Abstract: A cooling plate includes a channel to transmit a fluid, wherein the channel is disposed within a base and the channel has a first portion and a second portion. The first portion is disposed substantially along a peripheral edge of the base, and the second portion is coupled to the first portion and is disposed further away from the peripheral edge of the base than the first portion. The second portion has a length that is at least about 35% as long as the length of the first portion. The cooling plate also includes a lid disposed over the base and the channel, wherein the lid provides support for a substrate.

Abstract: The present invention generally provides a batch processing system having a processing chamber and a loading chamber. Substrates are transferred in and out the processing chamber in a batch by a substrate boat. A batch handling tool of the present invention is generally used in the loading chamber to load and unload the structured substrate support by group. The batch handling tool generally comprises a support member, which is configured to host at least two sets of support blades. The at least two sets of substrate supports are generally mounted on the support member and their positions are switchable when the support member rotates. Each set of the support blades is configured to load (unload) at least two substrates into(from) the substrate boat.

Abstract: A batch processing platform used for ALD or CVD processing is configured for high throughput and minimal footprint. In one embodiment, the processing platform comprises an atmospheric transfer region, at least one batch processing chamber with a buffer chamber and staging platform, and a transfer robot disposed in the transfer region wherein the transfer robot has at least one substrate transfer arm that comprises multiple substrate handling blades. The platform may include two batch processing chambers configured with a service aisle disposed therebetween to provide necessary service access to the transfer robot and the deposition stations. In another embodiment, the processing platform comprises at least one batch processing chamber, a substrate transfer robot that is adapted to transfer substrates between a FOUP and a processing cassette, and a cassette transfer region containing a cassette handler robot. The cassette handler robot may be a linear actuator or a rotary table.

Abstract: The inventive technology relates to methods and apparatus for the separation of molded products from flexible mold pieces and may include one or more of the following features: techniques for deforming molds, techniques for inducing tension in molds, techniques for providing movable mold deformation interfaces, techniques for connecting molds, techniques for distributing tension through molds, techniques for minimizing damage to molds, techniques for minimizing mold wear, techniques for utilizing large molds, techniques for curing molded materials in a space efficient manner, and techniques for forming molded products.

Abstract: In a first aspect, an apparatus is provided for coupling a semiconductor device manufacturing tool to facilities. The apparatus includes (1) a docking station adapted to mount to a raised floor and having a thickness approximately equal to the raised floor; (2) a plurality of tool point of connection (POC) locations disposed on a top surface of the docking station, each tool POC location being adapted to be connected to a POC of a semiconductor device manufacturing tool; and (3) a plurality of facilities POC locations disposed on a bottom surface of the docking station. Each facilities POC location is adapted to be connected to a POC of a facility. Numerous other aspects are provided.

Abstract: The present invention generally provides a batch processing system having a processing chamber and a loading chamber. Substrates are transferred in and out the processing chamber in a batch by a substrate boat. A batch handling tool of the present invention is generally used in the loading chamber to load and unload the structured substrate support by group. The batch handling tool generally comprises a support member, which is configured to host at least two sets of support blades. The at least two sets of substrate supports are generally mounted on the support member and their positions are switchable when the support member rotates. Each set of the support blades is configured to load (unload) at least two substrates into(from) the substrate boat.

Abstract: Aspects of the invention include a method and apparatus for processing a substrate using a multi-chamber processing system (e.g., a cluster tool) adapted to process substrates in one or more batch and/or single substrate processing chambers to increase the system throughput. In one embodiment, a system is configured to perform a substrate processing sequence that contains batch processing chambers only, or batch and single substrate processing chambers, to optimize throughput and minimize processing defects due to exposure to a contaminating environment. In one embodiment, a batch processing chamber is used to increase the system throughput by performing a process recipe step that is disproportionately long compared to other process recipe steps in the substrate processing sequence that are performed on the cluster tool. In another embodiment, two or more batch chambers are used to process multiple substrates using one or more of the disproportionately long processing steps in a processing sequence.