Abstract: An apparatus for wet chemical processing of multiple substrates consists of a processing tank that supports these substrates. Positioned within this tank, s flow plate is situated below the substrates when they are in place. This flow plate features numerous orifices that are configured to discharge a liquid solution containing a dispersion of gas bubbles towards the substrates.

Abstract: A substrate carrier including an enclosure to hold substrates. The enclosure includes walls configured to surround the substrates, where the walls include a front panel, a back panel parallel to the front panel, and two side panels perpendicular to the front and back panels and to the substrates. The enclosure further includes a top opening, and a bottom opening. The substrate carrier further includes an adjustable clamping mechanism on each of the two side panels. The adjustable clamping mechanism includes a plurality of pairs of jaws that are each configured to clamp one of the substrates, where the jaws in each pair face one another with an intervening gap that is configured to accommodate a substrate. The substrate carrier further includes a locking mechanism on at least one of the two side panels, configured to lock positions of the plurality of pairs of jaws to fix positions of the substrates.

Abstract: An apparatus that includes a holder body configured to hold a substrate at edge portions of the substrate. The holder body includes a first layer and a second layer parallel to the first layer, forming a slot between the two layers to receive the substrate. The apparatus further includes one or more detent rotational locking mechanisms attached to the holder body. The apparatus further includes one or more bar leaves positioned within the slot and attached to the one or more detent rotational locking mechanisms. The one or more detent rotational locking mechanisms are configured to provide a clamping force to hold the substrate positioned between the one or more bar leaves and the holder body.

Abstract: A semiconductor processing apparatus includes a process chamber that defines an enclosure. The enclosure includes a substrate support configured to support a substrate and rotate the substrate about a central axis of the process chamber. The substrate support is also configured to move vertically along the central axis and position the substrate at multiple locations in the enclosure. The apparatus also includes one or more UV lamps configured to irradiate a top surface of the substrate supported on the substrate support.

Abstract: An annealing system for a semiconductor substrate includes a process chamber having a central axis and one or more process zones. A carrier positioned in the process chamber may be configured to support the substrate during processing. One or more induction heaters may be positioned in the process chamber to heat the substrate during processing. The system may also include a removable cap with a heat shield. The cap may be configured to be inserted and removed from the process chamber through an opening on the process chamber wall. When the cap is used it may be coupled to the process chamber such that its heat shield is disposed above the substrate positioned on the carrier.

Abstract: An apparatus to remove at least a portion of a coating from a coated surface of a substrate may include a nozzle assembly and one or more nozzle-heads. Each nozzle-head may include at least one nozzle tip and a cavity configured to receive a portion of the coated surface of the substrate. The nozzle tip may be configured to direct an angled stream of an etchant on the substrate as the nozzle assembly moves along the length of the substrate. One or more sensors may measure a warpage of the substrate along the length of the substrate, and a controller may move the nozzle-head orthogonal to the direction of nozzle-head movement based on the measured warpage.

Abstract: An apparatus to remove a coating from an edge of a substrate includes a vacuum chuck assembly and a nozzle assembly. The vacuum chuck assembly is configured to support the substrate using suction. The nozzle assembly includes a nozzle head with a pair of nozzle tips configured to direct an angled liquid stream on a surface of the substrate. An annular duct around each nozzle tip discharges a pressurized gas to form a gas shroud around the angled liquid stream.

Abstract: A solder reflow system that includes a vacuum chamber and a sample chuck in the vacuum chamber to support a semiconductor wafer to be processed. The solder reflow system further include a heating element coupled to the vacuum chamber and configured to heat the semiconductor wafer, a thermocouple connected to the sample chuck to measure a temperature of the semiconductor wafer, a pyrometer positioned to detect an optical signal from the semiconductor wafer to estimate the temperature of the semiconductor wafer. The control system is configured to control the heating element to heat the semiconductor wafer, obtain one or more measurements of the temperature of the semiconductor wafer from the thermocouple and one or more estimates of the temperature of the semiconductor wafer from the pyrometer during the heating of the semiconductor wafer, and determine a modification of the heating of the semiconductor wafer based on the obtained measurements.

Abstract: A batch processing oven includes a processing chamber, a magnet, and a rack. The processing chamber includes a gas inlet on a first side and a gas outlet on a second side opposite the first side, the gas inlet is configured to direct a hot gas into the processing chamber and the gas outlet is configured to exhaust the convective energy in parallel with the radiative energy from the walls. The magnet is arranged such that its north pole will be formed on the first side of the processing chamber and its south pole will be formed on the second side of the processing chamber. The rack is configured to be positioned between the first and second ends of the processing chamber and is configured to support a plurality of vertically spaced-apart substrates.

Abstract: A wet etching system includes a process tank having an inclined tank floor. A drain port is provided at the lower-most location of the inclined tank floor and one or more outlet ports are provided on the inclined tank floor at a location higher than the drain port. The drain port is configured to drain etchant from the tank through a debris-removal system, and the outlet ports are configured to drain the etchant from the tank through a recirculation system.

Abstract: A method of bonding semiconductor devices utilizing self-alignment. A pair of device features metallic bumps that protrude through their respective dielectric layers, exposing the end surfaces of the bumps. Solder is applied to these exposed surfaces, and the devices are aligned so that the solder on the first device comes into contact with the solder on the second device. During reflow, surface tension forces of the molten solder self-aligns the devices. After reflow, exposed surfaces of the dielectric layers of the two devices are bonded together.

Abstract: The present invention relates to the use of polymer gels in the preparation of polymer brushes. In particular, the present invention relates to polymer gels swelled in the polymerisation medium. The invention further relates to the use of polymer gels in the formation of polymer brushes on a surface. The present invention provides improved methods for forming polymer brushes on a surface, thus, enabling easy large-scale production of polymer brush-coated surfaces. In particular, the present invention enables application of the polymerisation medium on surfaces of all geometries.

Abstract: A substrate cleaning device includes a double-sided scrubber that directs a liquid to a substrate as it moves back-and-forth between a pair of rotating brushes. The device may also include a first set of nozzles and a second set of nozzles. The first set of nozzles may be configured to spray a first liquid at an interface between the substrate and rotating brushes and the second set of nozzles may be configured to spray a second liquid at the interface as the substrate moves back-and-forth between the pair of rotating brushes.

Abstract: A cleaning apparatus incudes a plurality of tubes with angled orifices. An angled liquid stream is directed through the orifices to impinge on a surface of a substrate and clean the surface as the substrate moves in one direction through the space between a pair of tubes. An angled gas stream is then directed through the orifices to impinge on the surface of the substrate and dry the surface as the substrate moves in the opposite direction between the pair of tubes.

Abstract: A method of using a processing oven may include disposing at least one substrate in a chamber of the oven and activating a lamp assembly disposed above them to increase their temperature to a first temperature. A chemical vapor may be admitted into the chamber above the at least one substrate and an inert gas may be admitted into the chamber below the at least one substrate. The temperature of the at least one substrate may then be increased to a second temperature higher than the first temperature and then cooled down.

Abstract: An apparatus for removing a coating from a substrate comprises a nozzle with an inner conduit having an orifice and an outer conduit coaxially arranged about the inner conduit and defining an annular opening between the inner and outer conduits. The nozzle is configured to direct a liquid stream through the orifice toward the coated surface and direct a gas flow through the annular opening such that the gas flow surrounds the liquid stream as the liquid stream moves towards the coated surface.

Abstract: An oven with a processing chamber having an adjustable enclosed volume that is configured to support a substrate and includes a lamp assembly configured to heat the substrate. The oven also includes a sealing door that bounds one end of the processing chamber. The sealing door is configured to be moved from a first position to a second position to change the enclosed volume of the processing chamber from a first volume to a second volume.

Abstract: A vaporizer apparatus includes a liquid inlet; a plurality of plates in a stacked arrangement and configured with openings and surfaces defining a tortuous path for a liquid through the plurality of plates; an atomizer configured to atomize liquid from the liquid inlet and inject a spray of the liquid toward a first plate of the plurality of plates, wherein the plurality of plates is configured to direct a flow of the liquid through the tortuous path from a first end corresponding to the first plate and output a vapor of the liquid at a second end of the tortuous path corresponding to a last plate of the plurality of plates; and at least one heating element configured to heat the plurality of plates to vaporize the liquid along its flow through the tortuous path and generate the vapor.

Abstract: A substrate cleaning device includes a double-sided scrubber that directs a liquid to a substrate as it moves back-and-forth between a pair of rotating brushes. The device may also include a first set of nozzles and a second set of nozzles. The first set of nozzles may be configured to spray a first liquid at an interface between the substrate and rotating brushes and the second set of nozzles may be configured to spray a second liquid at the interface as the substrate moves back-and-forth between the pair of rotating brushes.

Abstract: A method of improving interfacial adhesion of a copper-glass interface in a Through Glass Via (TGV) of an electronic device includes coating an internal wall of the TGV with a curable polymer material having a viscosity in its liquid phase less than 40 Poise. The coating is then cured to form a dielectric liner having a tensile strength greater than about 5 Mpa. After curing, a copper coating is applied on the dielectric liner.