Patents Examined by C. Bennett
  • Patent number: 12371789
    Abstract: A carrier is formed in ring shape having a bottom surface mounted on an upper surface of a susceptor, an upper surface that contacts and supports an outer edge of a back surface of the wafer, an outer peripheral side wall surface and an inner peripheral side wall surface, and a gas vent hole is provided to penetrate between a space partitioned by the wafer, the carrier and the susceptor and a back surface of the susceptor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2025
    Assignee: SUMCO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Naoyuki Wada, Yu Minamide
  • Patent number: 12374526
    Abstract: A plasma processing apparatus includes a vacuum container and a plasma source that generates plasma in the vacuum container. The plasma source includes an antenna, an RF power supply connected to one end of the antenna and configured to supply an RF power to the antenna, and a variable capacitor connected to the other end of the antenna and having a variable capacitance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2025
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Takeshi Kobayashi, Hiroyuki Kikuchi
  • Patent number: 12368029
    Abstract: In some examples, a substrate support assembly comprises a monolithic ceramic body, a heater element disposed within the monolithic ceramic body, and an RF antenna disposed within the monolithic ceramic body. One or more power lines supplies the heater element and the RF antenna. A lamellar structure is formed or included within the monolithic ceramic body, the lamellar structure including at least one layer having a thermal conductivity different than a thermal conductivity of the monolithic ceramic body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2025
    Assignee: Lam Research Corporation
    Inventors: Joel Philip Hollingsworth, Karl Frederick Leeser, Ramkishan Rao Lingampalli
  • Patent number: 12359319
    Abstract: A cover plate, for a CVD reactor, has a circumferential edge extending on a circular arc line, or a plurality of identically configured cover plates can be arranged in a circle such that their respective outer edges extending along circular arcs complement each other to form a complete circle. Storage spaces for substrates or substrate holders supporting substrates are located within the surface of the cover plate. The cover plate has openings which tunnel through the cover plate, and through which the upper side of a susceptor is visible, so that an optical temperature measurement can be carried out through the respective openings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2025
    Assignee: AIXTRON SE
    Inventors: Peter Sebald Lauffer, Francisco Ruda Y Witt
  • Patent number: 12325917
    Abstract: A reciprocating rotary CVD apparatus and a method for applying same. The reciprocating rotary CVD apparatus includes a cavity, a wafer heating base, a rotating apparatus. The rotating apparatus is located outside the cavity and includes a rotating power mechanism and a rotating sealing mechanism, and the rotating sealing mechanism includes a rotating member and a fixed member; the fixed member is fixedly and hermetically connected to the cavity, the rotating member is fixedly and hermetically connected to the wafer heating base, the rotating member is movably and hermetically connected to the fixed member, and the rotating member is connected to the rotating power mechanism, to drive, by using the rotating power mechanism, the rotating member and the wafer heating base to perform reciprocating rotation. In the present invention, the rotating apparatus rotates, to improve the uniformity of thin film deposition in a circumferential direction of a wafer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2025
    Assignee: BETONE TECHNOLOGY SHANGHAI, INC.
    Inventors: Xiaoliang Jin, Waleyweitsung Sung, Zhongyun Li
  • Patent number: 12315703
    Abstract: A plasma processing apparatus includes a substrate chuck having a first region configured to support a substrate and a second region located at a lower level, a focus ring disposed on the second region and surrounding an outer circumferential surface of the first region, a driving unit disposed below the focus ring, the driving unit including a driving source and a driving shaft in contact with a lower surface of the focus ring and configured to adjust a position of an upper surface of the focus ring by a first distance value, a chromatic confocal sensor disposed below the focus ring and configured to measure a second distance value in which the lower surface of the focus ring is moved by irradiating measurement light to the lower surface of the focus ring, and a control unit calculating an error value between the first distance value and the second distance value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2025
    Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kyoungchon Kim, Taemin Earmme, Kwangnam Kim, Jongwoo Sun
  • Patent number: 12315700
    Abstract: There is provided a plasma processing apparatus that converts a gas supplied into a processing container into a plasma to process a substrate, the plasma processing apparatus including: a microwave introduction window disposed in each of a plurality of openings formed in a ceiling wall of the processing container, the microwave introduction window being configured to supply power of microwaves into the processing container; and a plurality of grooves formed on the ceiling wall to surround the openings respectively, wherein widths between the grooves and the openings are not uniform with respect to circumferential directions of the openings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2025
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Satoshi Itoh, Masashi Imanaka, Eiki Kamata, Taro Ikeda, Shigenori Ozaki, Soudai Emori
  • Patent number: 12293937
    Abstract: A mounting table includes a wafer mounting surface mounting a wafer, a ring mounting surface disposed at a radially outer side of the wafer mounting surface and mounting a first ring having a first engaging portion and a second ring having a second engaging portion to be engaged with the first engaging portion, a lifter pin, and a driving mechanism. The second ring has a through-hole extends to reach a bottom surface of the first engaging portion, and the ring mounting surface has a hole at a position corresponding to the through-hole. A lifter pin has a first holding part that fits into the through-hole and a second holding part that extends from the first holding part and has a part protruding from the first holding part. The lifter pin is accommodated in the hole, and a driving mechanism vertically moves the lifter pin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2025
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Yohei Uchida, Jun Hirose
  • Patent number: 12283515
    Abstract: A method of transferring semiconductor wafers and a semiconductor wafer support device including lift pins having a first end configured to contact a backside surface of the semiconductor wafer and at least one stress reduction feature. The stress reduction feature may be configured to reduce contact stress between the lift pins and the wafer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2025
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited
    Inventors: Sih-Jie Liu, Che-Fu Chiu, Bau-Ming Wang, Chun-Feng Nieh, Huicheng Chang, Yee-Chia Yeo
  • Patent number: 12270106
    Abstract: A substrate retaining apparatus, a load lock assembly comprising the substrate retaining apparatus, and a system including the substrate retaining apparatus are disclosed. The substrate retaining apparatus can include at least one sidewall and one or more heat shields. One or more of the at least one sidewall can include a cooling fluid conduit to facilitate cooling of substrates retained by the substrate retaining apparatus. Additionally or alternatively, one or more of the at least one sidewall can include a gas conduit to provide gas to a surface of a retained substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 3, 2024
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2025
    Assignee: ASM IP Holding B.V.
    Inventors: Shiva K. T. Rajavelu Muralidhar, Sam Kim, Jeffrey Barrett Robinson, James King Wilson, Jr., Ninad Vijay Sonje
  • Patent number: 12270118
    Abstract: A substrate supporting plate that may prevent deposition on a rear surface of a substrate and may easily unload the substrate. The substrate supporting plate may include a substrate mounting portion and a peripheral portion surrounding the substrate mounting portion. An edge portion of a top surface of the substrate mounting portion may be anodized. A central portion of the top surface of the substrate mounting portion may not be anodized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2024
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2025
    Assignee: ASM IP Holding B.V.
    Inventors: Yong Min Yoo, Seung Woo Choi, Dong Seok Kang, Jong Won Shon
  • Patent number: 12257641
    Abstract: A work processing apparatus performs processing of a surface to be processed of a work by causing a processing head to come into sliding contact with the work held on an upper surface of a holding plate. The processing head includes a plasma electrode that generates plasma and radiates the plasma to the surface to be processed of the work. In the plasma electrode, an annular or solid cylindrical central electrode provided at a center in a radial direction and an annular outer circumferential electrode provided at an outer side in the radial direction with respect to the central electrode are arranged with an annular slit portion intermediating therebetween at a boundary position thereof, the slit portion is configured as a plasma generation space, and a processing pad is provided at bottom surfaces of the central electrode and the outer circumferential electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2025
    Assignees: Toshiro DOI, National University Corporation Nagaoka University of Technology, Fujikoshi Machinery Corp.
    Inventors: Hideo Aida, Hidetoshi Takeda, Toshiro Doi, Tadakazu Miyashita, Atsushi Kajikura
  • Patent number: 12249536
    Abstract: A substrate supporting assembly includes a susceptor plate including at least one substrate seat, and a plurality of gas flow lines for supplying a lifting gas, an acceleration gas, and a deceleration gas to the substrate seat, and at least one satellite on the at least one substrate seat and including an upper surface, and a lower surface where a rotation pattern for receiving a rotational force and a braking force from the acceleration gas and the deceleration gas is provided. The at least one satellite is lifted from the at least one substrate seat by the lifting gas supplied from the at least one substrate seat, is rotated relative to the susceptor plate by the acceleration gas supplied in a forward direction of rotation, to rotate the substrate, and is decelerated or stopped by the deceleration gas supplied in a reverse direction of rotation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 11, 2025
    Assignee: WONIK IPS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hyun Jong Lee, Chong Hwan Jong, Ho Jin Nam, Choong hyun Lee, Eo jin Kwon
  • Patent number: 12249523
    Abstract: A wafer holder and temperature controlling arrangement has a metal circular wafer carrier plate, which covers a heater compartment. In the heater compartment a multitude of heater lamp tubes is arranged, which directly acts upon the circular wafer carrier plate. Latter is drivingly rotatable about the central axis. A wafer is held on the circular wafer carrier plate by means of a weight-ring residing upon the periphery of a wafer deposited on the wafer carrier plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 11, 2025
    Assignee: Evatec AG
    Inventors: Juergen Kielwein, Bart Scholte Von Mast, Rogier Lodder
  • Patent number: 12243723
    Abstract: In a disclosed plasma processing apparatus, an electrostatic chuck provided in a chamber includes a first region on which a substrate is placed and a second region on which an edge ring is placed. The first region includes a first electrode provided therein. The second region including a second electrode provided therein. A first feed line connects the first electrode and a bias power supply generating a pulse of a voltage applied to the first electrode to each other. A second feed line connects the second electrode and the bias power supply or another bias power supply generating a pulse of the voltage applied to the second electrode to each other. The second feed line includes one or more sockets and one or more feed pins. The one or more feed pins have flexibility in a radial direction thereof and are fitted into the one or more sockets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2025
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Yusuke Hayasaka, Atsushi Sasaki, Kazuya Matsumoto, Shingo Takahashi, Koichi Nagami
  • Patent number: 12237154
    Abstract: A bottom ring is configured to support a moveable edge ring. The edge ring is configured to be raised and lowered relative to a substrate support. The bottom ring includes an upper surface that is stepped, an annular inner diameter, an annular outer diameter, a lower surface, and a plurality of vertical guide channels provided through the bottom ring from the lower surface to the upper surface of the bottom ring. Each of the guide channels includes a first region having a smaller diameter than the guide channel, and the guide channels are configured to receive respective lift pins for raising and lowering the edge ring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2025
    Assignee: LAM RESEARCH CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hiran Rajitha Rathnasinghe, Shawn E S Tokairin, Jon McChesney
  • Patent number: 12227844
    Abstract: A chemical vapor deposition device capable of reciprocating rotation and lifting is provided. The chemical vapor deposition device includes a cavity, a base, a fixing bracket, a lifting mechanism, and a rotation mechanism. The present disclosure utilizes the principle of magnetic-fluid sealing to achieve device sealing and integrates the rotation and lifting functions, satisfying the coordinated work of reciprocating rotation, lifting movement, wafer heating, etc. at the same time without affecting each other. Moreover, the problem of physical entanglement and damage of electrical wires during the rotation process has been avoided, and micro-particles formed in the cavity will not affect the rotation mechanism, thereby enabling the efficient and stable operation of the rotation mechanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2025
    Assignee: Betone Technology Shanghai, Inc.
    Inventors: Xiaoliang Jin, Xueqin Pan, Weicong Song
  • Patent number: 12227847
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to an apparatus and method of processing a substrate. In at least one embodiment, an apparatus includes a chamber body, a substrate support assembly and a bracket assembly disposed outside the chamber body and coupled to the substrate support assembly. The bracket assembly has a plurality of leveling screws for adjusting a level of the substrate support assembly. The apparatus includes an actuator coupled to one of the plurality of leveling screws and an accelerometer coupled to the substrate support assembly. The accelerometer is configured to indicate an orientation of the substrate support assembly. The apparatus includes a control module in communication with the actuator and the accelerometer. The control module is configured to determine the level of the substrate support assembly based on the orientation indicated by the accelerometer and adjust the level of the substrate support assembly using the actuator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2025
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: James V. Santiago, Patricia M. Liu
  • Patent number: 12222644
    Abstract: The method relates to a method of forming an enhanced unexposed photoresist layer from an unexposed photoresist layer on a substrate by increasing the sensitivity of the unexposed photoresist to exposure radiation. The method comprises: providing the substrate with the unexposed photoresist layer in a reaction chamber; providing a first precursor comprising a portion of a photosensitizer sensitive to exposure radiation in the reaction chamber; and, infiltrating the unexposed photoresist layer on the substrate with the first precursor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2025
    Assignee: ASM IP Holding B.V.
    Inventors: Jan Willem Maes, Krzysztof Kamil Kachel, David Kurt de Roest
  • Patent number: 12224188
    Abstract: Provided is a cooling sheet attachment apparatus to a focusing ring for a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus, including: a vacuum chamber equipped with a sheet support ring fixed to seat a cooling sheet in a chamber body with an adhesion surface exposed in an upward direction, a centering jig installed on an inner or outer circumferential surface of the sheet support ring liftably to be moved back in the upward direction by an elastic support, a cover for opening/closing installed above the chamber body and lifted by a lift unit, a press unit provided on the cover to press down the focusing ring, and a vacuum suction tube connected to the chamber body for vacuum suction; and a vacuum suction unit to create a vacuum in the vacuum chamber by the suction through the vacuum suction tube.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2025
    Assignee: CM TECH Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Man Soo Hwang