Patents by Inventor Paul Zachary Wirth
Paul Zachary Wirth 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).
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Patent number: 11935771Abstract: Methods and apparatus for bonding chiplets to substrates are provided herein. In some embodiments, a multi-chamber processing tool for processing substrates, includes: a first equipment front end module (EFEM) having one or more loadports for receiving one or more types of substrates, a second EFEM having one or more loadports; and a plurality of atmospheric modular mainframes (AMMs) coupled to each other and having a first AMM coupled to the first EFEM and a last AMM coupled to the second EFEM, wherein each of the plurality of AMMs include a transfer chamber and one or more process chambers coupled to the transfer chamber, wherein the transfer chamber includes a buffer, and wherein the transfer chamber includes a transfer robot, the one or more process chambers, and a buffer disposed in an adjacent AMM of the plurality of AMMs.Type: GrantFiled: October 28, 2021Date of Patent: March 19, 2024Assignee: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.Inventors: Randy A. Harris, Coby Scott Grove, Paul Zachary Wirth, Avinash Shantaram, Alpay Yilmaz, Amir Nissan, Jitendra Ratilal Bhimjiyani, Niranjan Pingle, Vincent Dicaprio
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Patent number: 11935770Abstract: Methods and apparatus bonding chiplets to substrates are provided herein. In some embodiments, a multi-chamber processing tool for processing a substrate includes: an equipment front end module (EFEM) having one or more loadports for receiving one or more types of substrates; and a plurality of automation modules coupled to each other and having a first automation module coupled to the EFEM, wherein each of the plurality of automation modules include a transfer chamber and one or more process chambers coupled to the transfer chamber, wherein the transfer chamber includes a buffer configured to hold a plurality of the one or more types of substrates, and wherein the transfer chamber includes a transfer robot configured to transfer the one or more types of substrates between the buffer, the one or more process chambers, and a buffer disposed in an adjacent automation module of the plurality of automation modules.Type: GrantFiled: February 17, 2021Date of Patent: March 19, 2024Assignee: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.Inventors: Randy A. Harris, Coby Scott Grove, Paul Zachary Wirth, Avinash Shantaram, Alpay Yilmaz, Amir Nissan, Vincent Dicaprio
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Publication number: 20240051144Abstract: One or more first signals are obtained. The first signals indicate a current shape of an object placed on an end effector. The one or more first signals are compared to one or more second signals that each indicate a predefined shape for a process component on the end effector. A determination is made of whether a current placement of the object on the end effector satisfies a target placement criterion based on the comparison.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 24, 2023Publication date: February 15, 2024Inventors: Ali Utku Pehlivan, Mohsin Waqar, Paul Zachary Wirth, Todd James Brill
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Patent number: 11813757Abstract: A method for finding a center of a process kit and/or a process kit ring is provided. An object placed on an end effector is moved past a sensor of a manufacturing system. A first signal indicating a current shape of object is received from the sensor of the manufacturing system. A determination is made whether the first signal corresponds to a second signal indicating a predefined shape for a process kit and/or a process kit carrier. In response to a determination that the first signal corresponds to the second signal, a coordinate correspondence is determined between coordinates of a center of the object and coordinates of a center of the end effector. The determined coordinate correspondence indicates whether a current placement of the object on the end effector satisfies a target placement criterion.Type: GrantFiled: October 13, 2020Date of Patent: November 14, 2023Assignee: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.Inventors: Ali Utku Pehlivan, Mohsin Waqar, Paul Zachary Wirth, Todd James Brill
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Publication number: 20230154773Abstract: A direct current (DC) power is supplied to heating elements embedded in zones of a substrate support assembly (SSA) of a processing chamber. A determination is made, based on a voltage measured across the heating elements and a current measured through the heating elements as the DC power is supplied to the heating elements, that the temperature of the SSA does not satisfy a temperature condition. A zone of the SSA that is at a temperature that does not correspond to a target temperature for the zone based on the temperature condition is identified based on the measured voltage and the measured current. The DC power supplied to the heating elements embedded within the identified zone is modified to cause the temperature of the zone to be modified to the target temperature and the temperature of the substrate support assembly to satisfy the temperature condition.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 5, 2023Publication date: May 18, 2023Inventors: Paul Zachary Wirth, Kiyki-Shiy Shang, Mikhail Taraboukhine
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Patent number: 11551951Abstract: A method for controlling a temperature of a substrate support assembly is provided. A first direct current (DC) power is supplied to a heating element embedded in a zone of the substrate support assembly included in a processing chamber. A voltage is measured across the heating element. Similarly, a current is measured through the heating element. A temperature of the zone of the substrate support assembly is determined based on the voltage across the heating element and the current through the heating element. A temperature difference between the determined temperature of the zone and a target temperature for the zone is determined. A second DC power to deliver to the heating element is determined to achieve the target temperature based at least in part on the temperature difference. The second DC power is supplied to the heating element to cause the temperature of the zone to be modified to the target temperature.Type: GrantFiled: May 5, 2020Date of Patent: January 10, 2023Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.Inventors: Paul Zachary Wirth, Kiyki-Shiy Shang, Mikhail Taraboukhine
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Publication number: 20220270899Abstract: Disclosed are systems and methods for measuring the temperature change of one or more substrates within a semiconductor processing system. The temperature change information may be used to optimize throughput of substrates within the system and to troubleshoot quality issues that may be impacted by temperature.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 20, 2022Publication date: August 25, 2022Inventor: Paul Zachary Wirth
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Publication number: 20220262652Abstract: Methods and apparatus bonding chiplets to substrates are provided herein. In some embodiments, a multi-chamber processing tool for processing a substrate includes: an equipment front end module (EFEM) having one or more loadports for receiving one or more types of substrates; and a plurality of automation modules coupled to each other and having a first automation module coupled to the EFEM, wherein each of the plurality of automation modules include a transfer chamber and one or more process chambers coupled to the transfer chamber, wherein the transfer chamber includes a buffer configured to hold a plurality of the one or more types of substrates, and wherein the transfer chamber includes a transfer robot configured to transfer the one or more types of substrates between the buffer, the one or more process chambers, and a buffer disposed in an adjacent automation module of the plurality of automation modules.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 17, 2021Publication date: August 18, 2022Inventors: Randy A. HARRIS, Coby Scott GROVE, Paul Zachary WIRTH, Avinash SHANTARAM, Alpay YILMAZ, Amir NISSAN, Vincent DICAPRIO
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Publication number: 20220262653Abstract: Methods and apparatus for bonding chiplets to substrates are provided herein. In some embodiments, a multi-chamber processing tool for processing substrates, includes: a first equipment front end module (EFEM) having one or more loadports for receiving one or more types of substrates, a second EFEM having one or more loadports; and a plurality of atmospheric modular mainframes (AMMs) coupled to each other and having a first AMM coupled to the first EFEM and a last AMM coupled to the second EFEM, wherein each of the plurality of AMMs include a transfer chamber and one or more process chambers coupled to the transfer chamber, wherein the transfer chamber includes a buffer, and wherein the transfer chamber includes a transfer robot, the one or more process chambers, and a buffer disposed in an adjacent AMM of the plurality of AMMs.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 28, 2021Publication date: August 18, 2022Inventors: Randy A. HARRIS, Coby Scott GROVE, Paul Zachary WIRTH, Avinash SHANTARAM, Alpay YILMAZ, Amir NISSAN, Jitendra Ratilal BHIMJIYANI, Niranjan PINGLE, Vincent Dicaprio
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Patent number: 11413767Abstract: A system includes a light emitter attached to a destination chamber, the light emitter to emit a collimated light beam across an entrance to the destination chamber. The system includes an end effector attached to a distal end of an arm of a robot. The system includes a two-dimensional (2D) area sensor disposed on the end effector at a location that coincides with the collimated light beam while the end effector reaches within the destination chamber. The 2D area sensor is to detect a location of the collimated light beam incident on a surface of the 2D area sensor and transmit, to a controller coupled to the robot, sensing data including the location.Type: GrantFiled: October 29, 2019Date of Patent: August 16, 2022Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.Inventors: Preetham Kariyaiah Shivanna, Jeffrey Hudgens, Paul Zachary Wirth
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Publication number: 20220111529Abstract: A method for finding a center of a process kit and/or a process kit ring is provided. An object placed on an end effector is moved past a sensor of a manufacturing system. A first signal indicating a current shape of object is received from the sensor of the manufacturing system. A determination is made whether the first signal corresponds to a second signal indicating a predefined shape for a process kit and/or a process kit carrier. In response to a determination that the first signal corresponds to the second signal, a coordinate correspondence is determined between coordinates of a center of the object and coordinates of a center of the end effector. The determined coordinate correspondence indicates whether a current placement of the object on the end effector satisfies a target placement criterion.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 13, 2020Publication date: April 14, 2022Inventors: Ali Utku Pehlivan, Mohsin Waqar, Paul Zachary Wirth, Todd James Brill
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Publication number: 20210351051Abstract: A method for controlling a temperature of a substrate support assembly is provided. A first direct current (DC) power is supplied to a heating element embedded in a zone of the substrate support assembly included in a processing chamber. A voltage is measured across the heating element. Similarly, a current is measured through the heating element. A temperature of the zone of the substrate support assembly is determined based on the voltage across the heating element and the current through the heating element. A temperature difference between the determined temperature of the zone and a target temperature for the zone is determined. A second DC power to deliver to the heating element is determined to achieve the target temperature based at least in part on the temperature difference. The second DC power is supplied to the heating element to cause the temperature of the zone to be modified to the target temperature.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 5, 2020Publication date: November 11, 2021Inventors: Paul Zachary Wirth, Kiyki-Shiy Shang, Mikhail Taraboukhine
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Publication number: 20210172728Abstract: Implementations disclosed describe an inspection device capable of being transferred by a robot blade into a processing chamber of a manufacturing machine, the inspection device comprising an optical sensor to detect light reflected from a target located within the processing chamber, wherein the optical sensor is to output, to a processing device, a signal representative of a state of a region of a surface of the target.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 4, 2020Publication date: June 10, 2021Inventors: Mohsin Waqar, Paul Zachary Wirth, Todd James Brill, Paul Edward Fisher, Ilias Iliopoulos, Charles Gregory Potter, SR.
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Publication number: 20210125851Abstract: A system includes a light emitter attached to a destination chamber, the light emitter to emit a collimated light beam across an entrance to the destination chamber. The system includes an end effector attached to a distal end of an arm of a robot. The system includes a two-dimensional (2D) area sensor disposed on the end effector at a location that coincides with the collimated light beam while the end effector reaches within the destination chamber. The 2D area sensor is to detect a location of the collimated light beam incident on a surface of the 2D area sensor and transmit, to a controller coupled to the robot, sensing data including the location.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 29, 2019Publication date: April 29, 2021Inventors: Preetham Kariyaiah Shivanna, Jeffrey Hudgens, Paul Zachary Wirth
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Patent number: 7541299Abstract: An apparatus for thermally processing a microelectronic workpiece comprises a rotatable carousel assembly configured to support at least one workpiece. A driver is coupled to the carousel assembly and rotates the carousel assembly, moving the workpiece between a loading station, a heating station and a cooling station. The loading, heating and cooling stations are radially positioned about a center axis of the carousel assembly. The heating station includes a heating element and an actuator for moving the heating element into thermal engagement with the workpiece in the heating station. The cooling station includes a cooling element and an actuator for moving the cooling element into thermal engagement with the workpiece in the cooling station. A process fluid distribution manifold for delivering process fluid to the workpieces at each station extends through a central opening in the carousel assembly.Type: GrantFiled: November 10, 2006Date of Patent: June 2, 2009Assignee: Semitool, Inc.Inventors: Paul Zachary Wirth, Jeffry Alan Davis
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Patent number: 7144813Abstract: An apparatus for thermally processing a microelectronic workpiece is provided. The apparatus comprises a rotatable carousel assembly configured to support at least one workpiece. A driver is coupled to the carousel assembly and rotates the carousel assembly, moving the workpiece between a loading station, a heating station and a cooling station. The loading, heating and cooling stations are radially positioned and approximately equally spaced about a center axis of the carousel assembly. The heating station includes a heating element and an actuator for moving the heating element into thermal engagement with the workpiece in the heating station. The cooling station includes a cooling element and an actuator for moving the cooling element into thermal engagement with the workpiece in the cooling station. A process fluid distribution manifold for delivering process fluid to the workpieces at each station extends through a central opening in the carousel assembly.Type: GrantFiled: November 12, 2004Date of Patent: December 5, 2006Assignee: Semitool, Inc.Inventors: Paul Zachary Wirth, Jeffry Alan Davis