Abstract: A heated support assembly is disclosed which includes a body comprising aluminum nitride doped with magnesium oxide having a volume resistivity of about 1×1010 ?-cm at about 600 degrees Celsius, an electrode embedded in the body, and a heater mesh embedded in the body.

Abstract: A method of processing a substrate according to a PECVD process is described. Temperature profile of the substrate is adjusted to change deposition rate profile across the substrate. Plasma density profile is adjusted to change deposition rate profile across the substrate. Chamber surfaces exposed to the plasma are heated to improve plasma density uniformity and reduce formation of low quality deposits on chamber surfaces. In situ metrology may be used to monitor progress of a deposition process and trigger control actions involving substrate temperature profile, plasma density profile, pressure, temperature, and flow of reactants.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for a heated substrate support pedestal is provided. In one embodiment, the heated substrate support pedestal includes a body comprising a ceramic material, a plurality of heating elements encapsulated within the body A stem is coupled to a bottom surface of the body. A plurality of heater elements, a top electrode and a shield electrode are disposed within the body. The top electrode is disposed adjacent a top surface of the body, while the shield electrode is disposed adjacent the bottom surface of the body. A conductive rod is disposed through the stem and is coupled to the top electrode.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to semiconductor processes and devices. More specifically, embodiments of the present invention provide a semiconductor device that comprises a kite-shaped cavity, and the shaped cavity is filled with silicon and germanium material. There are other embodiments as well.

Abstract: A data accessing method includes: determining whether a preset cache area has cached data that a read target address points to when receiving a read instruction that includes the read target address; and finding a cache address corresponding to the read target address according to a first mapping relationship if the preset cache area has cached the data that the read target address points to, and reading data that the cache address points to from the preset cache area, where the first mapping relationship is used to record a correspondence between the target address and the cache address; orreading, from non-volatile storage space, the data that the read target address points to if the preset cache area has not cached the data that the read target address points to. By means of the method, data read errors caused by write interference can be reduced.

Abstract: Implementations described herein generally relate to materials and coatings, and more specifically to materials and coatings for aluminum and aluminum-containing chamber components. In one implementation, a process is provided. The process comprises exposing an aluminum-containing component to a moisture thermal treatment process and exposing the aluminum-containing component to a thermal treatment process. The moisture thermal treatment process comprises exposing the aluminum-containing component to an environment having a moisture content from about 30% to about 100% at a first temperature from about 30 to about 100 degrees Celsius. The thermal treatment process comprises heating the aluminum-containing component to a second temperature from about 200 degrees Celsius to about 550 degrees Celsius to form an alumina layer on the at least one surface of the aluminum-containing component.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to a substrate support assembly in a semiconductor processing chamber. The semiconductor processing chamber may be a PECVD chamber including a substrate support assembly having a substrate support and a stem coupled to the substrate support. An RF electrode is embedded in the substrate support and a rod is coupled to the RF electrode. The rod is made of titanium (Ti) or of nickel (Ni) coated with gold (Au), silver (Ag), aluminum (Al), or copper (Cu). The rod made of Ti or of Ni coated with Au, Ag, Al or Cu has a reduced electrical resistivity and increased skin depth, which minimizes heat generation as RF current travels through the rod.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for a heated pedestal is provided. In one embodiment, the heated pedestal includes a body comprising a ceramic material, a plurality of heating elements encapsulated within the body, and one or more grooves formed in a surface of the body adjacent each of the plurality of heating elements, at least one side of the grooves being bounded by a ceramic plate.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for a heated pedestal is provided. In one embodiment, the heated pedestal includes a body comprising a ceramic material, a plurality of heating elements encapsulated within the body, and one or more grooves formed in a surface of the body adjacent each of the plurality of heating elements, at least one side of the grooves being bounded by a ceramic plate.

Abstract: The present disclosure generally relates to a radiation shield for a process chamber which improves substrate temperature uniformity. The radiation shield may be disposed between a slit valve door of the process chamber and a substrate support disposed within the process chamber. In some embodiments, the radiation shield may be disposed under a heater of the process chamber. Furthermore, the radiation shield may block radiation and/or heat supplied from the process chamber, and in some embodiments, the radiation shield may absorb and/or reflect radiation, thus providing improved temperature uniformity as well as improving a planar profile of the substrate.

Abstract: Implementations disclosed herein describe a bevel etch apparatus within a loadlock bevel etch chamber and methods of using the same. The bevel etch apparatus has a mask assembly within the loadlock bevel etch chamber. During an etch process, the mask assembly delivers a gas flow to control bevel etch without the use of a shadow frame. As such, the edge exclusion at the bevel edge can be reduced, thus increasing product yield.

Abstract: Implementations of the present disclosure generally relate to methods and apparatus for generating and controlling plasma, for example RF filters, used with plasma chambers. In one implementation, a plasma processing apparatus is provided. The plasma processing apparatus comprises a chamber body, a powered gas distribution manifold enclosing a processing volume and a radio frequency (RF) filter. A pedestal having a substrate-supporting surface is disposed in the processing volume. A heating assembly comprising one or more heating elements is disposed within the pedestal for controlling a temperature profile of the substrate-supporting surface. A tuning assembly comprising a tuning electrode is disposed within the pedestal between the one or more heating elements and the substrate-supporting surface. The RF filter comprises an air core inductor, wherein at least one of the heating elements, the tuning electrode, and the gas distribution manifold is electrically coupled to the RF filter.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure provide an improved electrostatic chuck for supporting a substrate. The electrostatic chuck comprises a chuck body coupled to a support stem, the chuck body having a substrate supporting surface, a plurality of tabs projecting from the substrate supporting surface of the chuck body, wherein the tabs are disposed around the circumference of the chuck body, an electrode embedded within the chuck body, the electrode extending radially from a center of the chuck body to a region beyond the plurality of tabs, and an RF power source coupled to the electrode through a first electrical connection.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention generally relate to heated substrate supports having a protective coating thereon. The protective coating is formed from yttrium oxide at a molar concentration ranging from about 50 mole percent to about 75 mole percent; zirconium oxide at a molar concentration ranging from about 10 mole percent to about 30 mole percent; and at least one other component, selected from the group consisting of aluminum oxide, hafnium oxide, scandium oxide, neodymium oxide, niobium oxide, samarium oxide, ytterbium oxide, erbium oxide, cerium oxide, and combinations thereof, at a molar concentration ranging from about 10 mole percent to about 30 mole percent. The alloying of yttrium oxide with a compatible oxide improves wear resistance, flexural strength, and fracture toughness of the protective coating, relative to pure yttrium oxide.

Abstract: A method of processing a substrate according to a PECVD process is described. Temperature profile of the substrate is adjusted to change deposition rate profile across the substrate. Plasma density profile is adjusted to change deposition rate profile across the substrate. Chamber surfaces exposed to the plasma are heated to improve plasma density uniformity and reduce formation of low quality deposits on chamber surfaces. In situ metrology may be used to monitor progress of a deposition process and trigger control actions involving substrate temperature profile, plasma density profile, pressure, temperature, and flow of reactants.

Abstract: A direct current voltage conversion device includes a direct current to alternating current converter, a transformer, a first converter switch, a second converter switch and a clamping circuit. The clamping circuit clamps a voltage across the second converter switch to a preset value, and stores energy of a voltage peak across the second converter switch.

Abstract: A power conversion device includes a full-bridge switch circuit, a converter circuit, and a control circuit. The full-bridge switch circuit is operable to convert a direct current input voltage to a converted voltage. The converter circuit converts the converted voltage into a direct current output voltage. The converter circuit includes a resonant inductor, a transformer, a first converter switch, a second converter switch, an output inductor, and an output capacitor. The direct current output voltage is provided across the output capacitor. The control circuit controls the full-bridge switch circuit, the first converter switch and the second converter switch based on the direct current output voltage and a reference voltage.

Abstract: A solid state disk using method includes: determining a latency of the data block to-be-operated according to a load balancing table of the solid state disk; determining whether the latency of the data block is greater than a warning value, where the warning value is less than a typical latency, which is a preset latency indicating an operation on a data block in the solid state disk fails; and not performing the operation on the data block if the latency of the data block is greater than the warning value. By using this method, real load balancing from the perspective of physical property is achieved, bad blocks are reduced, use of reserved blocks is reduced, thereby prolonging the service life of the SSD.

Abstract: A method of processing a substrate according to a PECVD process is described. Temperature profile of the substrate is adjusted to change deposition rate profile across the substrate. Plasma density profile is adjusted to change deposition rate profile across the substrate. Chamber surfaces exposed to the plasma are heated to improve plasma density uniformity and reduce formation of low quality deposits on chamber surfaces. In situ metrology may be used to monitor progress of a deposition process and trigger control actions involving substrate temperature profile, plasma density profile, pressure, temperature, and flow of reactants.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide a bandwidth adjustment method, a bus controller, and a signal convertor. The method includes: obtaining, by a bus controller, a first frequency and a first channel number; sending a bandwidth negotiation request carrying the first frequency and the first channel number to a bus controller of a first peer end to determine whether or not the bus controller of the first peer end is capable of controlling a physical component of the first peer end to receive data via a channel corresponding to the first channel number according to the first frequency; and receiving a negotiation result sent by the first peer end and controlling the physical component to transmit data according to the negotiation result. In the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention, bandwidth adjustment is flexible and the loss of data is avoided.