Abstract: Provided are atomic layer deposition apparatus and methods including a plurality of elongate gas ports and pump ports in communication with multiple conduits to transport the gases from the processing chamber to be condensed, stored and/or recirculated.

Abstract: A conveyor sprocket assembly generally includes a support shaft, at least one conveyor sprocket slidably engaging the support shaft, and an abutment stop positioned adjacent the conveyor sprocket. The abutment stop is configured to be removed to allow the conveyor sprocket to slide axially along the support shaft.

Abstract: The present invention generally relates to an apparatus for treating a substrate. The apparatus utilizes two plasma sources that operate in different phases (i.e., one positive phase while the other negative phase). By alternating phases, the current density is alternated between the sources such that one source can generate ions while the other source can generate electrons. Therefore, each adjacent source acts as the cathode in opposite to the anode of the adjacent source. By having adjacent sources having alternating phases, uniform deposition occurs.

Abstract: In some embodiments an apparatus for treating an exhaust gas in a foreline of a substrate processing system may include a dielectric tube configured to be coupled to the foreline of the substrate processing system to allow a flow of exhaust gases from the foreline through the dielectric tube; an RF coil wound about an outer surface of the dielectric tube, the RF coil having a first end to provide an RF input to the RF coil, the first end of the RF coil disposed proximate a first end of the dielectric tube and a second end disposed proximate a second end of the dielectric tube; a tap coupled to the RF coil to provide an RF return path, the tap disposed between the first end of the dielectric tube and a central portion of the dielectric tube.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for controlling film deposition using a linear plasma source are described herein. The apparatus include a showerhead having openings therein for flowing a gas therethrough, a conveyor to support one or more substrates thereon disposed adjacent to the showerhead, and a power source for ionizing the gas. The ionized gas can be a source gas used to deposit a material on the substrate. The deposition profile of the material on the substrate can be adjusted, for example, using a gas-shaping device included in the apparatus. Additionally or alternatively, the deposition profile may be adjusted by using an actuatable showerhead. The method includes exposing a substrate to an ionized gas to deposit a film on the substrate, wherein the ionized gas is influenced with a gas-shaping device to uniformly deposit the film on the substrate as the substrate is conveyed proximate to the showerhead.

Abstract: One or more embodiments of the invention are directed to deposition apparatuses comprising a grounded top wall, a processing chamber and a plasma source assembly having a conductive hollow cylinder and a magnet outside the conductive hollow cylinder capable of affecting the current density on the conductive hollow cylinder.

Abstract: The present invention generally provides a high throughput substrate processing system that is used to form one or more regions of a solar cell device. In one configuration of a processing system, one or more solar cell passivating or dielectric layers are deposited and further processed within one or more processing chambers contained within the high throughput substrate processing system. The processing chambers may be, for example, plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) chambers, low pressure chemical vapor deposition (LPCVD) chambers, atomic layer deposition (ALD) chambers, physical vapor deposition (PVD) or sputtering chambers, thermal processing chambers (e.g., RTA or RTO chambers), substrate reorientation chambers (e.g., flipping chambers) and/or other similar processing chambers.

Abstract: Gas supply systems and methods are disclosed for solar cell production using multiple parallel reactors. A first gas supply control system has a gas panel having a plurality of gas outlet lines, supplying a first main supply line having a main line mass flow meter measuring the combined total gas mass flow rate in the first main supply line. First, second and third branch lines supplied by the first main supply line each branch line having mass flow controller and one or more control loops established between the mass flow meter and the branch line mass flow controllers. The control loop determining a set point for each of the branch mass flow controllers based on dividing the flow rate of the total gas flow by the number of reactors in use. In addition, a second gas supply control system may be coupled to the first gas supply control system to avoid mixing certain gases before they enter the respective reactors to which they are supplied.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for processing a substrate is described. One embodiment of the invention provides an apparatus for forming thin films. The apparatus comprises a chamber defining an internal volume, a plasma source disposed within the internal volume, and at least one gas injection source disposed adjacent the plasma source within the internal volume, wherein the at least one gas injection source comprises a first channel and a second channel for delivering gases to the internal volume, the first channel delivering a gas at a first pressure or a first density and the second channel delivering a gas at a second pressure or a second density, the first pressure or the first density being different than the second pressure or the second density.

Abstract: High tensile stress in a deposited layer, such as a silicon nitride layer, may be achieved utilizing one or more techniques employed either alone or in combination. In one embodiment, a silicon nitride film having high tensile stress may be formed by depositing the silicon nitride film in the presence of a porogen. The deposited silicon nitride film may be exposed to at least one treatment selected from a plasma or ultraviolet radiation to liberate the porogen. The silicon nitride film may be densified such that a pore resulting from liberation of the porogen is reduced in size, and Si—N bonds in the silicon nitride film are strained to impart a tensile stress in the silicon nitride film. In another embodiment, tensile stress in a silicon nitride film may be enhanced by depositing a silicon nitride film in the presence of a nitrogen-containing plasma at a temperature of less than about 400° C., and exposing the deposited silicon nitride film to ultraviolet radiation.

Abstract: One or more embodiments of the invention are directed to deposition apparatuses comprising a grounded top wall, a processing chamber and a plasma source assembly having a conductive hollow cylinder and a magnet outside the conductive hollow cylinder capable of affecting the current density on the conductive hollow cylinder.

Abstract: High tensile stress in a deposited layer such as silicon nitride, may be achieved utilizing one or more techniques, employed alone or in combination. High tensile stress may be achieved by forming a silicon-containing layer on a surface by exposing the surface to a silicon-containing precursor gas in the absence of a plasma, forming silicon nitride by exposing said silicon-containing layer to a nitrogen-containing plasma, and then repeating these steps to increase a thickness of the silicon nitride created thereby. High tensile stress may also be achieved by exposing a surface to a silicon-containing precursor gas in a first nitrogen-containing plasma, treating the material with a second nitrogen-containing plasma, and then repeating these steps to increase a thickness of the silicon nitride formed thereby. In another embodiment, tensile film stress is enhanced by deposition with porogens that are liberated upon subsequent exposure to UV radiation or plasma treatment.

Abstract: One or more embodiments of the invention are directed to deposition apparatuses comprising a grounded top wall, a processing chamber and a plasma source assembly having a conductive hollow cylinder and substantially continuous grounded shield substantially conforming to the shape of the hollow cylinder.

Abstract: In some embodiments, a feed structure to couple RF energy to a target may include a body having a first end to receive RF energy and a second end opposite the first end to couple the RF energy to a target, the body further having a central opening disposed through the body from the first end to the second end; a first member coupled to the body at the first end, wherein the first member comprises a first element circumscribing the body and extending radially outward from the body, and one or more terminals disposed in the first member to receive RF energy from an RF power source; and a source distribution plate coupled to the second end of the body to distribute the RF energy to the target, wherein the source distribution plate includes a hole disposed through the plate and aligned with the central opening of the body.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods for performing plasma processing on a wafer supported on a pedestal are provided. The apparatus can include a pedestal on which the wafer can be supported, a variable capacitor having a variable capacitance, a motor attached to the variable capacitor which varies the capacitance of the variable capacitor, a motor controller connected to the motor that causes the motor to rotate, and an output from the variable capacitor connected to the pedestal. A desired state of the variable capacitor is associated with a process recipe in a process controller. When the process recipe is executed the variable capacitor is placed in the desired state.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention generally provide a processing chamber used to perform a physical vapor deposition (PVD) process and methods of depositing multi-compositional films. The processing chamber may include: an improved RF feed configuration to reduce any standing wave effects; an improved magnetron design to enhance RF plasma uniformity, deposited film composition and thickness uniformity; an improved substrate biasing configuration to improve process control; and an improved process kit design to improve RF field uniformity near the critical surfaces of the substrate.

Abstract: The invention generally provides a ground shield for use in a physical vapor deposition (PVD) chamber. In one embodiment, a ground shield includes a generally cylindrical body comprising an outer wall, an inner upper wall, an inner lower wall having a diameter less than a diameter of the inner upper wall and a reentrant feature coupling the upper and inner lower walls. The reentrant feature advantageously prevents arching between the shield and target, which promotes greater process uniformity and repeatability along with longer chamber component service life.

Abstract: A process for removing unwanted deposition build-up from one or more interior surfaces of a substrate processing chamber. According to one embodiment the process comprises performing a substrate processing operation on the substrate within the substrate processing chamber and then transferring the substrate out of the substrate processing chamber; flowing a first etchant gas into a remote plasma source, forming reactive species from the etchant gas and transporting the reactive species into the substrate processing chamber to remove a first portion of the unwanted deposition build-up; and thereafter, flowing a second etchant gas into the substrate processing chamber and forming a plasma within the substrate processing chamber from the second gas in order to remove a second portion of the unwanted deposition build-up.

Abstract: A method of depositing a silica glass insulating film over a substrate. In one embodiment the method comprises exposing the substrate to a silicon-containing reactant introduced into a chamber in which the substrate is disposed such that one or more layers of the silicon-containing reactant are adsorbed onto the substrate; purging or evacuating the chamber of the silicon-containing reactant; converting the silicon-containing reactant into a silica glass insulating compound by exposing the substrate to oxygen radicals formed from a second reactant while biasing the substrate to promote a sputtering effect, wherein an average atomic mass of all atomic constituents in the second reactant is less than or equal to an average atomic mass of oxygen; and repeating the exposing, purging/evacuating and exposing sequence a plurality of times until a desired film thickness is reached.

Abstract: A transformer-coupled plasma source using toroidal cores forms a plasma with a high-density of ions along the center axis of the torus. In one embodiment, cores of a plasma generator are stacked in a vertical alignment to enhance the directionality of the plasma and generation efficiency. In another embodiment, cores are arranged in a lateral array into a plasma generating plate that can be scaled to accommodate substrates of various sizes, including very large substrates. The symmetry of the plasma attained allows simultaneous processing of two substrates, one on either side of the plasma generator.