Patents Examined by Karla Moore
  • Patent number: 10490436
    Abstract: Implementations disclosed herein generally provide a lift pin that can improve the deposition rate and uniform film thickness above lift pin areas. In one implementation, the lift pin includes a first end coupling to a shaft, the first end having a pin head, and the pin head having a top surface, wherein the top surface is planar and flat, and a second end coupling to the shaft, the second end having a flared portion, wherein the flared portion has an outer surface extended along a direction that is at an angle of about 110° to about 140° with respect to a longitudinal axis of the lift pin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2019
    Assignee: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.
    Inventors: Kalyanjit Ghosh, Mayur G. Kulkarni, Sanjeev Baluja, Praket P. Jha, Krishna Nittala
  • Patent number: 10460950
    Abstract: There is provided a substrate processing system including an etching apparatus configured to supply a gas containing fluorocarbon to generate plasma so as to perform an etching process on a film including silicon formed on a substrate, wherein the etching process is performed by using plasma through a mask formed on the film including silicon, a film forming apparatus configured to supply a gas containing carbon so as to form a film including carbon on the etched film including silicon.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2019
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Akinobu Kakimoto, Yoshinobu Hayakawa, Satoshi Mizunaga, Yasuhiro Hamada, Mitsuhiro Okada
  • Patent number: 10460949
    Abstract: There is provided a substrate processing apparatus of performing a predetermined substrate process on a plurality of target substrates under a vacuum atmosphere, including: a plurality of processing parts each configured to perform the substrate process on each of the plurality of target substrates; a gas supply mechanism configured to supply a processing gas to each of the plurality of processing parts; a single exhaust mechanism configured to exhaust the processing gas within the plurality of processing parts; and a control part configured to control the single exhaust mechanism to collectively exhaust the processing gas within the plurality of processing parts, and control the gas supply mechanism to separately supply the processing gas into each of the plurality of processing parts such that a difference between internal pressures of the plurality of processing parts is prevented.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2019
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Takahashi, Kazunori Kazama, Noriyuki Iwabuchi, Satoshi Toda, Tetsuro Takahashi
  • Patent number: 10431480
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for processing a semiconductor is disclosed herein. In one embodiment, a processing system for semiconductor processing is disclosed. The processing chamber includes two transfer chambers, a processing chamber, and a rotation module. The processing chamber is coupled to the transfer chamber. The rotation module is positioned between the transfer chambers. The rotation module is configured to rotate the substrate. The transfer chambers are configured to transfer the substrate between the processing chamber and the transfer chamber. In another embodiment, a method for processing a substrate on the apparatus is disclosed herein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2019
    Assignee: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.
    Inventors: Tuan Anh Nguyen, Amit Kumar Bansal, Juan Carlos Rocha-Alvarez
  • Patent number: 10415137
    Abstract: Gas distribution assemblies and processing chambers using same are described. The gas distribution assemblies comprise a cooling plate with a quartz puck, a plurality of reactive gas sectors and a plurality of purge gas sectors suspended therefrom. The reactive gas sectors and purge gas sectors having a coaxial gas inlet with inner tubes and outer tubes, the inner tubes and outer tubes in fluid communication with different gas or vacuum ports in the front faces of the sectors. The sectors may be suspended from the cooling plate by a plurality of suspension rods comprising a metal rod body with an enlarged lower end positioned within a quartz frame with a silicon washer around the enlarged lower end.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2019
    Assignee: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.
    Inventors: Alexander S. Polyak, Joseph Yudovsky
  • Patent number: 10415138
    Abstract: A gas injector system is provided that allows for improved distribution and directional control of the vapor material in a CVD or CVI process. Gas injector systems may be used without experiencing significant clogging of gas injector tube apertures over multiple CVD procedures. Further, a gas injector system provided includes a dual aperture release system and/or allow vapor material to flow both substantially horizontally and substantially vertically.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2019
    Assignee: Goodrich Corporation
    Inventor: Vincent Fry
  • Patent number: 10409306
    Abstract: Implementations disclosed herein relate to methods and apparatus for zoned temperature control during a film forming process. In one implementation, a substrate processing apparatus is provided. The substrate processing apparatus comprises a vacuum chamber, a plurality of power supplies coupled with the plurality of thermal laps and a controller that adjusts the power supplies based on input from radiation sensors. The chamber includes a sidewall defining a processing region. A plurality of thermal lamps is positioned external to the processing region. A window is positioned between the plurality of thermal lamps and the processing region. A radiation source is disposed within the sidewall and oriented to direct radiation toward an area proximate a substrate support. A radiation sensor is disposed on the side of the substrate support opposite the plurality of thermal lamps to receive emitted radiation from the radiation source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2019
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventor: Joseph M. Ranish
  • Patent number: 10403532
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides one embodiment of a semiconductor processing apparatus. The semiconductor processing apparatus includes a load lock designed to receive a wafer carrier; an inner wafer carrier buffer configured to hold the wafer carrier received from the load lock and to perform a nitrogen purge to the wafer carrier; and a processing module designed to perform a semiconductor process to wafers from the wafer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2019
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Jason Shen, Wen-Yu Huang, Li-Jen Ko, Hsiang Yin Shen
  • Patent number: 10388546
    Abstract: Provided are methods and apparatus for ultraviolet (UV) assisted capillary condensation to form dielectric materials. In some embodiments, a UV driven reaction facilitates photo-polymerization of a liquid phase flowable material. Applications include high quality gap fill in high aspect ratio structures and por sealing of a porous solid dielectric film. According to various embodiments, single station and multi-station chambers configured for capillary condensation and UV exposure are provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2019
    Assignee: Lam Research Corporation
    Inventors: Jonathan D. Mohn, Nicholas Muga Ndiege, Patrick A. Van Cleemput, David Fang Wei Chen, Wenbo Liang, Shawn M. Hamilton
  • Patent number: 10381034
    Abstract: Provided is an in-line type film forming apparatus including a processing chamber which is disposed to deviate from a closed path and is connected to a corner chamber, a first loading and unloading unit which unloads a substrate from a carrier and moves the substrate to the inside of the processing chamber, a second loading and unloading unit which unloads the substrate processed in the processing chamber and loads the substrate on the carrier, and a control device which performs control of driving the first and second loading and unloading units to unload the substrate from the carrier and to move the substrate to the inside of the processing chamber, and to take out the substrate processed in the processing chamber in advance from the processing chamber and to load the substrate on the carrier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2019
    Assignee: SHOWA DENKO K.K.
    Inventors: Seiya Nagai, Satoru Ueno
  • Patent number: 10325800
    Abstract: Techniques are disclosed for methods and apparatuses for increasing the breakdown voltage while substantially reducing the voltage leakage of an electrostatic chuck at temperatures exceeding about 300 degrees Celsius in a processing chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 18, 2019
    Assignee: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.
    Inventors: Prashant Kulshreshtha, Kwangduk Douglas Lee, Bok Hoen Kim, Zheng John Ye, Swayambhu Prasad Behera, Ganesh Balasubramanian, Juan Carlos Rocha-Alvarez, Jian J. Chen
  • Patent number: 10315233
    Abstract: A flexible substrate treatment device comprising at least one tank that accommodates treatment liquid, winding rollers including a main roller and a driven roller located above the treatment liquid, a positioning roller located in the treating liquid in each tank, a detecting unit configured to detect radius or diameter of at least one of the winding rollers, and a movable discharge member fixed to a side wall of each tank, including a movable discharge port configured to discharge the treatment liquid and a discharge port position controlling mechanism, wherein the movable discharge port can be moved in a direction X perpendicular to a bottom wall of the tank.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2019
    Assignee: BOE TECHNOLOGY GROUP CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Weifeng Zhou
  • Patent number: 10266948
    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: August 18, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2019
    Assignee: Graphene Square Inc.
    Inventors: Byung Hee Hong, Young Jin Kim, Jaeboong Choi, Hyeong Keun Kim, Junmo Kang, Su Kang Bae
  • Patent number: 10269603
    Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus includes a process chamber configured to process a substrate, a carrier mounting part configured to mount a carrier which accommodates the substrate, the substrate capable of being brought into and out of the carrier when a door of the carrier mounted on the carrier mounting part is opened, a carrier opener configured to open and close the door of the carrier mounted on the carrier mounting part, a purge gas supply part configured to supply an inert gas into the carrier with the door kept opened, and a control part configured to perform control so as to carry out at least one inert gas purge among a load purge, an unload purge and a standby purge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2019
    Assignee: KOKUSAI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yoshihiko Nakagawa, Hiroshi Kotani
  • Patent number: 10233542
    Abstract: Disclosed is a substrate processing apparatus and method which facilitates to sequentially or repetitively carry out a thin film deposition process and a surface treatment process inside one process space, wherein the substrate processing apparatus comprises a process chamber for providing a process space; a substrate supporter for supporting at least one of substrates and moving the supported substrate in a predetermined direction; a chamber lid confronting the substrate supporter; and a gas distributor for spatially separating process gas for depositing a thin film on the substrate from a surface treatment gas for performing a surface treatment of the thin film, and locally distributing the process gas and the surface treatment gas on the substrate supporter, wherein the gas distributor confronting the substrate supporter is provided in the chamber lid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2019
    Assignee: JUSUNG ENGINEERING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Jae Chan Kwak, Sung Kyu Kang, Hun Jung, Byoung Ha Cho
  • Patent number: 10233528
    Abstract: Embodiments of the disclosure provide methods and apparatus for monitoring film properties on a substrate in-situ. In one embodiment, a deposition system is provided. The deposition system includes at least two deposition chambers, and a patterned mask designed specifically for each of the deposition chambers, wherein a first mask of the patterned masks has a first opening formed therethrough outside of a pattern formed thereon, and a second mask of the patterned masks has a first opening formed therethrough outside of a pattern formed thereon, the first opening of the second mask having a position on the second mask that is different than a position of the first opening on the first mask.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2019
    Assignee: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.
    Inventors: John Macneill White, Robert Jan Visser
  • Patent number: 10229813
    Abstract: In a plasma processing apparatus including a processing chamber, a dielectric window for hermetically sealing the upper portion of the processing chamber, an induction antenna deployed above the dielectric window, a Faraday shield unit, and a control apparatus for controlling a first radio-frequency power source for supplying a radio-frequency power to the induction antenna, and a second radio-frequency power source for supplying a radio-frequency power to the Faraday shield unit, the Faraday shield unit includes a first Faraday shield having a first element, and a second Faraday shield having a second element deployed at a position adjacent to the first element, the control apparatus applying a time modulation to the radio-frequency powers that are respectively supplied to the first element and the second element, the phase of the first-element-supplied and time-modulated radio-frequency power being different from the phase of the second-element-supplied and time-modulated radio-frequency power.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2019
    Assignee: HITACHI HIGH-TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tadayoshi Kawaguchi, Ryoji Nishio, Tsutomu Tetsuka
  • Patent number: 10208381
    Abstract: Embodiments of a reflective surface and a reflector comprising a reflective surface for use in a thermal decomposition reactor are disclosed. Methods for using the reflective surface, or reflector comprising the reflective surface, to manage a temperature profile in a silicon rod grown in the thermal decomposition reactor are also disclosed. The reflective surface is configured to receive radiant heat energy emitted from an energy emitting region of an elongated polysilicon body grown during chemical vapor deposition onto a silicon filament and reflect at least a portion of the received radiant heat energy to a reflected energy receiving region of the elongated polysilicon body or to a reflected energy receiving region of a second elongated polysilicon body, to thereby add radiant heat energy to the reflected energy receiving region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2019
    Assignee: REC Silicon Inc
    Inventors: Timothy Troutman, Bryan J. Loushin, Joe Ruschetti
  • Patent number: 10202690
    Abstract: Disclosed is an apparatus and method of processing substrate, which facilitates to improve deposition uniformity of a thin film deposited on a substrate, and to control quality of a thin film, wherein the apparatus includes a process chamber; a substrate supporter for supporting at least one of substrates, wherein the substrate supporter is provided in the bottom of the process chamber; a chamber lid confronting the substrate supporter, the chamber lid for covering an upper side of the process chamber; and a gas distributor for locally distributing activated source gas on the substrate, wherein the gas distributor locally confronting the substrate supporter is provided in the chamber lid, wherein the gas distributor forms plasma by the use of plasma formation gas, and activates the source gas by distributing the source gas to some of plasma area for formation of the plasma.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2019
    Assignee: JUSUNG ENGINEERING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Chul Joo Hwang, Jeung Hoon Han, Young Hoon Kim, Seung Hoon Seo
  • Patent number: 10204831
    Abstract: Embodiments of the invention generally relate to apparatuses and methods for producing epitaxial thin films and devices by epitaxial lift off (ELO) processes. In one embodiment, a method for forming thin film devices during an ELO process is provided which includes coupling a plurality of substrates to an elongated support tape, wherein each substrate contains an epitaxial film disposed over a sacrificial layer disposed over a wafer, exposing the substrates to an etchant during an etching process while moving the elongated support tape, and etching the sacrificial layers and peeling the epitaxial films from the wafers while moving the elongated support tape. Embodiments also include several apparatuses, continuous-type as well as a batch-type apparatuses, for forming the epitaxial thin films and devices, including an apparatus for removing the support tape and epitaxial films from the wafers on which the epitaxial films were grown.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2019
    Assignee: ALTA DEVICES, INC.
    Inventors: Thomas Gmitter, Gang He, Melissa Archer, Andreas Hegedus