Patents by Inventor Boris Govzman
Boris Govzman 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).
-
Patent number: 7513062Abstract: In a first aspect, a first method of drying a substrate is provided. The first method includes the steps of (1) lifting a substrate through an air/fluid interface at a first rate; (2) directing a drying vapor at the air/fluid interface during lifting of the substrate; and (3) while a portion of the substrate remains in the air/fluid interface, reducing a rate at which a remainder of the substrate is lifted through the air/fluid interface to a second rate. The drying vapor may form an angle of about 23° with the air/fluid interface and/or the second rate may be about 2.5 mm/sec.Type: GrantFiled: February 9, 2005Date of Patent: April 7, 2009Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.Inventors: Younes Achkire, Alexander N Lerner, Boris Govzman, Boris Fishkin, Michael N Sugarman, Rashid A Mavliev, Haoquan Fang, Shijian Li, Guy E Shirazi, Jianshe Tang
-
Patent number: 7427337Abstract: An apparatus for electropolishing a conductive layer on a wafer using a solution is disclosed. The apparatus comprises an electrode assembly immersed in the solution configured proximate to the conductive layer having a longitudinal dimension extending to at least a periphery of the wafer, the electrode assembly including an elongated contact electrode configured to receive a potential difference, an isolator adjacent the elongated contact electrode, and an elongated process electrode adjacent the isolator configured to receive the potential difference, a voltage supply is configured to supply the potential difference between the contact electrode and the process electrode to electropolish the conductive layer on the wafer.Type: GrantFiled: April 12, 2004Date of Patent: September 23, 2008Assignee: Novellus Systems, Inc.Inventors: Bulent M. Basol, Jalal Ashjaee, Boris Govzman, Homayoun Talieh, Bernard M. Frey
-
Publication number: 20070295371Abstract: In a first aspect, a module is provided that is adapted to process a wafer. The module includes a processing portion having one or more features such as (1) a rotatable wafer support for rotating an input wafer from a first orientation wherein the wafer is in line with a load port to a second orientation wherein the wafer is in line with an unload port; (2) a catcher adapted to contact and travel passively with a wafer as it is unloaded from the processing portion; (3) an enclosed output portion adapted to create a laminar air flow from one side thereof to the other; (4) an output portion having a plurality of wafer receivers; (5) submerged fluid nozzles; and/or (6) drying gas flow deflectors, etc. Other aspects include methods of wafer processing.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 28, 2007Publication date: December 27, 2007Inventors: Younes Achkire, Alexander Lerner, Boris Govzman, Boris Fishkin, Michael Sugarman, Rashid Mavleiv, Haoquan Fang, Shijian Li, Guy Shirazi, Jianshe Tang
-
Publication number: 20070004316Abstract: An integrated process tool for chemical mechanical processing, cleaning and drying a semiconductor workpiece is provided. The integrated process tool includes a CMP module and a cleaning and drying module. After being processed, the workpiece is transported from the CMP module to the cleaning and drying module using a movable housing. In the cleaning and drying module, a cleaning mechanism is used to clean the workpiece while the workpiece is rotated and held by a support stucture of the movable housing. A drying mechanism of the cleaning and drying module picks up the workpiece from the moveable housing and spin dries it. Throughout the CMP process, cleaning and drying, the processed surface of the wafer faces down.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 13, 2006Publication date: January 4, 2007Inventors: Jalal Ashjaee, Boris Govzman, Bernard Frey, Boguslaw Nagorski, Douglas Young, Bulent Basol, Homayoun Talieh
-
Publication number: 20060174921Abstract: In a first aspect, a module is provided that is adapted to process a wafer. The module includes a processing portion having one or more features such as (1) a rotatable wafer support for rotating an input wafer from a first orientation wherein the wafer is in line with a load port to a second orientation wherein the wafer is in line with an unload port; (2) a catcher adapted to contact and travel passively with a wafer as it is unloaded from the processing portion; (3) an enclosed output portion adapted to create a laminar air flow from one side thereof to the other; (4) an output portion having a plurality of wafer receivers; (5) submerged fluid nozzles; and/or (6) drying gas flow deflectors, etc. Other aspects include methods of wafer processing.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 4, 2006Publication date: August 10, 2006Inventors: Younes Achkire, Alexander Lerner, Boris Govzman, Boris Fishkin, Michael Sugarman, Rashid Mavleiv, Haoquan Fang, Shijian Li, Guy Shirazi, Jianshe Tang
-
Patent number: 7059944Abstract: An integrated process tool for chemical mechanical processing, cleaning and drying a semiconductor workpiece is provided. The integrated process tool includes a CMP module and a cleaning and drying module. After being processed, the workpiece is transported from the CMP module to the cleaning and drying module using a movable housing. In the cleaning and drying module, a cleaning mechanism is used to clean the workpiece while the workpiece is rotated and held by a support stucture of the movable housing. A drying mechanism of the cleaning and drying module picks up the workpiece from the moveable housing and spin dries it. Throughout the CMP process, cleaning and drying, the processed surface of the wafer faces down.Type: GrantFiled: February 18, 2003Date of Patent: June 13, 2006Assignee: ASM Nutool, Inc.Inventors: Jalal Ashjaee, Boris Govzman, Bernard M. Frey, Boguslaw A. Nagorski, Douglas W. Young, Bulent M. Basol, Homayoun Talieh
-
Publication number: 20050241684Abstract: In a first aspect, a module is provided that is adapted to process a wafer. The module includes a processing portion having one or more features such as (1) a rotatable wafer support for rotating an input wafer from a first orientation wherein the wafer is in line with a load port to a second orientation wherein the wafer is in line with an unload port; (2) a catcher adapted to contact and travel passively with a wafer as it is unloaded from the processing portion; (3) an enclosed output portion adapted to create a laminar air flow from one side thereof to the other; (4) an output portion having a plurality of wafer receivers; (5) submerged fluid nozzles; and/or (6) drying gas flow deflectors, etc. Other aspects include methods of wafer processing.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 12, 2005Publication date: November 3, 2005Inventors: Younes Achkire, Alexander Lerner, Boris Govzman, Boris Fishkin, Michael Sugarman, Rashid Mavleiv, Haoquan Fang, Shijian Li, Guy Shirazi, Jianshe Tang
-
Publication number: 20050229426Abstract: In a first aspect, a first method of drying a substrate is provided. The first method includes the steps of (1) lifting a substrate through an air/fluid interface at a first rate; (2) directing a drying vapor at the air/fluid interface during lifting of the substrate; and (3) while a portion of the substrate remains in the air/fluid interface, reducing a rate at which a remainder of the substrate is lifted through the air/fluid interface to a second rate. The drying vapor may form an angle of about 23° with the air/fluid interface and/or the second rate may be about 2.5 mm/sec.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 9, 2005Publication date: October 20, 2005Inventors: Younes Achkire, Alexander Lerner, Boris Govzman, Boris Fishkin, Michael Sugarman, Rashid Mavliev, Haoquan Fang, Shijian Li, Guy Shirazi, Jianshe Tang
-
Publication number: 20050133379Abstract: An apparatus for electropolishing a conductive layer on a wafer using a solution is disclosed. The apparatus comprises an electrode assembly immersed in the solution configured proximate to the conductive layer having a longitudinal dimension extending to at least a periphery of the wafer, the electrode assembly including an elongated contact electrode configured to receive a potential difference, an isolator adjacent the elongated contact electrode, and an elongated process electrode adjacent the isolator configured to receive the potential difference, a voltage supply is configured to supply the potential difference between the contact electrode and the process electrode to electropolish the conductive layer on the wafer.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 12, 2004Publication date: June 23, 2005Inventors: Bulent Basol, Jalal Ashjaee, Boris Govzman, Homayoun Talieh, Bernard Frey
-
Publication number: 20030166382Abstract: An integrated process tool for chemical mechanical processing, cleaning and drying a semiconductor workpiece is provided. The integrated process tool includes a CMP module and a cleaning and drying module. After being processed, the workpiece is transported from the CMP module to the cleaning and drying module using a movable housing. In the cleaning and drying module, a cleaning mechanism is used to clean the workpiece while the workpiece is rotated and held by a support stucture of the movable housing. A drying mechanism of the cleaning and drying module picks up the workpiece from the moveable housing and spin dries it. Throughout the CMP process, cleaning and drying, the processed surface of the wafer faces down.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 18, 2003Publication date: September 4, 2003Inventors: Jalal Ashjaee, Boris Govzman, Bernard M. Frey, Boguslaw A. Nagorski, Douglas W. Young, Bulent M. Basol, Homayoun Talieh
-
Patent number: 6517415Abstract: A carrier head for a chemical mechanical polishing system includes a substrate sensing mechanism. The carrier head includes a base and a flexible member connected to the base to define a chamber. A lower surface of the flexible member provides a substrate receiving surface. The substrate sensing mechanism includes a sensor to measure a pressure in the chamber and generate an output signal representative thereof, and a processor configured to indicate whether the substrate is attached to the substrate receiving surface in response to the output signal.Type: GrantFiled: November 19, 2001Date of Patent: February 11, 2003Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.Inventors: Boris Govzman, Steven M. Zuniga, Hung Chen, Sasson Somekh
-
Patent number: 6454332Abstract: Substrate handling apparatus and methods are described. In one aspect, the substrate handling apparatus includes a clamping member having an extended condition wherein substrate movement relative to the transfer arm is substantially restricted and a retracted condition wherein substrate movement relative to the transfer arm is substantially free. The substrate handling apparatus further includes a sense mechanism (e.g., a vacuum sensor) constructed to determine whether a substrate is properly positioned on the support arm and to trigger the mode of operation of the clamping member between extended and retracted conditions. The sense mechanism also provides information relating to the operating condition of the clamping member.Type: GrantFiled: December 4, 1998Date of Patent: September 24, 2002Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.Inventors: Boris Govzman, Konstantin Volodarsky, Leon Volfovski
-
Publication number: 20020031981Abstract: A carrier head for a chemical mechanical polishing system includes a substrate sensing mechanism. The carrier head includes a base and a flexible member connected to the base to define a chamber. A lower surface of the flexible member provides a substrate receiving surface. The substrate sensing mechanism includes a sensor to measure a pressure in the chamber and generate an output signal representative thereof, and a processor configured to indicate whether the substrate is attached to the substrate receiving surface in response to the output signal.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 19, 2001Publication date: March 14, 2002Inventors: Boris Govzman, Steven M. Zuniga, Hung Chen, Sasson Somekh
-
Patent number: 6244932Abstract: A carrier head for a chemical mechanical polishing system includes a substrate sensing mechanism. The carrier head includes a base and a flexible member connected to the base to define a chamber. A lower surface of the flexible member provides a substrate receiving surface. The substrate sensing mechanism includes a sensor to measure a pressure in the chamber and generate an output signal representative thereof, and a processor configured to indicate whether the substrate is attached to the substrate receiving surface in response to the output signal.Type: GrantFiled: August 5, 1999Date of Patent: June 12, 2001Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.Inventors: Boris Govzman, Steven M. Zuniga, Hung Chen
-
Patent number: 6227585Abstract: Substrate handling apparatus and methods are described. In one aspect, the substrate handling apparatus includes a clamping member having an extended condition wherein substrate movement relative to the transfer arm is substantially restricted and a retracted condition wherein substrate movement relative to the transfer arm is substantially free. The substrate handling apparatus further includes a sense mechanism (e.g., a vacuum sensor) constructed to determine whether a substrate is properly positioned on the support arm and to trigger the mode of operation of the clamping member between extended and retracted conditions. The sense mechanism also provides information relating to the operating condition of the clamping member.Type: GrantFiled: December 4, 1998Date of Patent: May 8, 2001Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.Inventors: Boris Govzman, Konstantin Volodarsky, Leon Volfovski
-
Patent number: 5957751Abstract: A carrier head for a chemical mechanical polishing system includes a substrate sensing mechanism. The carrier head includes a base and a flexible member connected to the base to define a chamber. A lower surface of the flexible member provides a substrate receiving surface. The substrate sensing mechanism includes a sensor to measure a pressure in the chamber and generate an output signal representative thereof, and a processor configured to indicate whether the substrate is attached to the substrate receiving surface in response to the output signal.Type: GrantFiled: May 23, 1997Date of Patent: September 28, 1999Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.Inventors: Boris Govzman, Steven M. Zuniga, Hung Chen, Sasson Somekh