Patents Examined by Benjamin Kendall
  • Patent number: 12727439
    Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus includes a vacuum chamber, a rotary table in the vacuum chamber, a stage, and a support that supports at least either the rotary table or stage, the support having a thermal expansion coefficient greater than the rotary table or stage that is supported. The rotary table or stage includes a protruding portion protruding toward the support. The support includes a base portion, an insertion portion protruding from a center of the base portion and being inserted into the protruding portion, and an outer edge protruding portion protruding from the base portion. An outer clearance formed between the outer edge protruding portion and the protruding portion is set to be smaller than an inner clearance formed between the insertion portion and the protruding portion at a first temperature, and the outer clearance becomes greater than the inner clearance at a second temperature higher than the first temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2023
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2026
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Manabu Honma, Junnosuke Taguchi, Yasushi Takeuchi
  • Patent number: 12719032
    Abstract: A plasma processing method includes (a) placing a substrate onto a substrate support surface of a substrate support in a chamber in a plasma processing apparatus. The plasma processing method further includes (b) etching a film on the substrate with plasma. The plasma processing method further includes (c) cleaning the chamber with plasma. In (b) and (c), a bias voltage including a pulse of a direct current voltage and having a pulse waveform is cyclically applied to a bias electrode in the substrate support. The bias voltage has a bias frequency being an inverse of a duration of a waveform cycle of the pulse waveform. The bias frequency is higher in (c) than in (b).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2024
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2026
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventor: Ikko Tanaka
  • Patent number: 12709806
    Abstract: Plasma devices are provided, which in embodiments, comprise a surface and a cold-sprayed tantalum coating adhered to the surface, the coating configured to absorb a hydrogen species from an atmosphere comprising a plasma generated in the plasma device. Methods of making the coatings and using the plasma devices are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2023
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2026
    Assignee: Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation
    Inventors: Oliver Schmitz, Kumar Sridharan, Mykola Ialovega, Hwasung Yeom, Tyler Dabney, Danah Velez, Marcos Navarro Gonzalez, Evan J. Willing
  • Patent number: 12713512
    Abstract: The plasma torch according to the present invention rotates the generated plasma P along the central axis T and ejects it in the axial direction, and also causes the plasma P to melt the powder of the thermal spray material and discharge it to the outside from the front nozzle opening. The current vector and the magnetic flux vector are orthogonal. A vector of current flowing between the first discharge surface 39 of the cathode 36 and the second discharge surface 49 of the second electrode 41 in order to generate plasma P, and a vector of magnetic flux of a magnetic field synthesized by the first magnet 37, the second magnet 42, the third magnet M3, and the fourth magnet M4, are orthogonal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2022
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2026
    Assignee: KINBOSHI INC.
    Inventors: Takehiro Kimura, So Kimura, Yuta Tanaka, Atsushi Nose
  • Patent number: 12712159
    Abstract: A substrate processing system includes a substrate support, N RF sources and a controller. The substrate support is arranged in a processing chamber, supports a substrate on an upper surface thereof, and includes: a baseplate made of electrically conductive material and M electrodes disposed in the baseplate. Each of the N RF sources supplies a respective RF signal to one or more of the M electrodes, where: M and N are integers greater than or equal to two; each of the respective RF signals is supplied to a different set of the M electrodes; and each of the sets includes a different one or more of the M electrodes. The controller causes one or more coils to strike and maintain plasma in the processing chamber independently of the N RF sources and separately controls voltage outputs of the N RF sources to adjust the plasma in the processing chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2026
    Assignee: Lam Research Corporation
    Inventors: Juline Shoeb, Alexander Miller Paterson
  • Patent number: 12706283
    Abstract: Proposed is a substrate processing apparatus capable of replacing consumables and, more particularly, to a technique for supporting replacement of consumables such as a shower head and a focus ring while maintaining a chamber processing environment of the substrate processing apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2022
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2026
    Assignee: SEMES CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Young Hwan Yang, Soo Ryun Ro, Jeong Seok Kang
  • Patent number: 12704784
    Abstract: Proposed is a substrate processing apparatus and a substrate processing method. The substrate processing apparatus includes a process chamber configured to have a processing space therein, a support unit configured to support a substrate within the processing space, a gas supply unit configured to supply a processing gas to the processing space, and an exhaust unit configured to exhaust the processing space, wherein the gas supply unit may vaporize a processing fluid in a liquid state by using at least one of a bubbling method and a blowing method and supply the processing fluid to the processing space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2023
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2026
    Inventor: Hyun Min Kim
  • Patent number: 12680168
    Abstract: A method and system for depositing silicon using a multiple-chamber reactor are disclosed. An exemplary method includes performing one or more deposition cycles and performing a treatment, etch and/or cure process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2024
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2026
    Assignee: ASM IP Holding B.V.
    Inventors: Ranjit Rohidas Borude, Annisa Noorhidayati, Agung Setiadi, Hideaki Fukuda, Makoto Igarashi
  • Patent number: 12660557
    Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus includes a substrate processing unit and a controller. The substrate processing unit is configured to perform an etching processing on one or more substrates each having a silicon nitride film and a silicon oxide film on a surface thereof with a processing liquid containing a phosphoric acid aqueous solution and a silicic acid compound. The controller is configured to control individual components of the substrate processing apparatus. The controller includes a correction unit configured to correct a phosphoric acid concentration of the processing liquid such that etching selectivity of the silicon nitride film with respect to the silicon oxide film becomes constant at a given value from a beginning of the etching processing to an end thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2023
    Date of Patent: June 16, 2026
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventor: Takumi Honda
  • Patent number: 12652973
    Abstract: A method, apparatus and system for processing a wafer in a plasma chamber system, which includes at least a plasma generating element and a biasing electrode, include generating a plasma in the plasma chamber system by applying a source RF source power to the plasma generating element for a first period of time of a pulse period of the RF source power, after the expiration of the first period of time, removing the source RF source power, after a delay after the removal of the RF source power, applying an RF bias signal to the biasing electrode for a second period of time to bias the generated plasma towards the wafer, and after the expiration of the second period of time, removing the RF bias signal from the biasing electrode before a next pulse period of the RF source power. The generated plasma biased toward the wafer is used to process the wafer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2023
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2026
    Assignee: Applied Materials Inc.
    Inventors: Akhil Mehrotra, Vinay Shankar Vidyarthi, Daksh Agarwal, Samaneh Sadighi, Jason Kenney, Rajinder Dhindsa
  • Patent number: 12648396
    Abstract: A wafer placement table includes: a ceramic plate having a wafer placement surface, a cooling plate having a refrigerant flow path and being provided on a lower surface-side of the ceramic plate; a first ceramic plate penetration section that reaches the wafer placement surface; a second ceramic plate penetration section that reaches the wafer placement surface; a first gas passage that communicates with the first ceramic plate penetration section; and a second gas passage that communicates with the second ceramic plate penetration section. The first gas passage has a first gas intermediate passage, the second gas passage has a second gas intermediate passage, the second gas intermediate passage is provided above the first gas intermediate passage, and the refrigerant flow path has a first flow path section provided above the first gas intermediate passage, and a second flow path section provided below the second gas intermediate passage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2023
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2026
    Assignee: NGK INSULATORS, LTD.
    Inventors: Tatsuya Kuno, Taro Usami
  • Patent number: 12646694
    Abstract: A continuous plasma processing system with adjustable electrode includes a frame shape carrier plate for holding a to-be-processed object, a loading chamber for inputting the to-be-processed object, a processing chamber, and an unloading chamber for outputting the finished object. The processing chamber has a first electrode, a second electrode, and a moving device controlling the second electrode to move between an electrically disconnected position and an electrically conducted position. When the second electrode is away from the first electrode and does not contact the to-be-processed object, the second electrode is at the electrically disconnected position. When the second electrode moves toward the first electrode to push the to-be-processed object to leave the frame shape carrier plate, the second electrode is at the electrically conducted position. The plasma electric field is prevented from being affected by particles on the carrier plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2023
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2026
    Assignee: UVAT TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yuan-Chi Lee, Pin-Chun Liu, Chun-Chieh Yang, Ming-Chan Tsai, Chih-Ming Lu
  • Patent number: 12642031
    Abstract: According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a substrate cleaning apparatus includes a hydrophilization chamber connected to a polishing apparatus and that accommodates a substrate having a polished surface polished by the polishing apparatus; a support provided in the hydrophilization chamber; a liquid supply unit that supplies a cleaning liquid to the polished surface of the substrate to hydrophilize the polished surface; an imaging unit that captures an image of the polished surface supplied with the cleaning liquid; a determination unit that determines whether hydrophilization is achieved on a basis of the image; an adjustment unit that adjusts the supply of the cleaning solution by the liquid supply unit depending on a determination result obtained by the determination unit; and a cleaning chamber connected to the hydrophilization chamber and that cleans the polished surface hydrophilized by the cleaning liquid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2023
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2026
    Assignee: Shibaura Mechatronics Corporation
    Inventor: Yotaro Fukuoka
  • Patent number: 12635480
    Abstract: A semiconductor wafer manufacturing apparatus includes a reaction chamber, a reactant gas supply pipe and a reactant gas discharge pipe communicated with the reaction chamber, a rotating device having a cylindrical member, a lid member disposed on one end portion of the cylindrical member, a heating device disposed in a hollow chamber that is a space surrounded by the cylindrical member and the lid member, an inert gas supply pipe and an inert gas discharge pipe communicated with the hollow chamber, and a controller. The controller is configured to adjust an amount of an inert gas discharged from the inert has discharge pipe such that a pressure in the hollow chamber is higher than a pressure in the reaction chamber and equal to or lower than a pressure of a minimum closing portion of the lid member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2023
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2026
    Assignees: DENSO CORPORATION, TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, MIRISE Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroaki Fujibayashi, Hirotaka Mori, Takayuki Satomura, Shigeyuki Takagi
  • Patent number: 12577654
    Abstract: Disclosed is a molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) thin film growth apparatus. The MBE thin film growth apparatus includes a growth chamber which is connected to a vacuum pump and of which an inside is maintained in an ultra-high vacuum state, a substrate manipulator which is provided inside the growth chamber and on which a substrate is mounted, a load-lock chamber which is provided outside the growth chamber and communicates with the growth chamber and in which at least one substrate, which is mounted on the substrate manipulator, for growing a thin film is located, and a substrate transfer rod that transfers the substrate from the load-lock chamber to the growth chamber or from the growth chamber to the load-lock chamber, wherein the load-lock chamber is disposed to face the substrate manipulator and disposed collinear with a substrate transfer path of the substrate transfer rod.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2026
    Assignees: UNIVERSITY OF ULSAN FOUNDATION FOR INDUSTRY COOPERATION
    Inventors: Eun Jung Park, Sun Lae Cho, Eun Ji Park
  • Patent number: 12573599
    Abstract: A plasma processing device includes: a plurality of processing chambers; a junction exhaust pipe into which a plurality of exhaust flow paths for evacuating interiors of the plurality of processing chambers joins; and a plurality of branch exhaust pipes disposed between the plurality of exhaust flow paths and the junction exhaust pipe and connecting the junction exhaust pipe to the plurality of exhaust flow paths, respectively, wherein each of the plurality of branch exhaust pipes includes a mechanism, which is disposed in a flow path of the branch exhaust pipe, to deactivate energy of hot electrons flowing through the flow path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2026
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Katsutoshi Ishigami, Takeshi Ishida
  • Patent number: 12568800
    Abstract: Assemblies, system, methods, and devices for monitoring characteristics of a substrate disposed in a recess within a processing chamber. An assembly includes an enclosure structure forming an interior volume configured to support a substrate disposed within the interior volume. The substrate may be selectively removed from the enclosure structure. The enclosure structure may include an upper interior surface and a lower interior surface located below the upper interior surface. The interior volume is configured to direct a first mass transport of a reactive species to a first surface of the substrate, the reactive species corresponding to a substrate process. A first portion of the lower interior surface is configured to support the substrate. A second portion of the lower interior surface forms a channel configured to provide a second mass transport of the reactive species to a second surface of the substrate opposite the first surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2026
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Albert Barrett Hicks, III, Serghei Malkov
  • Patent number: 12562354
    Abstract: A base disposed in a plasma processing chamber. An electrostatic chuck disposed on an upper portion of the base, the electrostatic chuck including a first part and a second part. A first heater electrode layer group including at least one heater electrode layer disposed in the first part. A second heater electrode layer group including at least one heater electrode layer disposed in the second part. A power source is electrically connected to the first heater electrode layer group and the second heater electrode layer group. A controller configured to periodically and sequentially supply DC current from the power source to heater electrode layers included in the first heater electrode layer group and heater electrode layers included in the second heater electrode layer group.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2023
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2026
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventor: Kazuhito Yamada
  • Patent number: 12555750
    Abstract: A gas delivery conduit configured to deliver gas to a device comprises an input end maintained at a first potential into which a gas is delivered from a source under a regulated pressure, a pressure regulator coupled to the input end for delivering a regulated flow of gas to the conduit, and an output end maintained at a second potential through which the gas is delivered to the device, with a direction of gas flow moving through the conduit from the input end to the output end. The potential difference between the first potential and second potential forms an electric field. A first plurality of electrically nonconductive conduit windings is disposed between the input end and output end and arranged such that the electric field running between the input end and output end runs substantially perpendicularly across the plurality of conduit windings and the direction of gas flow through the conduit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2023
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2026
    Assignee: Oregon Physics, LLC
    Inventors: Philip J. Witham, Neal R. Landreville
  • Patent number: 12557584
    Abstract: A semiconductor processing station includes first and second chambers, and a cooling stage. The second chamber includes a cooling pipe disposed inside the second chamber, and an external pipe. The cooling pipe includes a first segment disposed along a sidewall of the second chamber, and a second segment disposed perpendicular to the first segment and located above a wafer carrier in the second chamber. An end of the second segment is connected to an end of the first segment. The external pipe is connected to the second segment distal from the end of the second segment to provide a fluid to flow through the cooling pipe from an exterior to an interior of the second chamber. The fluid discharges toward the wafer carrier through the first segment. The first chamber is surrounded by the second chamber and the cooling stage, and communicates between the cooling stage and the second chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2026
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Chia-Wei Lu, Hon-Lin Huang, Hung-Chih Wang