Patents Examined by Nathan K Ford
  • Patent number: 12354894
    Abstract: An alignment apparatus includes: a transport mechanism including a transport carrier which holds and transports a substrate and transport modules which constitute a transport path through which the transport carrier moves; an alignment chamber in which a mask is positioned and fixed to the substrate held by the transport carrier and loaded by the transport mechanism; and control means which applies a current or a voltage to a plurality of coils disposed in one of the transport carrier and each transport module to control a magnetic force generated between the plurality of coils and a plurality of magnets disposed in the other one of the transport carrier and the transport module, wherein the control means adjusts the position of the transport carrier in a state in which the transport carrier holding the substrate has been levitated by controlling the magnetic force to perform positioning.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2025
    Assignee: CANON TOKKI CORPORATION
    Inventor: Toshiaki Himeji
  • Patent number: 12203171
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to a batch processing chamber that is adapted to simultaneously cure multiple substrates at one time. The batch processing chamber includes multiple processing sub-regions that are each independently temperature controlled. The batch processing chamber may include a first and a second sub-processing region that are each serviced by a substrate transport device external to the batch processing chamber. In addition, a slotted cover mounted on the loading opening of the batch curing chamber reduces the effect of ambient air entering the chamber during loading and unloading.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2025
    Assignee: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.
    Inventors: Adib Khan, Shankar Venkataraman, Jay D. Pinson, II, Jang-Gyoo Yang, Nitin K. Ingle, Qiwei Liang
  • Patent number: 12163221
    Abstract: A system and method for continuous atomic layer deposition. The system and method includes a housing, a moving bed which passes through the housing, a plurality of precursor gases and associated input ports and the amount of precursor gases, position of the input ports, and relative velocity of the moving bed and carrier gases enabling exhaustion of the precursor gases at available reaction sites.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2024
    Assignee: UCHICAGO ARGONNE, LLC
    Inventors: Jeffrey W. Elam, Angel Yanguas-Gil, Joseph A. Libera
  • Patent number: 12165905
    Abstract: A process kit enclosure system includes surfaces to enclose an interior volume, a first support structure including first fins, a second support structure including second fins, and a front interface to interface the process kit enclosure system with a load port of a wafer processing system. The first and second fins are sized and spaced to hold process kit ring carriers and process kit rings in the interior volume. Each of the process kit rings is secured to one of the process kit ring carriers. The process kit enclosure system enables first automated transfer of a first process kit ring carrier securing a first process kit ring from the process kit enclosure system into the wafer processing system and second automated transfer of a second process kit ring carrier securing a second process kit ring from the wafer processing system into the process kit enclosure system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2024
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Helder Lee, Nicholas Michael Kopec, Leon Volfovski, Douglas R. McAllister, Andreas Schmid, Jeffrey Hudgens, Yogananda Sarode Vishwanath, Steven Babayan
  • Patent number: 12165847
    Abstract: This unit comprises a housing (50) for receiving an electrode suitable for creating an electrical discharge, and first means (20, 21, 22) for injecting treatment gas, comprising at least one plasma-forming gas, towards the support of the facility. According to the invention, the first injection means comprise an intake member (20) for the treatment gas, a treatment gas injection member (21), opening opposite the support, and an intermediate chamber (22) connecting these two members. This chamber comprises an upstream region (24), the gas passage cross-section of which increases from the inlet (25E, 26E) towards the outlet (25S, 26S) in longitudinal view (XX) and/or transverse view, as well as a downstream region (27), the passage cross-section of which increases from the inlet (28E, 29E) towards the outlet (28S, 29S) in transverse view but decreases in the vicinity of the outlet (28S, 29S) in longitudinal view (XX).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2024
    Assignee: Coating Plasma Innovation
    Inventors: Julien Vallade, Cédric Pfister
  • Patent number: 12142511
    Abstract: A transfer apparatus for transporting substrates in a transfer chamber having a first and second ends and two sides extending between the ends. The transfer apparatus includes a drive section, at least one base arm fixed at one end with respect to the transfer chamber and including at least one arm link rotatably coupled to the drive section and at least one transfer arm rotatably coupled to a common end of the base arm, the at least one transfer arm has two end effectors. The drive section has motors with three independent axes of rotation defining three degrees of freedom. One degree of freedom moves the at least one base arm horizontally for transporting the at least one transfer arm and two degrees of freedom drives the at least one transfer arm to extend and retract the at least one transfer arm and swap the two end effectors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2024
    Assignee: Brooks Automation US, LLC
    Inventors: Alexander Krupyshev, Ulysses Gilchrist, Robert T. Caveney, Daniel Babbs
  • Patent number: 12125681
    Abstract: This facility comprises a support (1) for the substrate, a pressing roll (2), capable of pressing the substrate against said support, a treatment unit positioned downstream of the pressing roll, with reference to the direction of travel of the substrate, said unit comprising injection means (37) for injecting a treatment gas towards said support and means (8) for transforming the surface of the moving substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2024
    Assignee: Coating Plasma Innovation
    Inventors: Julien Vallade, Cédric Pfister
  • Patent number: 12116666
    Abstract: Described herein is a technique capable of shortening the time required to reduce the oxygen concentration in a transfer chamber. According to the technique described herein, there is provided a substrate processing apparatus including: a transfer chamber wherein a substrate from a container is transported; a transfer robot configured to transfer the substrate through the transfer chamber; a purge gas supply mechanism configured to supply a purge gas into the transfer chamber; and a pressure control mechanism configured to control an inner pressure of the transfer chamber wherein the pressure control mechanism is provided at an exhaust channel wherethrough an inner atmosphere of the transfer chamber is exhausted, the pressure control mechanism including: an exhaust damper configured to fully open or fully close the exhaust channel; and an adjusting damper provided in the exhaust damper and configured to maintain the inner pressure of the transfer chamber at predetermined pressure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2024
    Assignee: KOKUSAI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Daigi Kamimura, Takeshi Ito, Tomoshi Taniyama
  • Patent number: 12074032
    Abstract: A chamber door, such as an etch chamber door may be heated during etch processing to, e.g., prevent etching by-products from adhering to the etch chamber door. Such heating of the etch chamber door, however, can impact the processing parameters and result in non-uniform processing, such as non-uniform etching characteristics across a semiconductor wafer, for instance. An insulator, such as an insulating film covering surfaces of the heated door, can reduce or eliminate transmission of heat from the door to a work piece such as a semiconductor wafer and this reduce or eliminate the non-uniformity of the process results.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2024
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Meng-Je Chuang, Wan-Chun Kuan, Yi-Wei Chiu, Tzu-Chan Weng
  • Patent number: 12040199
    Abstract: The disclosure relates to substrate processing apparatus, with a first and second reactor, each reactor configured with an elevator to transfer a boat with substrates to the reactor. The apparatus having a boat transfer device to transfer the boat with substrates between a substrate loading station, the first and/or second elevator and a cool down station. The substrate loading station and the cool down station may be arranged on opposite sides of the first and second elevator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2024
    Assignee: ASM IP Holding B.V.
    Inventor: Jeroen Fluit
  • Patent number: 12035576
    Abstract: Disclosed are a substrate treating apparatus and a substrate transporting method. A first treating block includes a developing-treatment layer and an interface layer arranged in an up-down direction. Accordingly, the interface layer is couplable with the indexer block. Moreover, a substrate transport mechanism of the indexer block transports a substrate from one of buffer units located at a predetermined height position in a substrate buffer to another of the buffer units located at a different height position in the substrate buffer. Accordingly, the interface layer is accessible to the buffer unit located at a height position corresponding to the interface layer. Thus, the interface layer can be made compact. Moreover, the interface layer is located in the upper part or the lower part of the developing-treatment layer, leading to reduction in footprint.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2024
    Assignee: SCREEN Holdings Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Joji Kuwahara, Koji Kaneyama
  • Patent number: 12018373
    Abstract: There is provided a technique that includes: a substrate transfer chamber; a pod transfer chamber; a plurality of reinforcement structures installed along a wall of a housing constituting the substrate transfer chamber and forming a plurality of first confinement spaces between the reinforcement structures and the wall; a communication hole installed at each of the plurality of reinforcement structures so that a space in the housing and each of the plurality of first confinement spaces communicate with each other; a collecting pipe having the plurality of reinforcement structures connected in the housing and including a second confinement space communicating with the plurality of first confinement spaces; and a pressure regulator connected to the collecting pipe, and configured to perform a regulation so that a relationship of pressure is satisfied.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2024
    Assignee: KOKUSAI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
    Inventor: Seiyo Nakashima
  • Patent number: 12014937
    Abstract: Provided is an exhaust system of a wafer treatment device, and the main purpose thereof is to prevent secondary contamination of a wafer by not allowing foreign substances such as process gases and fumes and the like floating in the wafer treatment device to make contact with the wafer in a side storage. The wafer treatment device comprises: a cleaning device for removing foreign substances remaining on a wafer; and an exhaust device comprising first and second main bodies at the lower side of a main body of the wafer treatment device. By not allowing foreign substances such as process gases and fumes and the like floating in the wafer treatment device to make contact with a wafer in a side storage, secondary contamination of the wafer is prevented.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2022
    Date of Patent: June 18, 2024
    Assignee: PICO & TERA CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Bum Je Woo
  • Patent number: 11970774
    Abstract: A deposition or cleaning apparatus comprising an outer vacuum chamber and a reaction chamber inside the outer chamber forming a double chamber structure. The reaction chamber is configured to move between a processing position and a lowered position inside the outer vacuum chamber, the lowered position being for loading one or more substrates into the reaction chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2023
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2024
    Assignee: Picosun Oy
    Inventor: Timo Malinen
  • Patent number: 11942341
    Abstract: A system and method for plating a workpiece are described. In one aspect, an apparatus includes a deposition chamber, a workpiece holder adapted for insertion into and removal from the deposition chamber, a shield with patterns of apertures corresponding to features on the workpiece, a shield holder also adapted for insertion into and removal from the deposition chamber and a positioning mechanism to position the workpiece in the workpiece holder such that the pattern of apertures on the shield will align with the corresponding features on the workpiece when the workpiece holder and shield holder are inserted into the deposition chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2024
    Assignee: ASMPT NEXX, INC.
    Inventors: Arthur Keigler, David G. Guarnaccia, Freeman Fisher, Demetrius Papapanayiotou, Jonathan Haynes, Daniel L. Goodman
  • Patent number: 11891692
    Abstract: A film-forming device which includes a chamber having a horizontal central axis, capable of maintaining a vacuum, and movable along the horizontal central axis, the chamber including an inner chamber and an outer chamber that houses the inner chamber; a workpiece holder that aligns and holds workpieces to be processed in multiple stages in the inner chamber; and a heater that heats an inside of the chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2024
    Assignee: MURATA MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yasuhiro Chikaishi, Shigeki Yamane
  • Patent number: 11887874
    Abstract: A system and method for plating a workpiece are described. In one aspect, an apparatus includes a deposition chamber, a workpiece holder adapted for insertion into and removal from the deposition chamber, a shield with patterns of apertures corresponding to features on the workpiece, a shield holder also adapted for insertion into and removal from the deposition chamber and a positioning mechanism to position the workpiece in the workpiece holder such that the pattern of apertures on the shield will align with the corresponding features on the workpiece when the workpiece holder and shield holder are inserted into the deposition chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2023
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2024
    Assignee: ASMPT NEXX, INC.
    Inventors: Arthur Keigler, David G. Guarnaccia, Freeman Fisher, Demetrius Papapanayiotou, Jonathan Haynes, Daniel L. Goodman
  • Patent number: 11873559
    Abstract: A plasma boat for receiving wafers with partial damping of the plasma deposition comprises a number of boat plates spaced apart in parallel, which are provided with wafer holders for receiving upright wafers, in order to securely hold the wafers during transport and during the depositing process in a coating chamber, and wherein the boat plates are mechanically connected to one another by electrically insulating spacers. This provides a plasma boat, with regulated plasma deposition, which ensures a deposition on wafers that is uniform over the surface area thereof and has a constant layer thickness. This is achieved by a damping element (12) being respectively arranged between the wafer holders (16) located parallel to one another, between adjacent boat plates (15), and electrically insulated with respect to the latter on spacer elements (2).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2024
    Assignee: Nippon Kornmeyer Carbon Group GmbH
    Inventor: Torsten Kornmeyer
  • Patent number: 11862442
    Abstract: A plasma process monitoring device capable of monitoring plasma light distributed in a certain area in a chamber includes a selection area light transmitter and a monitor. The selection area light transmitter is disposed to face a viewport formed in a chamber and includes a plurality of selective light blockers for selectively blocking plasma light emitted through the viewport. The monitor receives plasma light transmitted through at least one of a plurality of selective light blockers to acquire information on the plasma light, and monitors the uniformity of plasma generated in the chamber based on the information on the plasma light.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2024
    Assignee: INDUSTRY-ACADEMIC COOPERATION FOUNDATION, YONSEI UNIVERSITY
    Inventor: Il Gu Yun
  • Patent number: 11798825
    Abstract: Apparatus and methods of processing a substrate in a carousel processing chamber are described. A wafer pedestal has a support surface with a support shaft extending below the wafer pedestal. A roller pinion wheel is below the wafer support around the support shaft. The roller pinion wheel has a plurality of spokes in contact with the support shaft and a wheel with a plurality of roller pinions spaced around the outer periphery of the wheel. Processing chambers incorporating the wafer pedestal and processing methods using the wafer pedestal for in-situ rotation are also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2023
    Assignee: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.
    Inventors: Joseph Yudovsky, Alexander S. Polyak