Patents by Inventor Applied Materials, Inc.

Applied Materials, Inc. has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20130081702
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for in-situ calibration of a flow controller are provided herein. In some embodiments, a method of flowing a gas includes providing a flow controller configured to provide a first gas at a first value of a flow rate based on a calculated first relationship determined by using a standard gas; determining an actual first relationship between the flow rate and the setpoint for the first gas from a plurality of values of the flow rate of the first gas determined at a corresponding plurality of values of the setpoint of the flow controller, wherein each of the plurality of values of the flow rate is determined from flowing the first gas through the flow controller at corresponding ones of the plurality of values for the setpoint; and flowing the first gas at the first value of the flow rate based on the actual first relationship.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 26, 2012
    Publication date: April 4, 2013
    Applicant: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.
    Inventor: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.
  • Publication number: 20130075265
    Abstract: Methods for electrochemically processing microfeature wafers using at least one counter electrode in a vessel, a supplementary electrode and a supplementary virtual electrode. The supplementary electrode is configured to operate independently from the counter electrode in the vessel, and it can be a thief electrode and/or a de-plating electrode depending. The supplementary electrode can further be used as another counter electrode during a portion of a plating cycle or polishing cycle. The supplementary virtual electrode is located in the processing zone, and it is configured to counteract an electric field offset relative to the wafer associated with an offset between the wafer and the counter electrode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 20, 2012
    Publication date: March 28, 2013
    Applicant: APPLIED MATERIALS INC.
    Inventor: Applied Materials Inc.
  • Publication number: 20130068390
    Abstract: Embodiments described herein provide apparatus and methods for processing a substrate. One embodiment comprises a cleaning chamber. The cleaning chamber comprises one or more walls that form a low energy processing region, a plasma generating source to deliver electromagnetic energy to the low energy processing region, a first gas source to deliver a silicon containing gas or a germanium containing gas to the low energy processing region, a second gas source to deliver a oxidizing gas to the low energy processing region, an etching gas source to deliver a etching gas to the low energy processing region, and a substrate support having a substrate supporting surface, a biasing electrode, and a substrate support heat exchanging device to control the temperature of the substrate supporting surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 12, 2012
    Publication date: March 21, 2013
    Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventor: Applied Materials, Inc.
  • Publication number: 20130055953
    Abstract: A substrate support for supporting a substrate in a processing chamber comprises a frame for carrying the substrate, at least a first fastening means fixedly attached to the frame for aligning the substrate relative to the frame, and at least a second fastening means movably attached to the frame, the second fastening means being movable relative to the frame and/or the substrate. Furthermore, a processing device comprises an edge exclusion projecting over a portion of the surface of the substrate in order to prevent processing of the portion of the surface of the substrate. A part of the edge exclusion may be moved into a gap between the edge(s) of the substrate and the frame element of the substrate support to form a labyrinth seal between the frame element and the edge of the substrate. A method of placing the substrate on the substrate support is also disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 30, 2012
    Publication date: March 7, 2013
    Applicant: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.
    Inventor: Applied Materials, Inc.
  • Publication number: 20130044493
    Abstract: Embodiments of a lamphead and apparatus utilizing same are provided. In some embodiments, a lamphead for thermal processing may include a monolithic member having a plurality of coolant passages and a plurality of lamp passages and reflector cavities, wherein each lamp passage is configured to accommodate a lamp and each reflector cavity is shaped to act as a reflector or to receive a replaceable reflector for the lamp, and wherein the plurality of coolant passages are disposed proximate to the plurality of lamp passages; and at least one heat transfer member extending from the monolithic member into each coolant passage, wherein the at least one heat transfer member extends into each coolant passage up to the full height of each coolant passage. The lamphead may be disposed in an apparatus comprising a process chamber having a substrate support, wherein the lamphead is positioned to provide energy to the substrate support.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 23, 2012
    Publication date: February 21, 2013
    Applicant: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.
    Inventor: Applied Materials, Inc.