Abstract: A method including immersing a ceramic coated article into a bath including an HF acid solution having NH4F with a molar concentration of about 0.1M to 1.0M for a time period to remove a deposition, and rinsing the ceramic coated article.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for a magnetron assembly are provided herein. In some embodiments, a magnetron assembly includes a first plate having a first central axis, the first plate rotatable about the first central axis, a first open loop magnetic pole coupled to the first plate, a second plate having a second central axis, the second plate rotatable about the second central axis, and a second open loop magnetic pole coupled the second plate, wherein the first open loop magnetic pole and the second open loop magnetic pole form a closed loop magnetic pole when the first and second open loop magnetic poles are aligned.

Abstract: In large area plasma processing systems, process gases may be introduced to the chamber via the showerhead assembly which may be driven as an RF electrode. The gas feed tube, which is grounded, is electrically isolated from the showerhead. The gas feed tube may provide not only process gases, but also cleaning gases from a remote plasma source to the process chamber. The inside of the gas feed tube may remain at either a low RF field or a zero RF field to avoid premature gas breakdown within the gas feed tube that may lead to parasitic plasma formation between the gas source and the showerhead. By feeding the gas through an RF choke, the RF field and the processing gas may be introduced to the processing chamber through a common location and thus simplify the chamber design.

Abstract: Generating plasmas in pulsed power systems. In one aspect, a system includes a plasma chamber having one or more anodes and cathodes arranged for generating a plasma in the plasma chamber, two or more plasma power supplies each having a pulsed power output suitable for generating the plasma and coupled to respective of the one or more anodes and cathodes of the plasma chamber and a signal generator supplying the input signal coupled to the inputs of the plasma power supplies. The input signal is selected to trigger the pulsing, by the arc management circuitry, of the power output from the plasma power supplies. The plasma power supplies each include arc management circuitry and an input coupled to trigger, in response to an input signal, pulsing, by the arc management circuitry, of the power output from the plasma power supply.

Abstract: In one embodiment, an inline defect analysis method includes receiving geometric characteristics of individual defects and design data corresponding to the individual defects, determining which of the individual defects are likely to be nuisance defects using the geometric characteristics and the corresponding design data, and refraining from sampling the defects that are likely to be nuisance defects.

Abstract: In a first aspect, a first substrate processing system is provided that includes (1) a chamber having a plurality of opening through which a substrate may be transported; (2) a substrate carrier opener coupled to a first one of the plurality of openings; (3) a thermal processing chamber coupled to a second one of the plurality of openings; and (4) a wafer handler contained within the chamber, having a substrate clamping blade and a blade adapted to transport high temperature substrates.

Abstract: An endpoint detection method includes processing an outer surface of a substrate, directing an incident light beam through a window in an opaque metal body onto the surface being processed, receiving at a detector a reflected light beam from the substrate and generating a signal from the detector, and generating a signal based on the reflected light beam received at the detector, and detecting a processing endpoint. The signal is a time-varying cyclic signal that varies as the thickness of the layer varies over time, and detecting the processing endpoint includes detecting that a portion of a cycle of the cyclic signal has passed, the portion being less than a full cycle of the cyclic signal.

Abstract: In some embodiments, a feed structure to couple RF energy to a target may include a body having a first end to receive RF energy and a second end opposite the first end to couple the RF energy to a target, the body further having a central opening disposed through the body from the first end to the second end; a first member coupled to the body at the first end, wherein the first member comprises a first element circumscribing the body and extending radially outward from the body, and one or more terminals disposed in the first member to receive RF energy from an RF power source; and a source distribution plate coupled to the second end of the body to distribute the RF energy to the target, wherein the source distribution plate includes a hole disposed through the plate and aligned with the central opening of the body.

Abstract: Embodiments of a gas distribution plate for distributing gas in a processing chamber are provided. In one embodiment, a gas distribution plate includes a diffuser plate having an upstream side and a downstream side, and a plurality of gas passages passing between the upstream and downstream sides of the diffuser plate. At least one of the gas passages has a right cylindrical shape for a portion of its length extending from the upstream side and a coaxial conical shape for the remainder length of the diffuser plate, the upstream end of the conical portion having substantially the same diameter as the right cylindrical portion and the downstream end of the conical portion having a larger diameter. The gas distribution plate is relatively easy to manufacture and provides good chamber cleaning rate, good thin film deposition uniformity and good thin film deposition rate.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide improved methods and apparatus for physical vapor deposition (PVD) processing of substrates. In some embodiments, an apparatus for physical vapor deposition (PVD) may include a target assembly having a target comprising a source material to be deposited on a substrate, an opposing source distribution plate disposed opposite a backside of the target and electrically coupled to the target along a peripheral edge of the target, and a cavity disposed between the backside of the target and the source distribution plate; an electrode coupled to the source distribution plate at a point coincident with a central axis of the target; and a magnetron assembly comprising a rotatable magnet disposed within the cavity and having an axis of rotation that is aligned with a central axis of the target assembly, wherein the magnetron assembly is not driven through the electrode.

Abstract: An apparatus includes a substrate support having an outer surface for guiding the substrate through a first vacuum processing region and at least one second vacuum processing region. First and second deposition sources correspond to the first processing region and at least one second deposition source corresponds to the at least one second vacuum processing region, wherein at least the first deposition source includes an electrode having a surface that opposes the substrate support. A processing gas inlet and a processing gas outlet are arranged at opposing sides of the surface of the electrode. At least one separation gas inlet how one or more openings, wherein the one or more openings are at least provided at one of opposing sides of the electrode surface such that the processing gas inlet and/or the processing gas outlet are provided between the one or more openings and the surface of the electrode.

Abstract: A system capable of inspecting an article for defects, the system including: a patch comparator, configured to determine with respect to each of a plurality of reference patches in a reference image a similarity level, based on a predefined patch-similarity criterion and on a source patch defined in the reference image; an evaluation module, configured to rate each inspected pixel out of multiple inspected pixels of the inspection image with a representative score which is based on the similarity level of a reference patch associated with a reference pixel corresponding to the inspected pixel; a selection module, configured to select multiple selected inspected pixels based on the representative scores of the multiple inspected pixels; and a defect detection module, configured to determine a presence of a defect in the candidate pixel based on an inspected value of the candidate pixel and inspected values of the selected inspected pixels.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention generally relate to methods for fabricating photovoltaic devices, and more particularly to methods for in-situ cleaning of a solar cell substrates. In one embodiment, a method of manufacturing a solar cell device is provided. The method comprises exposing a single or poly crystalline silicon substrate to a wet clean process to clean the surfaces of the crystalline substrate, loading the crystalline silicon substrate into a processing system having a vacuum environment, exposing at least one surface of the crystalline silicon substrate to an in-situ cleaning process in the vacuum environment of the processing system, and forming one or more passivation layers on at least one surface of the crystalline silicon substrate in the processing system.

Abstract: A web guide control unit for guiding a web is provided. The web guide control unit includes a web guide control unit for guiding a web. The web guide control unit includes a guide roller. The guide roller includes an adjustment unit and two tension measurement units for measuring the tension of the web at a first location and a second location of the guide roller. The present disclosure also provides a web processing apparatus with at least one web guide control unit as described herein is provided. A method for guiding a web by means of the web guide control or the web processing apparatus is also disclosed.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure generally provide apparatus and method for cooling a substrate support in a uniform manner. One embodiment of the present disclosure provides a cooling assembly for a substrate support. The cooling assembly includes a cooling base having a first side for contacting the substrate support and providing cooling to the substrate support, a diffuser disposed on a second side of the cooling base, wherein the diffuser defines a plurality of cooling paths for delivering a cooling fluid towards the cooling base in a parallel manner, and an inlet/outlet plate disposed under the diffuser, wherein the inlet/outlet plate is provides an interface between the diffuser and an inlet and outlet of a cooling fluid.

Abstract: An apparatus for depositing a thin film on a substrate is described. The apparatus includes a substrate support having an outer surface for guiding the substrate through a vacuum processing region, a plasma deposition source for depositing the thin film on the substrate in the vacuum processing region, wherein the plasma deposition source comprises an electrode, and an actuator configured for adjusting the distance between the electrode and the outer surface.

Abstract: Methods of forming a dielectric layer on a substrate are described, and may include introducing a first precursor into a remote plasma region fluidly coupled with a substrate processing region of a substrate processing chamber A plasma may be formed in the remote plasma region to produce plasma effluents. The plasma effluents may be directed into the substrate processing region. A silicon-containing precursor may be introduced into the substrate processing region, and the silicon-containing precursor may include at least one silicon-silicon bond. The plasma effluents and silicon-containing precursor may be reacted in the processing region to form a silicon-based dielectric layer that is initially flowable when formed on the substrate.

Abstract: There is provided an inspection method capable of classifying defects detected on a production layer of a specimen. The method comprises: obtaining input data related to the detected defects; processing the input data using a decision algorithm associated with the production layer and specifying two or more classification operations and a sequence thereof; and sorting the processed defects in accordance with predefined bins, wherein each bin is associated with at least one classification operation, wherein at least one classification operation sorts at least part of the processed defects to one or more classification bins to yield finally classified defects, and wherein each classification operation, excluding the last one, sorts at least part of the processed defects to be processed by one or more of the following classification operations.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for treating a substrate. The substrate is positioned on a support in a thermal treatment chamber. Electromagnetic radiation is directed toward the substrate to anneal a portion of the substrate. Other electromagnetic radiation is directed toward the substrate to preheat a portion of the substrate. The preheating reduces thermal stresses at the boundary between the preheat region and the anneal region. Any number of anneal and preheat regions are contemplated, with varying shapes and temperature profiles, as needed for specific embodiments. Any convenient source of electromagnetic radiation may be used, such as lasers, heat lamps, white light lamps, or flash lamps.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure generally provide apparatus and method for improving processing uniformity by reducing external magnetic noises. One embodiment of the present disclosure provides an apparatus for processing semiconductor substrates. The apparatus includes a chamber body defining a vacuum volume for processing one or more substrate therein, and a shield assembly for shielding magnetic flux from the chamber body disposed outside the chamber body, wherein the shield assembly comprises a bottom plate disposed between the chamber body and the ground to shield magnetic flux from the earth.