Patents by Inventor Kirby H. Floyd

Kirby H. Floyd 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: 11302520
    Abstract: Implementations of the disclosure generally provide an improved pedestal heater for a processing chamber. The pedestal heater includes a temperature-controlled plate having a first surface and a second surface opposing the first surface. The temperature-controlled plate includes an inner zone comprising a first set of heating elements, an outer zone comprising a second set of heating elements, the outer zone surrounding the inner zone, and a continuous thermal choke disposed between the inner zone and the outer zone, and a substrate receiving plate having a first surface and a second surface opposing the first surface, the second surface of the substrate receiving plate is coupled to the first surface of the temperature-controlled plate. The continuous thermal choke enables a very small temperature gradient to be created and manipulated between the inner zone and the outer zone, allowing center-fast or edge-fast etching profile to achieve on a surface of the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2022
    Assignee: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.
    Inventors: Tien Fak Tan, Dmitry Lubomirsky, Kirby H. Floyd, Son T. Nguyen, David Palagashvili, Alexander Tam, Shaofeng Chen
  • Patent number: 11257693
    Abstract: A semiconductor processing system may include a substrate pedestal. The system may also include at least one fluid channel having a delivery portion configured to deliver a temperature controlled fluid to the substrate pedestal, and having a return portion configured to return the temperature controlled fluid from the substrate pedestal. The system may also include a heater coupled with the delivery portion of the at least one fluid channel. The system may also include a temperature measurement device coupled with the return portion of the at least one fluid channel, and the temperature measurement device may be communicatively coupled with the heater.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2022
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Son Nguyen, Dmitry Lubomirsky, Chungman Kim, Kirby H. Floyd
  • Publication number: 20190371577
    Abstract: Implementations described herein provide a substrate support assembly which enables temperature uniformity across a workpiece surface. In one embodiment, a substrate support assembly is provided that includes a body. The body made from ceramic. The body having a workpiece support surface and a mounting surface. The workpiece support surface and the bonding chuck body surface having a flatness of less than 10 microns. A first heater is disposed on the bottom surface outside the body. A bonding layer is disposed over the first heater, wherein the bonding layer is electrically insulating and a cooling base having a body made from a metal. The cooling body having an upper cooling body surface and a lower cooling body surface wherein the upper cooling body surface is less than about 10 microns flat.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 3, 2019
    Publication date: December 5, 2019
    Inventors: David BENJAMINSON, Vijay D. PARKHE, Onkara Swamy KORA SIDDARAMAIAH, Kirby H. FLOYD, Justin WANG, Mehmet Tugrul SAMIR, Dmitry LUBOMIRSKY
  • Patent number: 9922819
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for processing a substrate are provided. The apparatus includes a pedestal and rotation member, both of which are moveably disposed within a processing chamber. The rotation member is adapted to rotate a substrate disposed in the chamber. The substrate may be supported by an edge ring during processing. The edge ring may selectively engage either the pedestal or the rotation member. In one embodiment, the edge ring engages the pedestal during a deposition process and the edge ring engages the rotation member during rotation of the substrate. The rotation of the substrate during processing may be discrete or continuous.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.
    Inventors: Ganesh Balasubramanian, Juan Carlos Rocha-Alvarez, Ramprakash Sankarakrishnan, Robert Kim, Dale R. Du Bois, Kirby H. Floyd, Amit Kumar Bansal, Tuan Anh Nguyen
  • Publication number: 20170162385
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for processing a substrate are provided. The apparatus includes a pedestal and rotation member, both of which are moveably disposed within a processing chamber. The rotation member is adapted to rotate a substrate disposed in the chamber. The substrate may be supported by an edge ring during processing. The edge ring may selectively engage either the pedestal or the rotation member. In one embodiment, the edge ring engages the pedestal during a deposition process and the edge ring engages the rotation member during rotation of the substrate. The rotation of the substrate during processing may be discrete or continuous.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 16, 2017
    Publication date: June 8, 2017
    Inventors: Ganesh BALASUBRAMANIAN, Juan Carlos ROCHA-ALVAREZ, Ramprakash SANKARAKRISHNAN, Robert KIM, Dale R. DU BOIS, Kirby H. FLOYD, Amit Kumar BANSAL, Tuan Anh NGUYEN
  • Publication number: 20160204009
    Abstract: A semiconductor processing system may include a substrate pedestal. The system may also include at least one fluid channel having a delivery portion configured to deliver a temperature controlled fluid to the substrate pedestal, and having a return portion configured to return the temperature controlled fluid from the substrate pedestal. The system may also include a heater coupled with the delivery portion of the at least one fluid channel. The system may also include a temperature measurement device coupled with the return portion of the at least one fluid channel, and the temperature measurement device may be communicatively coupled with the heater.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 9, 2015
    Publication date: July 14, 2016
    Inventors: Son Nguyen, Dmitry Lubomirsky, Chungman Kim, Kirby H. Floyd
  • Patent number: 9285168
    Abstract: A substrate processing system that has a plurality of deposition chambers, and one or more robotic arms for moving a substrate between one or more of a deposition chamber, load lock holding area, and a curing and treatment module. The substrate curing and treatment module is attached to the load-lock substrate holding area, and may include: The curing chamber for curing a dielectric layer in an atmosphere comprising ozone, and a treatment chamber for treating the cured dielectric layer in an atmosphere comprising water vapor. The chambers may be vertically aligned, have one or more access doors, and may include a heating system to adjust the curing and/or heating chambers between two or more temperatures respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2016
    Assignee: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.
    Inventors: Dmitry Lubomirsky, Jay D. Pinson, II, Kirby H. Floyd, Adib Khan, Shankar Venkataraman
  • Publication number: 20150380220
    Abstract: Implementations of the disclosure generally provide an improved pedestal heater for a processing chamber. The pedestal heater includes a temperature-controlled plate having a first surface and a second surface opposing the first surface. The temperature-controlled plate includes an inner zone comprising a first set of heating elements, an outer zone comprising a second set of heating elements, the outer zone surrounding the inner zone, and a continuous thermal choke disposed between the inner zone and the outer zone, and a substrate receiving plate having a first surface and a second surface opposing the first surface, the second surface of the substrate receiving plate is coupled to the first surface of the temperature-controlled plate. The continuous thermal choke enables a very small temperature gradient to be created and manipulated between the inner zone and the outer zone, allowing center-fast or edge-fast etching profile to achieve on a surface of the substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 23, 2015
    Publication date: December 31, 2015
    Inventors: Tien Fak TAN, Dmitry LUBOMIRSKY, Kirby H. FLOYD, Son T. NGUYEN, David PALAGASHVILI, Alexander TAM, Shaofeng CHEN
  • Patent number: 8524004
    Abstract: A substrate processing chamber for processing a plurality of wafers in batch mode. In one embodiment the chamber includes a vertically aligned housing having first and second processing areas separated by an internal divider, the first processing area positioned directly over the second processing area; a multi-zone heater operatively coupled to the housing to heat the first and second processing areas independent of each other; a wafer transport adapted to hold a plurality of wafers within the processing chamber and move vertically between the first and second processing areas; a gas distribution system adapted to introduce ozone into the second area and steam into the first processing area; and a gas exhaust system configured to exhaust gases introduced into the first and second processing areas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2013
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Dmitry Lubomirsky, Jay D. Pinson, II, Kirby H. Floyd, Adib Khan, Shankar Venkataraman
  • Publication number: 20120145079
    Abstract: A substrate processing chamber for processing a plurality of wafers in batch mode. In one embodiment the chamber includes a vertically aligned housing having first and second processing areas separated by an internal divider, the first processing area positioned directly over the second processing area; a multi-zone heater operatively coupled to the housing to heat the first and second processing areas independent of each other; a wafer transport adapted to hold a plurality of wafers within the processing chamber and move vertically between the first and second processing areas; a gas distribution system adapted to introduce ozone into the second area and steam into the first processing area; and a gas exhaust system configured to exhaust gases introduced into the first and second processing areas.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 15, 2011
    Publication date: June 14, 2012
    Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Dmitry Lubomirsky, Jay D. Pinson, II, Kirby H. Floyd, Adib Khan, Shankar Venkataraman
  • Publication number: 20120103970
    Abstract: A substrate heater comprising a ceramic substrate support having a substantially flat upper surface for supporting a substrate during substrate processing; a resistive heater embedded within the substrate support; a heater shaft coupled to a back surface of the substrate support, the heater having an interior cavity that extends along its longitudinal axis and ends at a bottom central surface of the substrate support; and a supplemental heater, separate from the ceramic substrate support, positioned within the interior cavity of the heater shaft in thermal contact with a portion of the bottom central surface of the substrate support such that the supplemental heater can alter the temperature of a central area of the upper surface of the substrate support.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 2, 2011
    Publication date: May 3, 2012
    Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Dmitry Lubomirsky, Sudhir R. Gondhalekar, Shankar Venkataraman, Kirby H. Floyd, Yizhen Zhang
  • Publication number: 20120079982
    Abstract: A substrate processing system that has a plurality of deposition chambers, and one or more robotic arms for moving a substrate between one or more of a deposition chamber, load lock holding area, and a curing and treatment module. The substrate curing and treatment module is attached to the load-lock substrate holding area, and may include: The curing chamber for curing a dielectric layer in an atmosphere comprising ozone, and a treatment chamber for treating the cured dielectric layer in an atmosphere comprising water vapor. The chambers may be vertically aligned, have one or more access doors, and may include a heating system to adjust the curing and/or heating chambers between two or more temperatures respectively.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 28, 2011
    Publication date: April 5, 2012
    Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Dmitry Lubomirsky, Jay D. Pinson, II, Kirby H. Floyd, Adib Khan, Shankar Venkataraman
  • Publication number: 20090120584
    Abstract: A semiconductor processing system is described. The system includes a processing chamber having an interior capable of holding an internal chamber pressure below ambient atmospheric pressure. The system also includes a pumping system coupled to the chamber and adapted to remove material from the processing chamber. The system further includes a substrate support pedestal, where the substrate support pedestal is rigidly coupled to a substrate support shaft extending through a wall of the processing chamber. A bracket located outside the processing chamber is provided which is rigidly and sometimes rotatably coupled to the substrate support shaft. A motor coupled to the bracket can be actuated to vertically translate the substrate support pedestal, shaft and bracket from a first position to a second position closer to a processing plate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 31, 2008
    Publication date: May 14, 2009
    Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Dmitry Lubomirsky, Toan Q. Tran, Lun Tsuei, Manuel A. Hernandez, Kirby H. Floyd, Ellie Y. Yieh
  • Publication number: 20090120368
    Abstract: Substrate processing systems are described. The systems may include a processing chamber, and a substrate support assembly at least partially disposed within the chamber. The substrate support assembly is rotatable by a motor yet still allows electricity, cooling fluids, gases and vacuum to be transferred from a non-rotating source outside the processing chamber to the rotatable substrate support assembly inside the processing chamber. Cooling fluids and electrical connections can be used to raise or lower the temperature of a substrate supported by the substrate support assembly. Electrical connections can also be used to electrostatically chuck the wafer to the support assembly. A rotary seal or seals (which may be low friction O-rings) are used to maintain a process pressure while still allowing substrate assembly rotation. Vacuum pumps can be connected to ports which are used to chuck the wafer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 29, 2008
    Publication date: May 14, 2009
    Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Dmitry Lubomirsky, Kirby H. Floyd
  • Patent number: 5396692
    Abstract: The invention provides an indirect linkage between a spring and a hatch supported by the spring. The torque or moment applied by the hatch is significantly curved. The indirect linkage which provides a first varying moment arm and a second varying moment arm and utilizes a varying ratio between the first moment arm and the second moment arm to provide an applied spring torque which matches the shape of the torque curve applied by the hatch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 1991
    Date of Patent: March 14, 1995
    Assignee: FMC Corporation
    Inventors: Kirby H. Floyd, John J. Busuttil