Abstract: Methods for orienting an upper electrode relative to a lower electrode are provided. The lower electrode is configured to have a desired existing orientation in a process chamber to define active and inactive process zones in the process chamber for processing a wafer. The method includes configuring each electrode with a reference surface, where a lower electrode reference surface is in the desired existing orientation and an upper electrode reference surface to be oriented parallel to the lower electrode reference surface. Then, temporarily holding the upper electrode reference surface oriented parallel to the lower electrode reference surface, and securing the upper electrode to a drive to mount the upper electrode reference surface parallel to the lower electrode reference surface. Other method configurations are also disclosed and illustrated.

Abstract: An apparatus for freeze drying a substrate is provided. A chamber for receiving a substrate is provided. An electrostatic chuck (ESC) for supporting and electrostatically clamping the substrate is within the chamber. A temperature controller controls the temperature of the electrostatic chuck. A condenser is connected to the chamber. A vacuum pump is in fluid connection with the chamber.

Abstract: A dry-in/dry-out system is disclosed for wafer electroless plating. The system includes an upper zone for wafer ingress/egress and drying operations. Proximity heads are provided in the upper zone to perform the drying operations. The system also includes a lower zone for electroless plating operations. The lower zone includes an electroless plating apparatus that implements a wafer submersion by fluid upwelling method. The upper and lower zones of the system are enclosed by a dual-walled chamber, wherein the inner wall is a chemically inert plastic and the outer wall is a structural metal. The system interfaces with a fluid handling system which provides the necessary chemistry supply and control for the system. The system is ambient controlled. Also, the system interfaces with an ambient controlled managed transfer module (MTM).

Abstract: A dry-in/dry-out system is disclosed for wafer electroless plating. The system includes an upper zone for wafer ingress/egress and drying operations. Proximity heads are provided in the upper zone to perform the drying operations. The system also includes a lower zone for electroless plating operations. The lower zone includes an electroless plating apparatus that implements a wafer submersion by fluid upwelling method. The upper and lower zones of the system are enclosed by a dual-walled chamber, wherein the inner wall is a chemically inert plastic and the outer wall is a structural metal. The system interfaces with a fluid handling system which provides the necessary chemistry supply and control for the system. The system is ambient controlled. Also, the system interfaces with an ambient controlled managed transfer module (MTM).

Abstract: Improved gate movement is provided in a wet process environment in which fluid collecting from a gate occurs adjacent to an access opening provided in a wall of a process chamber while the gate is moved relative to the opening. A minimum space environment is adjacent to the chamber due to a requirement for fluid collection next to the opening, yet the gate movement is provided without interference with a wafer transfer unit that moves the wafer through the access opening. Drives are configured within the minimum space environment to move the gate into and out of alignment with the opening and when aligned, to move the gate into and out of a gate closure position. The configuration of the drives avoids interference with the wafer transfer unit and the gate is received in a fluid collector during the gate movement to provide fluid collection during the wafer transfer.

Abstract: A dry-in/dry-out system is disclosed for wafer electroless plating. The system includes an upper zone for wafer ingress/egress and drying operations. Proximity heads are provided in the upper zone to perform the drying operations. The system also includes a lower zone for electroless plating operations. The lower zone includes an electroless plating apparatus that implements a wafer submersion by fluid upwelling method. The upper and lower zones of the system are enclosed by a dual-walled chamber, wherein the inner wall is a chemically inert plastic and the outer wall is a structural metal. The system interfaces with a fluid handling system which provides the necessary chemistry supply and control for the system. The system is ambient controlled. Also, the system interfaces with an ambient controlled managed transfer module (MTM).

Abstract: A device for cleaning a bevel edge of a semiconductor substrate. The device includes: a lower support having a cylindrical top portion; a lower plasma-exclusion-zone (PEZ) ring surrounding the outer edge of the top portion and adapted to support the substrate; an upper dielectric component opposing the lower support and having a cylindrical bottom portion; an upper PEZ ring surrounding the outer edge of the bottom portion and opposing the lower PEZ ring; and at least one radiofrequency (RF) power source operative to energize process gas into plasma in an annular space defined by the upper and lower PEZ rings, wherein the annular space encloses the bevel edge.

Abstract: Methods for orienting an upper electrode relative to a lower electrode are provided. The lower electrode is configured to have a desired existing orientation in a process chamber to define active and inactive process zones in the process chamber for processing a wafer. The method includes configuring each electrode with a reference surface, where a lower electrode reference surface is in the desired existing orientation and an upper electrode reference surface to be oriented parallel to the lower electrode reference surface. Then, temporarily holding the upper electrode reference surface oriented parallel to the lower electrode reference surface, and securing the upper electrode to a drive to mount the upper electrode reference surface parallel to the lower electrode reference surface. Other method configurations are also disclosed and illustrated.

Abstract: A device for cleaning a bevel edge of a semiconductor substrate. The device includes: a lower support having a cylindrical top portion; a lower plasma-exclusion-zone (PEZ) ring surrounding the outer edge of the top portion and adapted to support the substrate; an upper dielectric component opposing the lower support and having a cylindrical bottom portion; an upper PEZ ring surrounding the outer edge of the bottom portion and opposing the lower PEZ ring; and at least one radiofrequency (RF) power source operative to energize process gas into plasma in an annular space defined by the upper and lower PEZ rings, wherein the annular space encloses the bevel edge.

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.

Abstract: A device for cleaning a bevel edge of a semiconductor substrate. The device includes a lower electrode assembly that has a top surface and is adapted to support the substrate and an upper electrode assembly that has a bottom surface opposing the top surface. The lower and upper electrode assemblies generate plasma for cleaning the bevel edge of the substrate disposed between the top and bottom surfaces during operation. The device also includes a mechanism for suspending the upper electrode assembly over the lower support and adjusting the tilt angle and horizontal translation of the bottom surface relative to the top surface.

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.

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.

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.

Abstract: A device for cleaning a bevel edge of a semiconductor substrate. The device includes: a lower support having a cylindrical top portion; a lower plasma-exclusion-zone (PEZ) ring surrounding the outer edge of the top portion and adapted to support the substrate; an upper dielectric component opposing the lower support and having a cylindrical bottom portion; an upper PEZ ring surrounding the outer edge of the bottom portion and opposing the lower PEZ ring; and at least one radiofrequency (RF) power source operative to energize process gas into plasma in an annular space defined by the upper and lower PEZ rings, wherein the annular space encloses the bevel edge.

Abstract: A device for cleaning a bevel edge of a semiconductor substrate. The device includes a lower electrode assembly that has a top surface and is adapted to support the substrate and an upper electrode assembly that has a bottom surface opposing the top surface. The lower and upper electrode assemblies generate plasma for cleaning the bevel edge of the substrate disposed between the top and bottom surfaces during operation. The device also includes a mechanism for suspending the upper electrode assembly over the lower support and adjusting the tilt angle and horizontal translation of the bottom surface relative to the top surface.

Abstract: A bevel etcher incorporating a vacuum chuck used for cleaning the bevel edge and for reducing the bending curvature of a semiconductor substrate. The bevel etcher includes a vacuum chuck and a plasma generation unit which energizes process gas into a plasma state. The vacuum chuck includes a chuck body and a support ring. The top surface of the chuck body and inner periphery of the support ring form a vacuum region enclosed by the bottom surface of a substrate mounted on the support ring. A vacuum pump evacuates the vacuum region during operation. The vacuum chuck is operative to hold the substrate in place by the pressure difference between the top and bottom surfaces of the substrate. The pressure difference also generates a bending force to reduce the bending curvature of the substrate.

Abstract: A plasma processing system for processing a substrate, is disclosed. The plasma processing system includes a single chamber, substantially azimuthally symmetric plasma processing chamber within which a plasma is both ignited and sustained for the processing. The plasma processing chamber has no separate plasma generation chamber. The plasma processing chamber has an upper end and a lower end. The plasma processing chamber includes a material that does not substantially react with the reactive gas chemistries that are delivered into the plasma processing chamber. In addition, the reactant gases that are flown into the plasma processing chamber are disclosed.

Abstract: A plasma processing apparatus for processing a substrate with a plasma is disclosed. The apparatus includes a first RF power source having a first RF frequency, and a process chamber. Further, the apparatus includes a substantially circular antenna operatively coupled to the first RF power source and disposed above a plane defined by the substrate when the substrate is disposed within the process chamber for processing. The substantially circular antenna being configured to induce an electric field inside the process chamber with a first RF energy generated by the first RF power source. The substantially circular antenna including at least a first pair of concentric loops in a first plane and a second pair of concentric loops in a second plane. The first pair of concentric loops and the second pair of concentric loops being substantially identical and symmetrically aligned with one another. The substantially circular antenna forming an azimuthally symmetric plasma inside the process chamber.

Abstract: A plasma processing system that includes a plasma processing chamber that provides enhanced control over an etch process is disclosed. The plasma processing chamber is connected to a gas flow system. The gas flow system can be employed to control the release of gases into different regions within the plasma processing chamber. In addition, the volume of the released gas, e.g., the flow rate of the gas, can be adjusted by a gas flow control mechanism. In this manner, both the position and the amount of the gas that is delivered to the plasma processing chamber can be controlled. The ability to adjust the position and the amount of gas that is released into the plasma processing chamber provides for a better control over the distribution of the neutral components. This in turn enhances control over the etching process.