Abstract: A method for processing a substrate loading the substrate onto a plurality of lift pins passing through a pedestal arranged in a processing chamber. The plurality of lift pins are lowered to rest the substrate on the pedestal. A deposition gas mixture is supplied to deposit film on the substrate. The supply of the deposition gas mixture is stopped. The substrate is raised above the pedestal in the processing chamber using the plurality of lift pins. An etch gas mixture is supplied. Plasma is struck in the processing chamber between the substrate and the surface of the pedestal to remove residual film.

Abstract: An electrostatic chuck (ESC) undercoating system includes a memory and a controller. The memory stores an undercoat application. The controller configured to execute the undercoat application to: determine undercoat parameters; perform a full clean process to remove undercoat deposits in processing chamber of substrate processing system; and based on the undercoat parameters, perform one or more deposition processes to deposit one or more undercoat layers on the ESC to provide an overall undercoat layer having an overall thickness between 7-15 ?m, the one or more undercoat layers providing protection of the ESC during subsequent deposition processing of a substrate on the ESC.

Abstract: A system for monitoring health of a pedestal of a processing chamber comprises a memory storing instructions and a processor. The processor is configured to execute the instructions to sense one or more currents through one or more electrodes arranged in the pedestal; generate one or more metrics based on the one or more currents; and determine a health of the pedestal based on the one or more metrics.

Abstract: A controller for a processing chamber configured to perform a deposition process on a substrate comprises a temperature monitor configured to obtain a temperature of a showerhead of the processing chamber, a deposition time determiner configured to determine an optimized deposition time based on the obtained temperature of the showerhead and data that correlates the temperature of the showerhead with at least one of the optimized deposition time, a deposition thickness, and a deposition rate, and a deposition optimizer configured to perform a deposition step on the substrate based on the determined optimized deposition time.

Abstract: Disclosed are apparatuses and methods for providing a substrate onto a substrate support in a processing chamber, generating an inert plasma in the processing chamber, and maintaining the inert plasma to heat the substrate to a steady state temperature, suitable for conducting plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD), in less than 30 seconds from providing the substrate onto the substrate support. An apparatus may include a processing chamber, a process station that includes a substrate support, a process gas unit configured to flow an inert gas onto a substrate supported by the substrate support, a plasma source configured to generate an inert plasma in the process station, and a controller with instructions configured to flow the inert gas onto the substrate, generate the inert plasma in the first process station, and maintain the inert plasma to thereby heat the substrate.

Abstract: An apparatus includes a lift pinto raise and lower a semiconductor substrate relative to a substrate support assembly in a processing chamber. The lift pin includes a top end having a conical shape tapering downwardly and a bottom end having a cylindrical shape. The apparatus comprises a lift pin holder to hold the bottom end of the lift pin.

Abstract: Methods and apparatuses are provided herein for independently adjusting flowpath conductance. One multi-station processing apparatus may include a processing chamber, a plurality of process stations in the processing chamber that each include a showerhead having a gas inlet, and a gas delivery system including a junction point and a plurality of flowpaths, in which each flowpath includes a flow element, includes a temperature control unit that is thermally connected with the flow element and that is controllable to change the temperature of that flow element, and fluidically connects one corresponding gas inlet of a process station to the junction point such that each process station of the plurality of process stations is fluidically connected to the junction point by a different flowpath.

Abstract: Disclosed are apparatuses and methods for providing a substrate onto a substrate support in a processing chamber, generating an inert plasma in the processing chamber, and maintaining the inert plasma to heat the substrate to a steady state temperature, suitable for conducting plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD), in less than 30 seconds from providing the substrate onto the substrate support. An apparatus may include a processing chamber, a process station that includes a substrate support, a process gas unit configured to flow an inert gas onto a substrate supported by the substrate support, a plasma source configured to generate an inert plasma in the process station, and a controller with instructions configured to flow the inert gas onto the substrate, generate the inert plasma in the first process station, and maintain the inert plasma to thereby heat the substrate.

Abstract: Disclosed are apparatuses and methods for flowing a reactant process gas into a processing chamber containing a substrate, generating a plasma at a first power level in the processing chamber during the flowing of the reactant process gas, thereby depositing a layer of a material on the substrate by plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition, maintaining the plasma while ceasing flowing the reactant process gas into the processing chamber, thereby stopping the depositing, without extinguishing the plasma, adjusting the plasma to a second power level, flowing an inert process gas into the processing chamber, thereby modifying the layer of the material while the plasma is at the second power level, and extinguishing the plasma after the modifying.

Abstract: A method for installing an external storage device (such as a hard drive) to a computer is disclosed. The external hard drive includes a driver storage formed integral to the external hard drive. The driver storage stores the device driver information. Upon connection to the computer, the external hard drive's driver storage imitates a known disk drive to the computer. The computer can then access the device driver information and install the external hard drive.