Patents Examined by Karla Moore
  • Patent number: 10872787
    Abstract: A semiconductor processing chamber is provided and may include a wafer transfer passage that extends through a chamber wall and has an inner passage surface defining an opening, an insert including an insert inner surface defining an insert opening, and a gas inlet. A first recessed surface of the wafer transfer passage extending at least partially around and outwardly offset from the inner passage surface, a first insert outer surface extending at least partially around and outwardly offset from the insert inner surface, and a first wall surface extending between the inner passage surface and the first recessed surface, at least partially define a gas distribution channel fluidically connected to the gas inlet, the first recessed surface is separated from the first insert outer surface by a first distance and an insert front surface faces and is separated from the first wall surface by a first gap distance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 22, 2020
    Assignee: Lam Research Corporation
    Inventors: Panya Wongsenakhum, Peter Krotov
  • Patent number: 10867832
    Abstract: Apparatus for holding semiconductor wafers during semiconductor manufacturing processes are disclosed. In one embodiment, the apparatus comprises a heat-conductive layer disposed on a supporting base. The apparatus also comprises a plurality of holes formed through the heat-conductive layer and the supporting base. The apparatus further comprises a plurality of heat-conductive lift pins that extend through the holes over the heat-conductive layer at the top end, and make a direct contact with a wafer substrate. The heat-conductive layer and the lift pins are connected to a heating circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2020
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Chen-Hua Yu, Chien Ling Hwang
  • Patent number: 10854498
    Abstract: A wafer-supporting device for supporting a wafer thereon adapted to be installed in a semiconductor-processing apparatus includes: a base surface; and protrusions protruding from the base surface and having rounded tips for supporting a wafer thereon. The rounded tips are such that a reverse side of a wafer is supported entirely by the rounded tips by point contact. The protrusions are disposed substantially uniformly on an area of the base surface over which a wafer is placed, wherein the number (N) and the height (H [?m]) of the protrusions as determined in use satisfy the following inequities per area for a 300-mm wafer: (?0.5N+40)?H?53;5?N?100.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2020
    Assignee: ASM IP Holding B.V.
    Inventors: Fumitaka Shoji, Hideaki Fukuda
  • Patent number: 10844491
    Abstract: A substrate processing system may include a process chamber in which a process on a substrate is performed, a supporting unit in the process chamber to support the substrate, a gas supply unit including a gas supply part with gas supply holes, with the gas supply holes being configured to supply a process gas onto the substrate, and an exhaust unit configured to exhaust the process gas from the process chamber. The gas supply part may include a gas supply region provided with the gas supply holes and a gas diffusion region between the gas supply region and the exhaust unit. The gas diffusion region may be free of the gas supply holes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2020
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Sukjin Chung, JongCheol Lee, MinHwa Jung, Jaechul Shin, In-Sun Yi, Geunkyu Choi, Jungil Ahn, Seung Han Lee, Jin Pil Heo
  • Patent number: 10837112
    Abstract: A technique for improving stability and safety at the time of boat transfer is provided. A reaction tube configured to process a substrate, a seal cap, provided on an upper surface thereof with a substrate retainer for retaining the substrate, configured to close a furnace opening of the reaction tube, one of a first elevator and a second elevator configured to elevate the seal cap; and another of a first elevator and a second elevator configured to assist the one of the first elevator and the second elevator in elevating the seal cap.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2020
    Assignee: KOKUSAI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yasuaki Komae, Takashi Nogami, Kenji Shirako
  • Patent number: 10825665
    Abstract: Embodiments of the disclosure include apparatus and methods for modifying a surface of a substrate using a surface modification process. The process of modifying a surface of a substrate generally includes the alteration of a physical or chemical property and/or redistribution of a portion of an exposed material on the surface of the substrate by use of one or more energetic particle beams while the substrate is disposed within a particle beam modification apparatus. Embodiments of the disclosure also provide a surface modification process that includes one or more pre-modification processing steps and/or one or more post-modification processing steps that are all performed within one processing system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2020
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Ludovic Godet, Huixiong Dai, Srinivas D. Nemani, Ellie Y. Yieh, Nitin Krishnarao Ingle
  • Patent number: 10808321
    Abstract: A graphene roll-to-roll coating apparatus and a graphene roll-to-roll coating method are provided on the basis of a continuous process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2020
    Assignee: Graphene Square Inc.
    Inventors: Byung Hee Hong, Young Jin Kim, Jaeboong Choi, Hyeong Keun Kim, Junmo Kang, Su Kang Bae
  • Patent number: 10804129
    Abstract: An electrostatic chuck assembly for processing a semiconductor substrate is provided. The electrostatic chuck assembly includes a first layer, a baseplate, a second layer, and at least one annular gasket. The first layer includes ceramic material and a first radio frequency (RF) electrode. The first RF electrode is embedded in the ceramic material. The second layer is disposed between the first layer and the baseplate. The at least one annular gasket extends along an upper surface of the baseplate and through the second layer. The at least one annular gasket electrically couples the upper surface of the baseplate to the first RF electrode. RF power passes from the baseplate to the first RF electrode through the at least one annular gasket.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2020
    Assignee: LAM RESEARCH CORPORATION
    Inventors: Christopher Kimball, Keith Gaff, Alexander Matyushkin, Zhigang Chen, Keith Comendant
  • Patent number: 10793951
    Abstract: Apparatus for improving substrate temperature uniformity in a substrate processing chamber are provided herein. In some embodiments, a substrate support processing chamber may include a chamber body having a bottom portion and a sidewall having a slit valve opening to load and unload substrates, a pin lift mechanism, disposed in a pin lift mechanism opening formed in the bottom portion of the chamber body, having a plurality of substrate support pins coupled to the pin lift mechanism, a movable substrate support heater having substrate support portion and a shaft, and a cover plate disposed about the shaft of the movable substrate support, wherein the cover plate covers the pin lift mechanism and pin lift mechanism opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2020
    Assignee: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.
    Inventors: Gwo-Chuan Tzu, Kazuya Daito, Sang-Hyeob Lee
  • Patent number: 10793999
    Abstract: An apparatus for depositing a polymer layer containing nanomaterial on a substrate material includes a carrier for carrying the substrate material; a transport structure for providing a polymerization material near a surface of the substrate material and conducting a gas flow near the surface of the substrate material with the gas flow comprising a nanomaterial; and a plasma chamber wherein a plasma electrode structure is arranged for depositing the polymer layer containing nanomaterial on the surface of the substrate material by applying a plasma polymerization process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2020
    Assignee: Nederlandse Organisatie Voor Toegepasst-Natuurwetenschappelijk Onderzoek TNO
    Inventors: Marcel Simor, Ales Fiala
  • Patent number: 10793949
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a substrate processing apparatus and a substrate processing method using the same, and more particularly, to a substrate processing apparatus that is capable of improving a flow of a process gas that is participated in a substrate processing process and a substrate processing method using the same.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2020
    Assignee: EUGENE TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Jun Jin Hyon, Sung Tae Je, Byoung Gyu Song, Yong Ki Kim, Kyong Hun Kim, Chang Dol Kim, Yang Sik Shin, Jae Woo Kim
  • Patent number: 10781533
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a processing chamber with a top, a bottom, and a sidewall coupled together to define a volume, a gas distributor disposed around the sidewall, a substrate support disposed in the enclosure, the substrate support having a central exhaust opening having a channel and a rotary actuator disposed along a longitudinal axis thereof, and a plurality of substrate pockets distributed around the central exhaust opening, and an energy source coupled to the bottom.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2020
    Assignee: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.
    Inventor: Mehmet Tugrul Samir
  • Patent number: 10777432
    Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus includes a chamber body having an upper opening, a chamber lid part having a lower opening, and a shield plate arranged in a lid internal space of the chamber lid part. The radial dimension of the shield plate is greater than that of the lower opening. Covering the upper opening of the chamber body with the chamber lid part forms a chamber that internally houses a substrate. In the substrate processing apparatus, before the substrate is conveyed and the chamber is formed, the lid internal space of the chamber lid part is filled with the gas supplied from a gas supply part, in a state in which the shield plate overlaps with the lower opening. This allows the chamber to be quickly filled with the gas to achieve a desired low oxygen atmosphere after the formation of the chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2020
    Assignee: SCREEN Holdings Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Takeshi Yoshida
  • Patent number: 10760161
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide a liner assembly including an inject insert. The inject insert enables tenability of flow parameters, such as velocity, density, direction and spatial location, across a substrate being processed. The processing gas across the substrate being processed may be specially tailored for individual processes with a liner assembly according to embodiment of the present invention.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2020
    Assignee: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.
    Inventors: Shu-Kwan Lau, Mehmet Tugrul Samir, Aaron Miller
  • Patent number: 10759188
    Abstract: A surface treatment system includes a holder configured to secure an object within the holder and a plurality of surface treatment devices. Each surface treatment device is configured to treat a surface of the object within the holder differently than each of the other surface treatment devices in the plurality of surface treatment devices. A controller is configured to operate the surface treatment devices independently of one another so less than all of the devices can be operated to treat an object surface. Thus, the surface treatment system is capable of treating a wide range of materials for printing by a direct-to-object printer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2020
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Jack T. LeStrange, Anthony S. Condello, Mandakini Kanungo, Peter J. Knausdorf
  • Patent number: 10741428
    Abstract: A semiconductor processing apparatus is described that has a body with a wall defining two processing chambers within the body; a passage through the wall forming a fluid coupling between the two processing chambers; a lid removably coupled to the body, the lid having a portal in fluid communication with the passage; a gas activator coupled to the lid outside the processing chambers, the gas activator having an outlet in fluid communication with the portal of the lid; a substrate support disposed in each processing chamber, each substrate support having at least two heating zones, each with an embedded heating element; a gas distributor coupled to the lid facing each substrate support; and a thermal control member coupled to the lid at an edge of each gas distributor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2020
    Assignee: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.
    Inventors: Aaron Muir Hunter, Mehran Behdjat, Niraj Merchant, Douglas R. McAllister, Dongming Iu, Kong Lung Chan, Lara Hawrylchak
  • Patent number: 10727101
    Abstract: A mounting table includes a base member, having a rear surface and a front surface facing the rear surface, in which a coolant path is formed, a groove portion having a bottom surface within the base member being annularly formed on the front surface, the base member being divided into a cylindrical inner base member portion positioned at an inner side of the groove portion and an annular outer base member portion positioned at an outer side of the groove portion by the groove portion; an annular focus ring supported by the outer base member portion, the annular focus ring having, at an inner side surface thereof, a protrusion that is protruded radially and inwardly to cover the groove portion; a first heat transfer member provided between the mounting surface and the coolant path; and a second heat transfer member provided between the focus ring and the coolant path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 28, 2020
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Kyouhei Yamamoto, Taira Takase
  • Patent number: 10714370
    Abstract: A mounting table includes a base and an electrostatic chuck provided on the base. The base has first and second top surface on which the electrostatic chuck and a focus ring are respectively provided. The second top surface is provided below the first top surface. A coolant path in the base has central and peripheral paths extending below the first and second top surfaces, respectively. The peripheral path has a portion extending along a side surface toward the first top surface. The mounting surface has central and peripheral regions. The mounting surface has protrusions formed in a dot shape. The protrusions are formed such that a contact area between the protrusions of the peripheral region and the backside of an object per unit area becomes greater than a contact area between the protrusions of the central region and the backside of the object per unit area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2020
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Taketoshi Tomioka, Taku Gohira, Toshiyuki Makabe
  • Patent number: 10711349
    Abstract: Apparatus for treating and/or coating the surface of substrate components by deposition from the gas phase. A plurality of substrate carriers and a plurality of coating and/or treating units are arranged in a deposition or treatment chamber which can be evacuated. The system can be equipped in a modular fashion such that the substrate components introduced into the system in a batch can be subjected to different treatments. Method for treating and/or coating the surface of substrate components. The procedure comprises: a) compiling coating and/or treating units and shielding elements from modules in the deposition or treatment chamber; b) equipping the substrate carriers with those substrate components that are to be subjected to the same treatment; c) closing the deposition or treatment chamber; and d) carrying out the individual treatment or coating programs for the substrate components combined in groups on the substrate carriers in one batch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2020
    Assignee: Guehring KG
    Inventor: Mario Fiedler
  • Patent number: 10704135
    Abstract: A system for depositing coating on a workpiece includes a deposition chamber within which is formed a vortex to at least partially surround a workpiece therein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2020
    Assignee: Raytheon Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: James W Neal, Brian T Hazel, David A Litton, Eric Jorzik