Abstract: A control system for a plasma treatment apparatus includes a wafer treatment device. The wafer treatment device includes a vapor chamber and an upper electrode assembly. The upper electrode assembly includes a gas distribution plate having a plurality of holes. The upper electrode assembly includes an upper electrode having at least one gas nozzle and at least one controllable valve connected to the at least one gas nozzle for controlling a flow of gas from a gas supply to the holes via the at least one gas nozzle. The at least one gas nozzle is separated from the gate distribution plate by a gap. The control system includes a measurement device configured to measure a thickness profile of a wafer. The control system includes a controller configured to generate a control signal. The at least one controllable valve is configured to be adjusted based on the control signal.

Abstract: A semiconductor process chamber includes a susceptor, a base plate surrounding the susceptor, a liner on an inner sidewall of the base plate, and a preheat ring between the susceptor and the base plate and coplanar with the susceptor. The process chamber further includes an upper dome coupled to the base plate and covering an upper surface of the susceptor. The upper dome includes a first section on an upper surface of the base plate and a second section extending from the first section and overlapping the susceptor. The first section includes a first region on the upper surface of the base plate, a second region extending from the first region past the base plate, and a third region extending from the second region with a decreasing thickness to contact the second section.

Abstract: An atomic layer deposition (ALD) method can include pulsing a first reactant vapor into a reactor assembly. The first reactant vapor is supplied to a first reactant gas line. An inactive gas is supplied to a first inactive gas line at a first flow rate. The first reactant vapor and the inactive gas are fed to the reactor assembly by way of a first feed line. The reactor assembly is purged by supplying the inactive gas to the first inactive gas line at a second flow rate higher than the first flow rate. A first portion of the inactive gas can be fed back along a diffusion barrier portion of the first reactant gas line to provide an inert gas valve (IGV) upstream of the first inactive gas line. A second portion of the inactive gas can be fed to the reactor assembly by way of the first feed line.

Abstract: A plasma processing apparatus includes a plurality of plasma processing chambers, a process gas supply line that supplies a plasma processing gas to the plasma processing chambers, a first additive gas supply line that supplies an additive gas to the plasma processing chambers, an exhaust space shared by the plurality of plasma processing chambers, and a controller. The controller determines a first plasma processing chamber group and a second plasma processing chamber group. The first plasma processing chamber group includes one or more plasma processing chambers, each of which performs the plasma processing and the second plasma processing chamber group includes one or more plasma processing chambers, each of which does not perform the plasma processing. The controller causes the additive gas to be supplied to the one or more plasma processing chambers of the second plasma processing chamber group from the first additive gas supply line.

Abstract: An exhaust device includes: a first pressure regulator provided in an exhaust pipe connected to a processing container; a second pressure regulator provided on a downstream side of the first pressure regulator; a first vacuum gauge provided on an upstream side of the first pressure regulator; and a second vacuum gauge provided between the first pressure regulator and the second pressure regulator.

Abstract: There is provided is a technique that includes: a process chamber in which at least one substrate is processed; and at least one buffer chamber in which plasma is formed, wherein the at least one buffer chamber includes at least two application electrodes of different lengths to which high frequency electric power is applied, and a reference electrode subjected to a reference potential.

Abstract: An apparatus and a method for coating workpieces with thermal barrier coatings. A manipulator shaft is guided here through a duct equipped with telescopic segments into the process chamber. The invention permits a particularly compact configuration of the plant.

Abstract: A heat treatment apparatus includes: an inner tube having a cylindrical shape and configured to accommodate a substrate; an outer tube configured to cover an outside of the inner tube; a heater provided around the outer tube; a gas supply pipe that extends along a longitudinal direction in the inner tube; an opening formed in a side wall of the inner tube facing the gas supply pipe; a temperature sensor provided at a position shifted by a predetermined angle from the opening in a circumferential direction of the inner tube; and a controller that controls the heater based on a detected value of the temperature sensor.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for a processing chamber are provided herein. The apparatus includes, for example, an inner volume defined in the processing chamber; a first sensor assembly coupled to a surface located in the inner volume of the processing chamber and including a first electrode configuration configured to measure an electrical characteristic associated with a film deposited within the inner volume of the processing chamber; and a second sensor assembly coupled to the surface located in the inner volume of the processing chamber in relative proximity to the first sensor assembly and including a second electrode configuration, different from the first electrode configuration, configured to measure the same electrical characteristic as the first electrode configuration.

Abstract: An edge seal for sealing an outer surface of a lower electrode assembly configured to support a semiconductor substrate in a plasma processing chamber, the lower electrode assembly including an annular groove defined between a lower member and an upper member of the lower electrode assembly. The edge seal includes an elastomeric band configured to be arranged within the groove, the elastomeric band having an annular upper surface, an annular lower surface, an inner surface, and an outer surface. When the elastomeric band is in an uncompressed state, the outer surface of the elastomeric band is concave. When the upper and lower surfaces are axially compressed at least 1% such that the elastomeric band is in a compressed state, an outward bulging of the outer surface is not greater than a predetermined distance. The predetermined distance corresponds to a maximum outer diameter of the elastomeric band in the uncompressed state.

Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus are provided. The substrate processing apparatus allows a supply flow rate per unit time for process gas supplied to the central area of a substrate to be greater than a supply flow rate per unit time for process gas supplied to an edge area of the substrate, when processing the edge area of the substrate supported by the chuck.

Abstract: A substrate holding device is provided. The substrate holding device includes a substrate holder, a shaft attached to the substrate holder, a motor attached to the shaft, lifting pins, and a transmission assembly. The lifting pins are movable between a retracted position below a surface of the substrate holder, and a protruded position protruding from the surface. The transmission assembly is provided between the shaft and lifting pins and switches the substrate holding device between a transmittable state in which a driving force from the motor is transmitted to the lifting pins to move the lifting pins between the retracted position and the protruded position, and a non-transmittable state in which the driving force from the motor is not transmitted to the lifting pins but rotates the substrate holder.

Abstract: A heater and/or cooler chamber includes a heat storage block or chunk. In the block a multitude of parallel, stacked slit pockets are each dimensioned to accommodate a single plate shaped workpiece. Workpiece handling openings of the slit pockets are freed and respectively covered by a door arrangement. The slit pockets are tailored to snugly surround the plate shaped workpieces therein so as to establish an efficient heat transfer between the heat storage block or chunk and the workpieces to be cooled or heated.

Abstract: An apparatus, a method and a valve with a reactive chemical inlet, a reaction chamber outlet, and a closure having an open and closed configuration to open and close, respectively, a route from the reactive chemical inlet to the reaction chamber outlet, the valve further including an additional cleaning chemical inlet at a downstream side of the closure to purge the closure.

Abstract: Apparatus for use in preparing heterostructures having a reduced concentration of defects including apparatus for stressing semiconductor substrates to allow them to conform to a crystal having a different crystal lattice constant.

Abstract: A CVD reactor includes a gas inlet member having a circular outline, and a susceptor that can be heated by a heating device. The gas inlet member has a cooled ceiling panel with outlet openings. The CVD reactor further comprises a shield plate, which adjoins the ceiling panel and has a circular outline. The shield plate has a central zone, an annular zone surrounding the central zone, having a rear side that points toward the ceiling panel, and a flat gas outlet surface pointing toward the process chamber, in which gas outlet openings terminate. The rear side in the central zone defines a rear plane running parallel to the gas outlet surface. The shield plate has a material thickness between 3 to 12 mm, and that the shield plate is spaced apart from the ceiling plate by a gap having a height between 0.3 to 1 mm.

Abstract: The present disclosure generally provides methods of providing at least metastable radical molecular species and/or radical atomic species to a processing volume of a process chamber during an electronic device fabrication process, and apparatus related thereto. In one embodiment, the apparatus is a gas injection assembly disposed between a remote plasma source and a process chamber. The gas injection assembly includes a body, a dielectric liner disposed in the body that defines a gas mixing volume, a first flange to couple the gas injection assembly to a process chamber, and a second flange to couple the gas injection assembly to the remote plasma source. The gas injection assembly further includes one or more gas injection ports formed through the body and the liner.

Abstract: A substrate processing method in substrate processing apparatus comprises repeating cycle including: supplying source gas into process container causing the source gas to be adsorbed to substrate; exhausting excess source gas from the process container; supplying reaction gas into the process container causing the reaction gas to react with the source gas; and exhausting excess reaction gas, wherein at least one of a gap width between placement stage and member forming processing space between the member and the stage and degree of opening of pressure adjustment valve in at least one of the supplying the source gas and the supplying the reaction gas is smaller than at least one of a gap width between the stage and the member and the degree of opening of the pressure adjustment valve in at least one of the exhausting the excess source gas and the exhausting the excess reaction gas, respectively.

Abstract: This disclosure relates to a plasma processing system for controlling plasma density near the edge or perimeter of a substrate that is being processed. The plasma processing system may include a plasma chamber that can receive and process the substrate using plasma for etching the substrate, doping the substrate, or depositing a film on the substrate. This disclosure relates to a plasma processing system for controlling plasma density near the edge or perimeter of a substrate that is being processed. In one embodiment, the plasma density may be controlled by reducing the rate of loss of ions to the chamber wall during processing. This may include biasing a dual electrode ring assembly in the plasma chamber to alter the potential difference between the chamber wall region and the bulk plasma region.

Abstract: Embodiments related to measuring process pressure in low-pressure semiconductor processing environments are provided. In one example, a semiconductor processing module for processing a substrate with a process gas in a vacuum chamber is provided. The example module includes a reactor positioned within the vacuum chamber for processing the substrate with the process gas and a pressure-sensitive structure operative to transmit a pressure transmission fluid pressure to a location exterior to the vacuum chamber. In this example, the pressure transmission fluid pressure varies in response to the process gas pressure within the vacuum chamber.