Abstract: A pod loading station and method of operation are provided for enabling the transfer and introduction of wafers into a processing system from a wafer pod. The pod loading station generally includes a movable receiving platform for supporting a wafer pod and a movable pod door receiver having a pod door latch actuating mechanism disposed thereon. The movable platform supports a wafer pod, moves the wafer pod into engagement with the pod door receiver, and then retracts to enable the door supported by the door receiver to be removed from the opening of the pod. The pod door receiver then lowers the pod door below the pod to enable access to the pod opening.

Abstract: A wafer storage and wafer transfer system adjunct to a multi-station chemical mechanical polishing system. Multiple wafers are brought to the system stored in a cassette. A claw member attached to an overhead arm picks up the cassette and deposits it in a water-filled tub next to the polishing system, thereby submerging the wafers in the water with a generally vertical orientation. A blade member attached to the same arm has a recess formed in its surface connected to a vacuum generator powered by positive fluid pressure to thereby selectively apply a vacuum to the recess to vacuum chuck a wafer. The blade member vacuum chucks a wafer under the water, picks it out of the water, and deposits it on a pedestal in polishing system. One of several wafer heads on a rotating carousel picks up the wafer from the pedestal and carries it to one or more of the polishing stations for polishing. After completion of polishing, the wafer head redeposits the wafer on the pedestal.

Abstract: In one aspect, an apparatus and a method for use in substrate polishing are described wherein a conditioner head is provided for receiving an end effector for conditioning a polishing pad surface; the conditioner head is supported above the polishing pad surface to be conditioned; and the conditioner head is driven with an actuating force from a position that lies along a line that is substantially normal to the polishing pad surface to be conditioned so that an end effector attached to the conditioner head can condition the surface of the polishing pad. In another aspect, pneumatic pressure is supplied through the conditioner head support arm to apply actuating force to the conditioner head so that an end effector attached to the conditioner head can condition the surface of the polishing pad.

Abstract: A carrier head with a flexible member connected to a base to define a first chamber, a second chamber and a third chamber. A lower surface of the flexible member provides a substrate receiving surface with an inner portion associated with the first chamber, a substantially annular middle portion surrounding the inner portion and associated with the second chamber, and a substantially annular outer portion surrounding the middle portion and associated with the third chamber. The width of the outer portion may be significantly less than the width of the middle portion. The carrier head may also include a flange connected to a drive shaft and a gimbal pivotally connecting the flange to the base.

Abstract: The present invention generally provides a rotary wafer carousel and related wafer handler for moving wafers or other workpieces through a processing system, i.e., a semiconductor fabrication tool. Generally, the present invention includes a rotary wafer carousel having a plurality of wafer seats disposed thereon to support one or more wafers. The rotary carousel is preferably disposed through the lid in a transfer chamber opposite the robot which is preferably disposed through the bottom of the transfer chamber. The rotary carousel and the robot cooperate to locate wafers adjacent to process chambers and move wafers into and out of various chambers of the system. The invention improves the throughput of the system by positioning wafers adjacent to the appropriate chamber to reduce the amount of movement required of the robot for transporting wafers between chambers.

Abstract: Vacuum CVD chambers are disclosed which provide a more uniformly deposited thin film on a substrate. The chamber susceptor mount for the substrate is heated resistively with a single coil firmly contacting the metal of the susceptor on all sides, providing uniform temperatures across the susceptor mount for a substrate. A purge gas line is connected to openings in the susceptor outside of the periphery of the substrate to prevent edge and backside contamination of the substrate. A vacuum feed line mounts the substrate to the susceptor plate during processing. A refractory purge guide, or a plurality of placement pins, maintain a fixed gap passage for the purge gases to pass alongside the edge of the wafer and into the processing area of the chamber. An exhaust pumping plate improves the uniformity of exhaustion of spent gases from the chamber.

Abstract: A chemical mechanical polishing apparatus includes a rotatable platen for receiving a polishing pad. The polishing pad is attached to a polishing pad support plate. The polishing pad support plate is removably secured to the platen by a fastening assembly.

Abstract: A loading apparatus includes a cassette loader with a cassette support plate that can extend through a window of an enclosure. A cassette on the support plate can be moved through the window. A motor rotates the support plate to place the cassette in position to be lifted by a robotic arm and transferred to a holding tub. When the support plate is rotated, a shield moves to a position to close the window.

Abstract: An improved deposition chamber deposits useful layers on substrates. The improved chamber includes a substrate edge protection system which, in combination with a purge gas, protects selected portions of the edge and underside of the substrate from the deposition gas while preventing the creation of a masked area on the substrate edge. The substrate is supported on a solid receiving plate, and a positioning assembly aligns the substrate to the receiving plate. In some embodiments, the invention may include a stem interconnected to the substrate, a heat limiting member disposed about the stem, and a shroud extending about the stem.

Abstract: A method for protecting a selected area of a substrate against deposition on the selected area. The method includes the steps of flowing a process gas into a substrate processing chamber and flowing a purge gas to the selected area of the substrate to prevent the process gas from contacting the selected area or minimize contact between the process gas and the selected area. In various embodiments the selected area is a backside periphery of the substrate or the edge of the substrate. Also in these embodiments, the process gas is flowed into a deposition zone in order to deposit a thin film layer over an upper surface of the substrate, and a flow of the process and purge gas is established such that the process gas flows radically across the upper surface of the substrate, combines with the purge gas near an edge of the substrate and exits the processing chamber through an exhaust system.

Abstract: Vacuum CVD chambers are disclosed which provide a more uniformly deposited thin film on a substrate. The chamber susceptor mount for the substrate is heated resistively with a single coil firmly contacting the metal of the susceptor on all sides, providing uniform temperatures across the susceptor mount for a substrate. A purge gas line is connected to openings in the susceptor outside of the periphery of the substrate to prevent edge and backside contamination of the substrate. A vacuum feed line mounts the substrate to the susceptor plate during processing. A refractory purge guide, or a plurality of placement pins, maintain a fixed gap passage for the purge gases to pass alongside the edge of the wafer and into the processing area of the chamber. An exhaust pumping plate improves the uniformity of exhaustion of spent gases from the chamber.

Abstract: An apparatus for polishing semiconductor wafers and other workpieces that includes a polishing pads mounted on respective platens at multiple polishing stations. Multiple wafer heads, at least one greater in number than the number of polishing stations, can be loaded with individual wafers. The wafer heads are suspended from a carousel, which provides circumferential positioning of the heads relative to the polishing pads, and the wafer heads oscillate radially as supported by the carousel to sweep linearly across the respective pads in radial directions with respect to the rotatable carousel. Each polishing station includes a pad conditioner to recondition the polishing pad so that it retains a high polishing rate. Washing stations may be disposed between polishing stations and between the polishing stations and a transfer and washing station to wash the wafer as the carousel moves. A transfer and washing station is disposed similarly to the polishing pads.

Abstract: A substrate processing reactor capable of thermal CVD, plasma-enhanced CVD, plasma-assisted etchback, plasma self-cleaning and other substrate processing operations all of which can either be performed separately or as part of in-situ multiple step processing. The reactor incorporates a uniform radial gas pumping system which enables uniform reactant gas flow across the wafer. Also included are upper and lower purge gas dispersers. The upper purge gas disperser directs purge gas flow downwardly toward the periphery of the wafer while the lower gas disperser directs purge gas across the backside of the wafer. The radial pumping gas system and purge gas dispersers sweep radially away from the wafer to prevent deposition external to the wafer and keep the chamber clean.

Abstract: An apparatus for polishing semiconductor wafers and other workpieces that includes polishing pads mounted on respective platens at multiple polishing stations. Multiple wafer heads, at least one greater in number than the number of polishing stations, can be loaded with individual wafers. The wafer heads are suspended from a carousel, which provides circumferential positioning of the heads relative to the polishing pads, and the wafer heads oscillate radially as supported by the carousel to sweep linearly across the respective pads in radial directions with respect to the rotatable carousel. Each polishing station includes a pad conditioner to recondition the polishing pad so that it retains a high polishing rate. Washing stations may be disposed between polishing stations and between the polishing stations and a transfer and washing station to wash the wafer as the carousel moves. A transfer and washing station is disposed similarly to the polishing pads.

Abstract: An improved deposition chamber deposits useful layers on substrates. The improved chamber includes a substrate edge protection system which, in combination with a purge gas, protects selected portions of the edge and underside of the substrate from the deposition gas while preventing the creation of a masked area on the substrate edge. The substrate is supported on a solid receiving plate, which is supported by a stem having a heat limiting member and a shroud to protect the stem and a positioning assembly aligns the substrate to the receiving plate.

Abstract: Vacuum CVD chambers are disclosed which provide a more uniformly deposited thin film on a substrate. The chamber susceptor mount for the substrate is heated resistively with a single coil firmly contacting the metal of the susceptor on all sides, providing uniform temperatures across the susceptor mount for a substrate. A purge gas line is connected to openings in the susceptor outside of the periphery of the substrate to prevent edge and backside contamination of the substrate. A vacuum feed line mounts the substrate to the susceptor plate during processing. A refractory purge guide, or a plurality of placement pins, maintain a fixed gap passage for the purge gases to pass alongside the edge of the wafer and into the processing area of the chamber. An exhaust pumping plate improves the uniformity of exhaustion of spent gases from the chamber.

Abstract: A thermal reaction chamber for semiconductor wafer processing operations comprising:(i) a susceptor for supporting a semiconductor wafer within the chamber and having a plurality of apertures formed vertically therethrough;(ii) displacer means for displacing the susceptor vertically between at least a first and a second position;(iii) a plurality of wafer support elements, each of which is suspended to be vertically moveable within said apertures and each of which extends beyond the underside of the susceptor; and(iv) means for restricting the downward movement of the wafer support elements. As the susceptor is displaced from its first position through an intermediate position before the second position, the means for restricting operate to stop the continued downward movement of the wafer support elements thereby causing the elements to move vertically upwards with respect to the downwardly moving susceptor and separate the wafer from the susceptor.

Abstract: A high pressure, high throughput, single wafer, semiconductor processing reactor is disclosed which is capable of thermal CVD, plasma-enhanced CVD, plasma-assisted etchback, plasma self-cleaning, and deposition topography modification by sputtering, either separately or as part of in-situ multiple step processing. The reactor includes cooperating arrays of interdigitated susceptor and wafer support fingers which collectively remove the wafer from a robot transfer blade and position the wafer with variable, controlled, close parallel spacing between the wafer and the chamber gas inlet manifold, then return the wafer to the blade. A combined RF/gas feed-through device protects against process gas leaks and applies RF energy to the gas inlet manifold without internal breakdown or deposition of the gas. The gas inlet manifold is adapted for providing uniform gas flow over the wafer.

Abstract: A high pressure, high throughout, single wafer semiconductor processing reactor is disclosed which is capable of thermal CVD, plasma-enhanced CVD, plasma-assisted etchback, plasma self-cleaning and deposition topography modification by sputtering, either separately or as part of in-situ multiple step processing. The reactor provides uniform processing over a wide range of pressures including very high pressures. A low temperature process for forming a highly conformal layer of silicon dioxide from a plasma of TEOS, oxygen and ozone is also disclosed. This layer can be planarized using an etchback process. Silicon oxide deposition and etchback can be carried out sequentially in the reactor.

Abstract: A high pressure, high throughput, single wafer, semiconductor processing reactor is disclosed which is capable of thermal CVD, plasma-enhanced CVD, plasma-assisted etchback, plasma self-cleaning, and deposition topography modification by sputtering, either separately or as part of in-situ multiple step processing. The reactor includes cooperating arrays of interdigitated susceptor and wafer support fingers which collectively remove the wafer from a robot transfer blade and position the wafer with variable, controlled, close parallel spacing between the wafer and the chamber gas inlet manifold, then return the wafer to the blade. A combined RF/gas feed-through device protects against process gas leaks and applies RF energy to the gas inlet manifold without internal breakdown or deposition of the gas. The gas inlet manifold is adapted for providing uniform gas flow over the wafer.