process and a metrology unit configured for in-vacuo critical dimension (CD) measurement. The in-vacuo CD measurement is utilized for feedforward adaptive control of the process sequence processing platform or for feedback and feedforward adaptive control of chamber process parameters. In one aspect, a first layer of a multi-layered masking stack is etched to form a template mask, an in-vacuo CD measurement of the template mask is made, and a spacer is formed, adjacent to the template mask, to a width that is dependent on the CD measurement of the template mask.

Abstract: A method for determining the flow rate of a gas includes measuring a first concentration of a calibration gas provided to the process chamber at a first pressure and temperature by directing infrared radiation into the process chamber and monitoring a first amount of infrared radiation absorbed by the calibration gas. A mixture of a second gas and the calibration gas is provided to the process chamber while maintaining the first pressure and temperature. A second concentration of the calibration gas in the mixture is measured by directing infrared radiation into the process chamber and monitoring a second amount of infrared radiation absorbed by the calibration gas. A flow rate of the second gas is calculated by comparing the first and second concentrations of the calibration gas. In one embodiment, the calibration gas and the second gas may not absorb the infrared radiation at the same wavelength.

Abstract: An endpoint detection method for detecting an endpoint of a process comprises determining a reflectance spectrum of light reflected from a substrate, the light having a wavelength, processing the substrate while light having the wavelength is reflected from the substrate, detecting light having the wavelength after the light is reflected from the substrate, generating a signal trace of the intensity of the reflected light and normalizing the signal trace with the reflectance spectrum of the light. The normalized signal trace can then be evaluated to determine an endpoint of the process.

Abstract: An endpoint detection method for detecting an endpoint of a process comprises reflecting polychromatic light from a substrate, the polychromatic light having a plurality of wavelengths. A plurality of light beams having different wavelengths are generated from the reflected polychromatic light. A wavelength of light is determined from the plurality of light beams, at which a local intensity of the reflected light is maximized.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for in-situ metrology of a workpiece disposed in a vacuum processing chamber. The apparatus may include an optical assembly external to the processing chamber configured to focus a relatively large optical spot over a relatively large working distance to acquire a TE and TM spectra from a periodic array on the workpiece. The workpiece may be disposed in the processing chamber with an arbitrary orientation which is first determined via a reflectance measurement. TE and/or TM spectra may then be acquired by initiating a periodic triggering of a flash lamp based on the determined workpiece orientation to account for variation in placement of the workpiece within the processing chamber. The periodic array from which spectra are collected may be a memory array being fabricated in a semiconductor wafer.

Abstract: A method for controlling a process for fabricating integrated devices on a substrate. The method includes ex-situ and in-situ measurements of pre-etch and post-etch dimensions for structures formed on the substrate and uses the results of the measurements to adjust process recipes and to control the operational status of etch and external substrate processing equipment. In one exemplary application, the method is used during a multi-pass process for fabricating a capacitive structure of a trench capacitor.

Abstract: An endpoint detection system for detecting an endpoint of a process comprises a polychromatic light source which emits polychromatic light. The light is reflected from a substrate. A light wavelength selector receives the reflected polychromatic light and determines a wavelength of light at which a local intensity of the reflected light is maximized during the process. In one version, the wavelength selector comprises a diffraction grating to generate a plurality of light beams having different wavelengths from the reflected polychromatic light and a light detector to receive the light beams having different wavelengths and generate an intensity signal trace of the intensity of each wavelength of the polychromatic reflected light.

Abstract: An analysis chamber coupled to a processing chamber includes an actively switchable capacitive-inductive coupling apparatus providing excitation in a capacitively coupled mode and an inductively coupled mode.

Abstract: An endpoint detection system for detecting an endpoint of a process comprises a polychromatic light source which emits polychromatic light. The light is reflected from a substrate. A light wavelength selector receives the reflected polychromatic light and determines a wavelength of light at which a local intensity of the reflected light is maximized during the process. In one version, the wavelength selector comprises a diffraction grating to generate a plurality of light beams having different wavelengths from the reflected polychromatic light and a light detector to receive the light beams having different wavelengths and generate an intensity signal trace of the intensity of each wavelength of the polychromatic reflected light.

Abstract: An apparatus for removing volatile residues from a substrate is provided. In one embodiment, an apparatus for removing halogen-containing residues from a substrate includes a chamber suitable for operating maintaining a vacuum therein and a heat module positioned to heat a substrate disposed in the chamber. The apparatus for removing halogen-containing residues from a substrate also includes at least one of A) a temperature controlled pedestal having a projection extending radially therefrom suitable for supporting the temperature control pedestal on a ledge of the chamber body, the projection thermally isolating the base from the chamber body; B) a pair of substrate holders that include two support flanges extending radially inward from an inner edge of an arc-shaped body, each support flange having a substrate support step that includes a sloped landing; or C) a domed window.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for automatic determination of semiconductor plasma chamber matching a source of fault are provided. Correlated plasma attributes are measured for process used for calibration both in a chamber under study and in a reference chamber. Principal component analysis then is performed on the measured correlated attributes so as to generate steady principal components and transitional principal components; and these principal components are compared to reference principal components associated with a reference chamber. The process used for calibration includes a regular plasma process followed by a process perturbation of one process parameter. Similar process perturbation runs are conducted several times to include different perturbation parameters. By performing inner products of the principal components of chamber under study and the reference chamber, matching scores can be reached. Automatic chamber matching can be determined by comparing these scores with preset control limits.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for predictive maintenance of semiconductor process equipment are provided herein. In some embodiments, a method of performing predictive maintenance on semiconductor processing equipment may include performing at least one self-diagnostic test on the semiconductor processing equipment with no substrate present in the equipment. The self-diagnostic test may include measuring one or more predictor parameters and one or more response parameters from the semiconductor process equipment. One or more expected response parameters may be calculated based upon the measured predictor parameters utilizing a predictive model. The one or more measured response parameters may be compared with the one or more expected response parameters. A determination may be made whether equipment maintenance is required based upon the comparison.

Abstract: A method for determining the flow rate of a gas includes measuring a first concentration of a calibration gas provided to the process chamber at a first pressure and temperature by directing infrared radiation into the process chamber and monitoring a first amount of infrared radiation absorbed by the calibration gas. A mixture of a second gas and the calibration gas is provided to the process chamber while maintaining the first pressure and temperature. A second concentration of the calibration gas in the mixture is measured by directing infrared radiation into the process chamber and monitoring a second amount of infrared radiation absorbed by the calibration gas. A flow rate of the second gas is calculated by comparing the first and second concentrations of the calibration gas. In one embodiment, the calibration gas and the second gas may not absorb the infrared radiation at the same wavelength.

Abstract: In determining an endpoint of etching a substrate, light that is directed toward the substrate is reflected from the substrate. A wavelength of the light is selected to locally maximize the intensity of the reflected light at an initial time point of the etching process. The reflected light is detected to determine an endpoint of the substrate etching process.

Abstract: An apparatus for adaptive self-aligned dual patterning and method thereof. The method includes providing a substrate to a processing platform configured to perform an etch process and a deposition process and a metrology unit configured for in-vacuo critical dimension (CD) measurement. The in-vacuo CD measurement is utilized for feedforward adaptive control of the process sequence processing platform or for feedback and feedforward adaptive control of chamber process parameters. In one aspect, a first layer of a multi-layered masking stack is etched to form a template mask, an in-vacuo CD measurement of the template mask is made, and a spacer is formed, adjacent to the template mask, to a width that is dependent on the CD measurement of the template mask.