Patents Examined by Sylvia MacArthur
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Patent number: 12721077Abstract: The present disclosure describes an apparatus and a method for a chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) process that recycles used slurry as another slurry supply. The apparatus includes a pad on a rotation platen, a first feeder and a second feeder where each of the first and the second feeder is fluidly connected to a respective flow regulator and configured to dispense a first and a second slurry on the pad, a flotation module configured to provide a recycled slurry, and a detection module configured to detect a polishing characteristic associated with polishing the substrate. The flotation module further includes an inlet configured to provide a fluid sprayed from the pad and a tank configured to store chemicals that include a frother and a collector configured to chemically bond with the fluid.Type: GrantFiled: February 2, 2022Date of Patent: August 25, 2026Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd.Inventor: Wen-Kuei Liu
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Patent number: 12712158Abstract: A method for forming a semiconductor device structure is provided. The method includes placing a substrate including a material layer thereon in a plasma chamber. The plasma chamber includes a housing, a first electrode array including a plurality of first sub-electrodes, a plurality of first matching units each electrically connected to one of the first sub-electrodes, and a second electrode array disposed in the housing, the second electrode array including a plurality of second sub-electrodes. The method also includes supplying an etching gas into the plasma chamber and applying a first RF power source to the first sub-electrodes of the first electrode array by the first matching units to form an etching plasma from the etching gas. The method further includes adjusting a distance between each of the first sub-electrodes and the substrate to generate a plasma density distribution across the substrate.Type: GrantFiled: July 20, 2022Date of Patent: August 18, 2026Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY, LTD.Inventors: Po-Ju Chen, Chun-Hsing Wu, Fang-Yi Wu, Yi-Wei Chiu, Chih-Hao Chen
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Patent number: 12706274Abstract: A plasma etching apparatus includes a housing having a processing space; a support inside the housing, the support configured to support a substrate and including at least one lower electrode; at least one upper electrode facing the at least one lower electrode; a sidewall electrode disposed on a sidewall of the housing; a lower radiofrequency (RF) power source connected to the at least one lower electrode and configured to apply RF power; an upper RF power source connected to the at least one upper electrode and configured to apply RF power; a lower insulator adjacent to the at least one lower electrode; an upper insulator adjacent to the at least one upper electrode; at least one lower detector embedded in the lower insulator; and at least one upper detector embedded in the upper insulator.Type: GrantFiled: March 15, 2022Date of Patent: August 11, 2026Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.Inventors: Dougyong Sung, Youngdo Kim, Byeongsang Kim, Yunhwan Kim, Jungmo Yang, Sejin Oh, Sungho Jang
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Patent number: 12698554Abstract: A mask stage includes a stage inclined with respect to a vertical direction perpendicular to a plane defined by a first direction and a second direction intersecting each other, a plurality of first support units disposed between the stage and a mask frame disposed above the stage, and a plurality of second support units disposed on the stage and being adjacent to a lower side of the mask frame. The lower side of the mask frame extends in a first direction, and the second support units are respectively disposed under end portions of the lower side of the mask frame, which are opposite to each other in the first direction.Type: GrantFiled: May 22, 2023Date of Patent: August 4, 2026Assignee: SAMSUNG DISPLAY CO., LTD.Inventors: Kyongho Hong, Myungkyu Kim, Sungho Park, Chang-Kon Park, Sukbeom You, Dongjae Lee
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Patent number: 12700574Abstract: Embodiments of heat shield assemblies for a processing chamber are provided herein. In some embodiments, a heat shield assembly for a processing chamber includes: a first shield comprising a circular plate; a second shield coupled to the first shield and in a parallel configuration with the first shield, wherein the second shield has an outer diameter greater than an outer diameter of the first shield and the second shield includes a central opening having a diameter smaller than an outer diameter of the first shield; and a third shield coupled to and in a parallel configuration with the second shield, wherein an outer diameter of the third shield is greater than the diameter of the central opening of the second shield.Type: GrantFiled: March 9, 2022Date of Patent: August 4, 2026Assignee: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.Inventors: Dinkesh Huderi Somanna, Ala Moradian, Colin John Dickinson, Manjunath Subbanna
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Patent number: 12687784Abstract: The inventive concept provides a substrate treating apparatus. The substrate treating apparatus includes a support unit configured to support and rotate a substrate at a treating space; a liquid supply unit configured to supply a liquid to the substrate supported at the support unit; a housing having an installation space; a laser unit configured to include a laser irradiation unit positioned in the installation space which irradiates a laser light, and an irradiation end having an end positioned to protrude from the housing and which irradiates the laser light irradiated from the laser irradiation unit to a substrate supported on the support unit; and a cover having an inner space and positioned so an end of the irradiation end protruding from the housing is positioned in the inner space, and wherein an opening is formed at a bottom end of the cover to overlap the laser light irradiated from the irradiation end when seen from above.Type: GrantFiled: November 17, 2022Date of Patent: July 21, 2026Assignee: SEMES CO., LTD.Inventors: Ki Hoon Choi, Hyo Won Yang, Hyun Yoon, Tae Hee Kim, Won Sik Son, In Ki Jung
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Patent number: 12690411Abstract: Methods and apparatus for processing a substrate are provided herein. For example, a processing volume for processing a substrate and a pressure system in fluid communication with the processing volume and comprising a throttle valve assembly including a housing, a sensing device disposed in an interior of the housing, and a fan open to the interior of the housing, wherein, during operation of the pressure system to control a pressure within the processing volume, the sensing device is responsive to temperature changes in the interior of the housing such that the fan remains off when a temperature of the interior of the housing is less than a predetermined temperature and automatically turns on when the temperature within interior of the housing is equal to or greater than the predetermined temperature.Type: GrantFiled: May 19, 2022Date of Patent: July 21, 2026Assignee: Applied Materials Inc.Inventors: Gaurav Shrivastava, Pavankumar Ramanand Harapanhalli, Yao-Hung Yang, Sudhir R. Gondhalekar, Chih-Yang Chang
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Patent number: 12690407Abstract: An apparatus and method for processing a substrate can reduce the concentration of process by-products in a chemical solution.Type: GrantFiled: November 7, 2023Date of Patent: July 21, 2026Assignees: SEMES CO., LTD., SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.Inventors: Min Jung Kim, Jin Ah Han, Hee Hwan Kim, Yong Hoon Hong, Kyoung Suk Kim, Jong Hyeok Park, Jin Hyung Park, Dae Hyuk Chung, Ji Hoon Cha
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Patent number: 12690410Abstract: A substrate processing system includes a factory interface, a transfer chamber of heptagonal shape and including four first facets and three second facets, each having a width that is narrower than that of each of the four first facets. A processing chamber is attached to one of the four first facets. A first auxiliary chamber attached to a first of the three second facets and is smaller than the first processing chamber. A load lock is attached to a second of the three second facets and to the factory interface. A second auxiliary chamber is attached to a third of the three second facets. The load lock is attached to the transfer chamber between the first and second auxiliary chambers. A robot is attached to a bottom of the transfer chamber and adapted to transfer substrates to/from the first processing chamber, the first auxiliary chamber, and the load lock.Type: GrantFiled: April 11, 2024Date of Patent: July 21, 2026Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.Inventors: Nir Merry, Schubert S. Chu, Sushant S. Koshti, Michael C. Kuchar, Nyi Oo Myo, Songjae Lee
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Patent number: 12680164Abstract: The disclosure relates to a distribution body for distributing a process gas relative to a substrate to treat the substrate by means of the process gas, comprising a distribution plate, at least one gas inlet channel, a plurality of gas distribution channels, and a plurality of gas extraction channels, wherein the gas inlet channel extends from a lateral surface of the distribution plate to an interior of the distribution plate, wherein the gas distribution channels branch off from the at least one gas inlet channel and extend to a substrate-facing surface of the distribution plate to supply process gas to the substrate to be treated, wherein the gas distribution channels are directed essentially perpendicular to the substrate-facing surface, and wherein the gas extraction channels extend from the substrate-facing surface to a another surface of the distribution plate to convey gas away from the substrate.Type: GrantFiled: November 7, 2022Date of Patent: July 14, 2026Assignee: Lam Research Salzburg GmbHInventors: Andreas Gleissner, Marianne Kolitsch-Mataln, Harald Okorn-Schmidt
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Patent number: 12685050Abstract: Methods and apparatus for processing a substrate are provided herein. For example, a method for processing a substrate includes applying at least one of low frequency RF power or DC power to an upper electrode formed from a high secondary electron emission coefficient material disposed adjacent to a process volume; generating a plasma comprising ions in the process volume; bombarding the upper electrode with the ions to cause the upper electrode to emit electrons and form an electron beam; and applying a bias power comprising at least one of low frequency RF power or high frequency RF power to a lower electrode disposed in the process volume to accelerate electrons of the electron beam toward the lower electrode.Type: GrantFiled: May 28, 2021Date of Patent: July 14, 2026Assignee: Applied Materials Inc.Inventors: Kartik Ramaswamy, Yang Yang, Kenneth Collins, Steven Lane, Gonzalo Monroy, Yue Guo
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Patent number: 12662733Abstract: A rotary mount for mounting a part to be coated in a coating apparatus includes a spindle for rotating about a spindle axis, a cam having a mounting portion for mounting the part to the cam, and a cam profile opposite the mounting portion, the cam being pivotally coupled to the spindle for tilting about a cam axis spaced apart from the spindle axis. A follower member engages the cam profile for imparting a tilt of the cam about the cam axis depending on an angle of rotation of the spindle about the spindle axis. The engagement may be mechanical, magnetic, etc. A motor may be provided in place of the stationary cam member for rotating the cam depending on the tilt angle of the spindle axis. The overall configuration allows parts with spatially varying curvature to be more uniformly coated.Type: GrantFiled: January 19, 2023Date of Patent: June 23, 2026Assignee: Meta Platforms Technologies, LLCInventor: Tristan Tom
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Patent number: 12651732Abstract: An apparatus diagnostic apparatus that performs a computation process using data acquired from a semiconductor apparatus manufacturing apparatus having a reference chamber to create reference chamber feature quantity map data by mapping a feature quantity onto a graph having axes representing a plurality of parameters. The apparatus diagnostic apparatus also performs a computation process using data acquired from a semiconductor apparatus manufacturing apparatus having a calibration-target chamber to create calibration-target chamber feature quantity map data by mapping a feature quantity onto a graph having axes representing a plurality of parameters.Type: GrantFiled: January 25, 2022Date of Patent: June 9, 2026Assignee: HITACHI HIGH-TECH CORPORATIONInventors: Satoru Matsukura, Yoshito Kamaji, Nanako Tamari, Akira Kagoshima, Masahiro Sumiya
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Patent number: 12652997Abstract: A first lift pin holder assembly includes a base portion and a stem portion including a ball lock mechanism to hold a lift pin. A second lift pin holder assembly includes a base portion and a stem portion including a fork lock mechanism to hold a lift pin. A slotted ring with coin-slot type slots is arranged on abase of a substrate support assembly. A plurality of the first or second lift pin holder assemblies are retained in the slots using retainers that surround the base portions of the lift pin holder assemblies. Each slot includes an aperture in which a T-shaped retainer is inserted. The top portion of the T-shaped retainer prevents the retainer and the lift pin holder assembly from sliding out of the slot. The lift pin, the lift pin holder assemblies, the retainers, the T-shaped retainer, and the slotted ring are made of ceramic materials.Type: GrantFiled: October 28, 2020Date of Patent: June 9, 2026Assignee: Lam Research CorporationInventors: Aleksey V. Altecor, Andrew H. Breninger
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Patent number: 12648393Abstract: A temperature regulating apparatus includes: a heating section configured to produce a heating liquid; a cooling section configured to produce a cooling liquid; a heating-liquid delivery pipe for delivering the heating liquid to the semiconductor-device manufacturing equipment; a cooling-liquid delivery pipe for delivering the cooling liquid to the semiconductor-device manufacturing equipment; a heating-side return pipe for returning a liquid mixture of the heating liquid and the cooling liquid that have passed through the semiconductor-device manufacturing equipment to the heating section; a cooling-side return pipe for returning the liquid mixture that has passed through the semiconductor-device manufacturing equipment to the cooling section; and at least one of a heating-side heat exchanger configured to exchange heat between the heating liquid and the liquid mixture and a cooling-side heat exchanger configured to exchange heat between the cooling liquid and the liquid mixture.Type: GrantFiled: March 24, 2023Date of Patent: June 2, 2026Assignees: EBARA REFRIGERATION EQUIPMENT & SYSTEMS CO., LTD., CKD CORPORATIONInventors: Yukihiro Fukusumi, Shinichi Nitta, Norio Kokubo
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Patent number: 12642038Abstract: An apparatus for processing an edge surface of a wafer comprises a lower chamber having a first supporting area configured to support the wafer, an upper chamber having a second supporting area, and a first channel formed by the first supporting area, the second supporting area and peripheral areas thereof. The upper chamber is engaged with the lower chamber to position the wafer between the first supporting area and the second supporting area. The first channel is configured to provide a first space to flow one or more chemical fluids for etching an edge area of the wafer. The upper chamber comprises a protrusion part being configured to resist against an outer edge of the wafer in order to align the central axis of the wafer with the central axis of the second supporting area. This disclosure can process the edge of wafers.Type: GrantFiled: September 14, 2021Date of Patent: May 26, 2026Assignee: Huaying Research Co., Ltd.Inventor: Sophia Ziying Wen
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Patent number: 12636669Abstract: The inventive concept provides a liquid supply unit which may implement a rotation (swing) of a plurality of nozzles by a single motor, and which has simple structure. The liquid supply unit includes a first nozzle, a second nozzle, a motor, and a first belt. The first nozzle includes a first supply pipe for supplying a liquid, a first rotation part provided at a bottom part of the first supply pipe, and a first electromagnetic clutch provided at a bottom part of the first rotation part. The second nozzle includes a second supply pipe for supplying a liquid, a second rotation part provided at a bottom part of the second supply pipe, and a second electromagnetic clutch provided at a bottom part of the second rotation part. The motor provides a rotation force to the first electromagnetic clutch. The first belt which interlocks a rotation of the first electromagnetic clutch and the second electromagnetic clutch.Type: GrantFiled: June 28, 2023Date of Patent: May 26, 2026Assignee: Semes Co., LTD.Inventors: Soon Hyun Kim, Kyung Min Kim
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Patent number: 12633505Abstract: The present invention is aimed to perform precise monitoring of the processed amount by which a workpiece is processed, and includes a measurement unit that measures a concentration or a partial pressure of a reaction product generated while the workpiece is being processed, and an operation unit that calculates the processed amount of the workpiece using an output value of the measurement unit. The measurement unit includes: a laser light source that irradiates target gas containing the reaction product with a laser beam; a photodetector that detects a laser beam having passed through the target gas; and a signal processing unit that calculates the concentration or the partial pressure of the reaction product based on a detection signal of the photodetector. The operation unit includes a time integration unit.Type: GrantFiled: July 14, 2023Date of Patent: May 19, 2026Assignee: HORIBA STEC, CO., LTD.Inventors: Miyako Hada, Motonobu Takahashi, Masakazu Minami, Yuhei Sakaguchi, Toru Shimizu, Tetsuo Fujii
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Patent number: 12619169Abstract: The inventive concept provides a substrate treating method at a treating space. The substrate treating method includes coating a substrate with a first liquid by supplying the first liquid to the substrate; and cleaning a substrate by supplying a second liquid to remove a portion of the first liquid remaining on a specific region of the substrate, the second liquid being different from the first liquid, and wherein an atmosphere of the treating space is exhausted while the coating of the substrate and the cleaning of the substrate is performed, and an exhausting pressure of the treating space during the coating of the substrate is different from an exhausting pressure of the treating space during the cleaning of the substrate.Type: GrantFiled: June 12, 2023Date of Patent: May 5, 2026Assignee: SEMES CO., LTD.Inventor: Ho Jin Jang
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Patent number: 12620563Abstract: There is provided a technique capable of improving plasma uniformity in a parallel plate-type plasma processing apparatus having a plasma excitation frequency of a VHF band or an UHF band. A plasma processing apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment includes a process container, a stage provided in the process container, a dielectric plate provided above the upper surface of the stage via a space in the process container, and an upper electrode provided above the dielectric plate. An gap is provided between the upper electrode and the dielectric plate, and the width of the gap is non-uniform in a direction in which the dielectric plate extends.Type: GrantFiled: November 26, 2019Date of Patent: May 5, 2026Assignees: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED, TOHOKU UNIVERSITYInventor: Masaki Hirayama