Patents Examined by Keath T Chen
  • Patent number: 7976636
    Abstract: Disclosed is a multiple nozzle evaporator in which a material to be evaporated in the evaporator can be deposited on a substrate with an improved efficiency of use of the material, thereby forming a large-area uniform thin film. The evaporator includes a rectangular post-shaped crucible with an open top face; and a nozzle having a body portion having a rectangular post-like shape with a height smaller than that of the crucible and assembled to an upper portion of the crucible, and a plurality of evaporation tubes penetrating through the body portion between top and bottom faces of the body portion. The evaporation tubes are divided into four groups of which evaporation tubes are inclined toward respective four corners of a top face of the nozzle unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2011
    Assignee: Yas Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Seong-Moon Kim, Kwang-Ho Jeong, Myung-Woon Choi, Hyung-Won Park
  • Patent number: 7964037
    Abstract: A vacuum deposition apparatus capable of enhancing the productivity of an organic electroluminescence device is realized. A first pipe is connected to a deposition source for evaporating an organic electroluminescence material, and two second pipes are directed to two film deposition objects comprised of substrates and masks, whereby an organic deposition film is formed. Vapor is released simultaneously from the deposition source to plural film deposition objects on different planes to deposit films, which promotes the reduction in film deposition time and the miniaturization of an apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2011
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Naoto Fukuda, Toshiaki Yoshikawa, Seiji Mashimo
  • Patent number: 7959735
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for reducing arcing in a plasma processing system when processing large area substrates which contain one or more holes. In one embodiment of the invention, a substrate support member includes an electrically insulating insert located beneath a hole in an insulating, large area substrate. The insulating insert is made of aluminum oxide, and is located within a hole in the support member such that the insert is disposed beneath a hole in a glass substrate. The substrate support member is made of aluminum with an anodized surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2011
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: William N. Sterling, Lan Duong, Gaku Furuta
  • Patent number: 7951262
    Abstract: An apparatus includes an upper electrode and a lower electrode for supporting a wafer disposed opposite each other within a process chamber. A first RF power supply configured to apply a first RF power having a relatively higher frequency, and a second RF power supply configured to apply a second RF power having a relatively lower frequency is connected to the lower electrode. A variable DC power supply is connected to the upper electrode. A process gas is supplied into the process chamber to generate plasma of the process gas so as to perform plasma etching.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2011
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Akira Koshiishi, Masaru Sugimoto, Kunihiko Hinata, Noriyuki Kobayashi, Chishio Koshimizu, Ryuji Ohtani, Kazuo Kibi, Masashi Saito, Naoki Matsumoto, Manabu Iwata, Daisuke Yano, Yohei Yamazawa, Hidetoshi Hanaoka, Toshihiro Hayami, Hiroki Yamazaki, Manabu Sato
  • Patent number: 7938931
    Abstract: The embodiments provide structures and mechanisms for removal of etch byproducts, dielectric films and metal films on and near the substrate bevel edge, and chamber interior to avoid the accumulation of polymer byproduct and deposited films and to improve process yield. In an exemplary embodiment, a plasma processing chamber configured to clean a bevel edge of a substrate is provided. The plasma processing chamber includes a bottom electrode configured to receive the substrate, wherein the bottom electrode is coupled to a radio frequency (RF) power supply. The plasma processing chamber also includes a top edge electrode surrounding an insulating plate opposing the bottom electrode. The top edge electrode is electrically grounded. The plasma processing chamber further includes a bottom edge electrode surrounding the bottom electrode. The bottom edge electrode opposes the top edge electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2011
    Assignee: Lam Research Corporation
    Inventors: Gregory S. Sexton, Andrew D. Bailey, III, Andras Kuthi
  • Patent number: 7922821
    Abstract: The invention relates to an arrangement for installing a source into a gas deposition reactor. The arrangement comprises at least one source fitting for the source such that the source fitting is connected to a reaction space of the gas deposition reactor, and a source installable at least partly inside the source fitting or a source space connected to the source fitting. According to the invention, the arrangement further comprises reception means in the source fitting for receiving the source, and charging means for installing the source in place in the source fitting for use, and a chamber (1), provided in the source, for a solid or liquid source material (3), and isolating means (7, 19) for isolating the chamber (1) substantially from environment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2011
    Assignee: Beneq Oy
    Inventor: Pekka Soininen
  • Patent number: 7922866
    Abstract: Positional relationships are established in a process chamber. A base is configured with a lower electrode surface to support a wafer, and an upper electrode has a lower surface. A drive mounted on the base has a linkage connected to the upper electrode. A fixture placed on the lower surface moves into a desired orientation of the lower electrode. With the upper electrode loosely connected by the linkage to the drive, the fixture transfers the desired orientation to the upper electrode. The linkage is tightened to maintain the desired orientation, the fixture is removed and a process exclusion insert is mounted to the upper electrode. The drive moves the upper electrode and the insert to define an inactive process zone between the upper electrode and the wafer on the lower electrode to protect a central area of the wafer during etching of a wafer edge environ around the central area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 24, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2011
    Assignee: Lam Research Corporation
    Inventors: Gregory S. Sexton, Andrew D. Bailey, III, Alan M. Schoepp, John D. Boniface
  • Patent number: 7922864
    Abstract: A tube-array showerhead for CVD or PECVD on large substrates delivers precursors to a process chamber via an array of tubes drilled with precision holes. The tubes rapidly become contaminated with use and must be changed frequently to maintain process quality. An improved manifold for a tube-array showerhead, intended for processes with a low pressure differential between the tubes and process chamber, includes holding-stubs to hold each tube by its ends outside the manifold block. At least one holding-stub for each tube is spring-loaded along the direction of the tube's operating axis. Contaminated tubes can be removed, and clean tubes installed, without disassembling the manifolds or disturbing any high-pressure-differential seals to the ambient atmosphere or precursor supplies. This invention reduces production costs by decreasing chamber down-time and reducing the risk of creating leaks when tubes are changed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2011
    Assignee: OptiSolar, Inc.
    Inventor: James S. Harroun
  • Patent number: 7922863
    Abstract: An apparatus for photo-assisted or photo-induced processes is disclosed, comprising a process chamber having an integrated gas and radiation distribution plate. In one embodiment, the plate has one set of apertures for distributing one or more process gases, and another set of apertures for distributing radiation to a process region in the chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2011
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Martin John Ripley, Sean M. Seutter
  • Patent number: 7914620
    Abstract: A device for supporting a heating crucible includes a supporting table having an upper surface in which a plurality of holes are formed, and a contamination prevention plate arranged at an entrance of each of the holes of the supporting table and having an opening portion corresponding to the hole and a shield portion extending along an inner wall of the hole.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2011
    Assignee: Samsung Mobile Display Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Chang-Soon Chi
  • Patent number: 7914621
    Abstract: A vapor deposition source has a reduced size by disposing a crucible, a heating portion, and a nozzle portion in one defined space. A vapor deposition apparatus deposits deposition materials on a substrate using the vapor deposition source. The vapor deposition source includes a housing, and the crucible is mounted in the housing for vaporizing the deposition materials. The heating portion is installed adjacent to the crucible in the housing for heating the crucible. The nozzle portion injects the vaporized deposition materials into a substrate disposed at an exterior of the housing through an injection nozzle. The vapor deposition source is manufactured in a smaller and lightweight form in comparison with conventional vapor deposition sources in which a crucible and a nozzle portion are arranged in different spaces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2011
    Assignee: Samsung Mobile Display Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Do Geun Kim, Myung Soo Huh, Seok Heon Jeong, Hee Cheol Kang, Kazuo Furuno
  • Patent number: 7909960
    Abstract: Improved mechanisms of removal of etch byproducts, dielectric films and metal films near the substrate bevel edge, and etch byproducts on substrate backside and chamber interior is provided to avoid the accumulation of polymer byproduct and deposited films and to improve process yield. An exemplary plasma etch processing chamber configured to clean a bevel edge of a substrate is provided. The chamber includes a bottom edge electrode surrounding a substrate support in the plasma processing chamber, wherein the substrate support is configured to receive the substrate and the bottom edge electrode and the substrate support are electrically isolated from each other by a bottom dielectric ring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2011
    Assignee: Lam Research Corporation
    Inventors: Yunsang Kim, Andrew D. Bailey, III
  • Patent number: 7905961
    Abstract: A linear type deposition source capable of improving a heating efficiency and reducing a heating temperature by using a plate-type heating source and/or improving a cooling efficiency by including a cooling jacket having a cooling water line in a housing. The linear type deposition source includes: a crucible arranged in a deposition chamber, the crucible being for evaporating materials included in the crucible; a heating source for applying heat to the crucible; a housing for isolating the heat emitted from the heating source; an outer wall for anchoring the crucible; and a nozzle unit for spraying the materials evaporated from the crucible. In this deposition source, the heating source is a plate-type heating source, and the housing has a cooling water line so cooling water can flow through the cooling water line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2011
    Assignee: Samsung Mobile Display Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Min Jae Jeong, Do Geun Kim, Hee Cheol Kang
  • Patent number: 7895970
    Abstract: A structure for a plasma processing chamber which makes it possible to control the potential therein and simplify the construction of the plasma processing chamber. A gas-introducing showerhead 34 is disposed in the plasma processing chamber 10 including a container 11 having a process space S for receiving a semiconductor wafer W, and a susceptor 12 disposed in the container 11, for mounting the received semiconductor wafer W thereon. The susceptor 12 is connected to high-frequency power supplies 20 and 46. An electrode support 39 of the gas-introducing showerhead 34 is electrically grounded. An electrically floating top electrode plate 38 of the gas-introducing showerhead 34 is disposed between the electrode support 39 and the process space S. The top electrode plate 38 has a surface exposed to the process space S. An insulating film 48 is formed of a dielectric material and disposed between the electrode support 39 and the top electrode plate 38.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2011
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Masanobu Honda, Toshihiro Hayami, Yutaka Matsui
  • Patent number: 7887670
    Abstract: The present invention provides a gas introducing mechanism and a processing apparatus for processing an object to be processed, which can supply a gas uniformly over the whole region of a processing space so as to enhance uniformity of a process in the surface of the object to be processed. The gas introducing mechanism 50, which is adapted to provide a process to the object W to be processed, by using the gas, in a processing vessel 4, includes a gas introducing ring member 54 for introducing the gas from the exterior of the processing vessel 4, a disk-like rotary base 56 provided rotatably below a top plate 48 in the processing vessel 4, and a ring-shaped gas injection ring member 60 provided around a rotary base 56 so as to be closer and opposed to the gas introducing ring member 54. A gas injecting slit 58 is provided in the ring-shaped gas injection ring member 60, the slit 58 being formed along the circumferential direction of the rotary base.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2011
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Kenjiro Koizumi, Naoki Yoshii
  • Patent number: 7887669
    Abstract: The invention provides a plasma processing apparatus for processing a wafer mounted on a sample stage placed in a vacuum processing chamber using a plasma generated in the vacuum chamber. The plasma processing apparatus comprises a plate placed in the vacuum processing vessel above and opposed to the wafer, the plate having a through hole through which a first processing gas is introduced; a first and second cylindrical member arranged vertically and adjacently; and means communicating with the gap between the first and second cylindrical member for supplying a second processing gas. The wafer is processed while the first processing gas and the second processing gas having different compositions are supplied.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2011
    Assignee: Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Kouhei Satou, Go Miya, Hiroshi Akiyama
  • Patent number: 7879182
    Abstract: A system for processing a substrate uniformly by increasing the number of gas discharge holes being arranged per unit area of a shower plate as receding from the center of the shower plate or increasing the radii of the gas discharge holes as receding from the center of the shower plate thereby making the plasma excitation gas flow uniform.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2011
    Assignee: Foundation for Advancement of International Science
    Inventors: Tadahiro Ohmi, Masaki Hirayama, Tetsuya Goto
  • Patent number: 7866278
    Abstract: A thin-film deposition system has a vacuum chamber and a plasma generator. The plasma generator includes a case, a cathode disposed in the case, an anode assembly disposed at an end of the case, a discharge power supply for applying a discharge voltage between the cathode and the anode assembly, and a gas supply means for supplying a discharge gas into the case. Electrons within a first plasma produced in the case are extracted into the vacuum chamber according to the discharge voltage. An evaporated material in a gaseous state inside the vacuum chamber is irradiated with electrons emitted from the plasma generator to produce a second plasma. The potential at the anode assembly is controlled by anode potential-controlling means such that the electrons within the second plasma are directed at the plasma generator and the ions within the second plasma are directed at the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2011
    Assignee: JEOL Ltd.
    Inventors: Toru Takashima, Yoshikazu Homma
  • Patent number: 7862682
    Abstract: Showerhead electrode assemblies are disclosed, which include a showerhead electrode adapted to be mounted in an interior of a vacuum chamber; an optional backing plate attached to the showerhead electrode; a thermal control plate attached to the backing plate or to the showerhead electrode at multiple contact points across the backing plate; and at least one thermally and electrically conductive gasket separating the backing plate and the thermal control plate, or the backing plate and showerhead electrode, at the contact points. Methods of processing semiconductor substrates using the showerhead electrode assemblies are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2011
    Assignee: Lam Research Corporation
    Inventors: Thomas R. Stevenson, Anthony de le Llera, Saurabh Ullal
  • Patent number: 7850819
    Abstract: The invention relates to a plasma reactor with high productivity for surface coating or modification of objects and/or substrates by plasma processes in a processing chamber, preferably as vacuum processes at reduced pressure, having an entrance lock to the processing chamber and an exit lock. The invention is to create a plasma reactor of high productivity, which, with uniformly high productivity, will make possible a rapid simple and selective cleaning of the plasma sources and adjacent parts of the processing chamber. According to the invention, two plasma sources (1, 2) are provided, each alternately couplable to a reaction chamber (7) or a re-etching chamber (8). The plasma sources (1, 2) are fixed for this purpose to an alternating means (6) in such manner that the plasma sources (1, 2) are positionable by a rotatory motion of the alternating means (6) in the reaction chamber (7) or the re-etching chamber (8).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2010
    Assignee: Centrotherm Photovoltaics AG
    Inventors: Harald Wanka, Johann Georg Reichart, Hans-Peter Voelk