公开(公告)号：US06309524B1

公开(公告)日：2001-10-30

申请号：US09386610

申请日：1999-08-31

申请人： Daniel J. Woodruff ,  Kyle M. Hanson ,  Thomas H. Oberlitner ,  LinLin Chen ,  John M. Pedersen ,  Vladimir Zila

发明人： Daniel J. Woodruff ,  Kyle M. Hanson ,  Thomas H. Oberlitner ,  LinLin Chen ,  John M. Pedersen ,  Vladimir Zila

IPC分类号： C25D1704

CPC分类号： H01L21/2885 ,  A61K35/12 ,  C12N2500/25 ,  C12N2500/32 ,  C12N2500/34 ,  C12N2500/40 ,  C12N2501/11 ,  C12N2501/39 ,  C12N2501/395 ,  C12N2506/22 ,  C25D5/08 ,  C25D7/123 ,  C25D17/001 ,  C25D17/06

摘要： A reactor for plating a metal onto a surface of a workpiece is set forth. The reactor comprises a reactor bowl including an electroplating solution disposed therein and an anode disposed in the reactor bowl in contact with the electroplating solution. A contact assembly is spaced from the anode within the reactor bowl. The contact assembly includes a plurality of contacts disposed to contact a peripheral edge of the surface of the workpiece to provide electroplating power to the surface of the workpiece. The contacts execute a wiping action against the surface of the workpiece as the workpiece is brought into engagement therewith. The contact assembly also including a barrier disposed interior of the plurality of contacts. The barrier includes a member disposed to engage the surface of the workpiece to assist in isolating the plurality of contacts from the electroplating solution. In one embodiment, the plurality of contacts are in the form of discrete flexures while in another embodiment the plurality of contacts are in the form of a Belleville ring contact. A flow path may be provided in the contact assembly for providing a purging gas to the plurality of contacts and the peripheral edge of the workpiece. The purging gas may be used to assist in the formation of the barrier of the contact assembly. A combined electroplating/electroless plating tool and method are also set forth.

摘要翻译： 阐述了将金属镀在工件表面上的反应器。 反应器包括反应器碗，其包括设置在其中的电镀溶液和设置在与电镀溶液接触的反应器碗中的阳极。 接触组件与反应器碗内的阳极间隔开。 接触组件包括多个触点，其设置成接触工件表面的周边边缘以向工件的表面提供电镀功率。 当工件与其接合时，触头对工件的表面执行擦拭动作。 接触组件还包括设置在多个触点内部的屏障。 阻挡层包括设置成接合工件的表面以帮助将多个触点与电镀溶液隔离的构件。 在一个实施例中，多个触点是离散弯曲的形式，而在另一个实施例中，多个触点是贝尔维尔环接触的形式。 可以在接触组件中设置流路，以向多个触点和工件的周边边缘提供净化气体。 吹扫气体可用于帮助形成接触组件的屏障。 还提出了组合电镀/无电镀工具和方法。

公开(公告)号：US06280583B1

公开(公告)日：2001-08-28

申请号：US09385784

申请日：1999-08-30

申请人： Daniel J. Woodruff ,  Kyle M. Hanson

发明人： Daniel J. Woodruff ,  Kyle M. Hanson

IPC分类号： C25B1700

CPC分类号： C25D17/001 ,  C25D5/08 ,  C25D7/123 ,  C25D17/06

摘要： An improved anode, cup and conductor assembly for a reactor vessel includes an anode assembly supported within a cup which holds a supply of process fluid. The anode assembly has an anode shield carrying an anode, the anode shield having upwardly extending brackets with radially extending members. A diffusion plate is supported above the anode by the anode brackets using first bayonet connections. The anode shield and the anode are supported from below by a delivery tube which also serves to deliver process fluid to the cup. A second bayonet connection is provided between a top portion of the delivery tube and the anode assembly. The conductor is connected to the anode with a plug-in connection which is completed when the tube is coupled to the anode by the second bayonet connection. The diffusion plate and the anode assembly are installable and removable from a top side of the reactor vessel using a tool which is lockable to the diffusion plate or to the anode. The tool provides a handle for manual engagement or disengagement of the first and second bayonet connections.

摘要翻译： 用于反应器容器的改进的阳极，杯和导体组件包括支撑在保持供给工艺流体的杯内的阳极组件。 阳极组件具有承载阳极的阳极屏蔽件，阳极屏蔽件具有向上延伸的具有径向延伸构件的托架。 扩散板通过第一个卡口连接由阳极支架支撑在阳极的上方。 阳极护罩和阳极从下方被输送管支撑，输送管也用于将工艺流体输送到杯子。 在输送管的顶部和阳极组件之间设置第二卡口连接。 导体通过插入式连接方式连接到阳极，该插入式连接在管通过第二卡口连接与阳极连接时完成。 漫射板和阳极组件可以使用可被锁定到扩散板或阳极的工具从反应器容器的顶侧安装和移除。 该工具提供用于手动接合或解除第一和第二卡口连接的手柄。

公开(公告)号：US20130299343A1

公开(公告)日：2013-11-14

申请号：US13468273

申请日：2012-05-10

申请人： Randy A. Harris ,  Daniel J. Woodruff ,  Jeffrey I. Turner ,  Gregory J. Wilson ,  Paul R. McHugh

发明人： Randy A. Harris ,  Daniel J. Woodruff ,  Jeffrey I. Turner ,  Gregory J. Wilson ,  Paul R. McHugh

IPC分类号： C25D19/00

CPC分类号： C25D17/12 ,  C25D7/123 ,  C25D17/001 ,  C25D17/002

摘要： An electroplating processor includes an electrode plate having a continuous flow path formed in a channel. The flow path may optionally be a coiled flow path. One or more electrodes are positioned in the channel. A membrane plate is attached to the electrode plate with a membrane in between them. Electrolyte moves through the flow path at a high velocity, preventing bubbles from sticking to the bottom surface of membrane. Any bubbles in the flow path are entrained in the fast moving electrolyte and carried away from the membrane. The electroplating processor may alternatively have a wire electrode extending through a tubular membrane formed into a coil or other shape, optionally including shapes having straight segments.

公开(公告)号：US08562752B2

公开(公告)日：2013-10-22

申请号：US13299141

申请日：2011-11-17

申请人： Daniel J. Woodruff

发明人： Daniel J. Woodruff

IPC分类号： B08B7/04 ,  B08B5/04 ,  B08B3/00 ,  B08B1/02 ,  B08B7/00 ,  B08B3/14 ,  B08B3/12 ,  B08B6/00

CPC分类号： C25D17/001 ,  C25D17/16 ,  H01L21/00 ,  Y10S134/902

摘要： A process chamber for processing semi-conductor wafers. The chamber includes at least one rotor within the process chamber. The rotor is adapted to receive and/or process semi-conductor wafers. The top of the process chamber also includes a tiltable rim. This rim tilts from a non-inclined position to an inclined position. The wafers may be loaded into and unloaded from the process chamber when the rim is in its inclined position.

摘要翻译： 用于处理半导体晶片的处理室。 该室包括处理室内的至少一个转子。 转子适于接收和/或处理半导体晶片。 处理室的顶部还包括可倾斜的边缘。 该边缘从非倾斜位置倾斜到倾斜位置。 当轮辋处于其倾斜位置时，晶片可以被装载到处理室中并从处理室卸载。

公开(公告)号：US08313631B2

公开(公告)日：2012-11-20

申请号：US12917997

申请日：2010-11-02

申请人： Paul R. McHugh ,  Gregory J. Wilson ,  Daniel J. Woodruff

发明人： Paul R. McHugh ,  Gregory J. Wilson ,  Daniel J. Woodruff

IPC分类号： C25D5/00

CPC分类号： C25D7/12 ,  C25D7/123 ,  C25D17/001 ,  C25D17/10 ,  C25F3/30

摘要： Apparatus and methods for electrochemically processing microfeature wafers. The apparatus can have a vessel including a processing zone in which a microfeature wafer is positioned for electrochemical processing. The apparatus further includes at least one counter electrode in the vessel that can operate as an anode or a cathode depending upon the particular plating or electropolishing application. The apparatus further includes a supplementary electrode and a supplementary virtual electrode. The supplementary electrode is configured to operate independently from the counter electrode in the vessel, and it can be a thief electrode and/or a de-plating electrode depending upon the type of process. The supplementary electrode can further be used as another counter electrode during a portion of a plating cycle or polishing cycle. The supplementary virtual electrode is located in the processing zone, and it is configured to counteract an electric field offset relative to the wafer associated with an offset between the wafer and the counter electrode in the vessel when the wafer is in the processing zone.

摘要翻译： 用于电化学处理微片的装置和方法。 该装置可以具有容器，该容器包括处理区域，微处理区域定位用于电化学处理。 该装置还包括容器中的至少一个对电极，其可以根据具体的电镀或电解抛光应用而作为阳极或阴极操作。 该装置还包括辅助电极和辅助虚拟电极。 辅助电极被配置为独立于容器中的对电极操作，并且其可以是根据工艺类型的小电极和/或去镀电极。 在电镀循环或抛光循环的一部分期间，辅助电极可以进一步用作另一个对电极。 辅助虚拟电极位于处理区域中，并且其被配置为当晶片处于处理区域时，相对于与晶片和对置电极之间的偏移相关联的晶片抵消相对于晶片的电场偏移。

公开(公告)号：US07531060B2

公开(公告)日：2009-05-12

申请号：US11178250

申请日：2005-07-07

申请人： Paul Wirth ,  Daniel J. Woodruff

发明人： Paul Wirth ,  Daniel J. Woodruff

IPC分类号： C23F1/00 ,  H01L21/306

CPC分类号： H01L21/67201 ,  H01L21/6719 ,  H01L21/67775

摘要： An intermediate module comprising a dimensionally stable mounting module and a first device attached to the dimensionally stable mounting module. The dimensionally stable mounting module can include a front docking unit with front alignment elements for connecting the mounting module to a load/unload module, and a rear docking unit with rear alignment elements for connecting the mounting module to a main processing unit. The mounting module can further include a deck between the front docking unit and the rear docking unit, positioning elements at the deck, and attachment elements at the deck. The first device can be a processing chamber, an annealing station, a metrology station, a buffer station, or another type of component for holding or otherwise performing a function on a workpiece. The first device has a device interface member engaged with one of the positioning elements and a device fastener engaged with one of the attachment elements so that the first device is positioned precisely at a known location in a fixed reference frame defined by the mounting module.

摘要翻译： 一种中间模块，包括尺寸稳定的安装模块和附接到尺寸稳定的安装模块的第一装置。 尺寸稳定的安装模块可以包括具有用于将安装模块连接到装载/卸载模块的前对准元件的前对接单元和具有用于将安装模块连接到主处理单元的后对准元件的后对接单元。 安装模块还可以包括在前对接单元和后对接单元之间的甲板，位于甲板处的定位元件和甲板上的附接元件。 第一装置可以是处理室，退火站，计量站，缓冲站或用于在工件上保持或以其他方式执行功能的另一类型的部件。 所述第一装置具有与所述定位元件中的一个接合的设备接口构件和与所述附接元件中的一个接合的设备紧固件，使得所述第一设备精确地定位在由所述安装模块限定的固定参考框架中的已知位置处。

公开(公告)号：US20080181758A1

公开(公告)日：2008-07-31

申请号：US11699762

申请日：2007-01-29

申请人： Daniel J. Woodruff ,  David P. Mattson

发明人： Daniel J. Woodruff ,  David P. Mattson

IPC分类号： B25J18/00

CPC分类号： H01L21/67742 ,  H01L21/67745 ,  H01L21/67751 ,  H01L21/68

摘要： Microfeature workpiece transfer devices with rotational orientation sensors, and associated systems and methods are disclosed. A transfer device in accordance with one embodiment includes a base unit movable along a guidepath, and a carrier movable relative to the base unit. The device further includes a position sensor located to identify a rotational orientation of the workpiece while the workpiece is carried by the carrier (e.g., by one or more edge grippers or other end-effector devices). In particular embodiments, the rotational orientation of the workpiece is corrected by appropriately moving articulatable links of the transfer device, and/or by rotating a support that carries the workpiece for processing at a process chamber.

摘要翻译： 公开了具有旋转定向传感器的微特征工件传送装置以及相关联的系统和方法。 根据一个实施例的传送装置包括可沿着导轨移动的基座单元和可相对于基座单元移动的托架。 该装置还包括位置传感器，位置用于在工件由载体（例如由一个或多个边缘夹持器或其它末端执行器装置）承载的同时识别工件的旋转取向。 在具体实施例中，通过适当地移动传送装置的可铰接连接件和/或通过旋转承载工件以在处理室处理的支撑件来校正工件的旋转取向。

公开(公告)号：US07281741B2

公开(公告)日：2007-10-16

申请号：US10195137

申请日：2002-07-11

申请人： Daniel J. Woodruff ,  Thomas H. Oberlitner ,  Randy A. Harris ,  James J. Erickson ,  Douglas W. Carr

发明人： Daniel J. Woodruff ,  Thomas H. Oberlitner ,  Randy A. Harris ,  James J. Erickson ,  Douglas W. Carr

IPC分类号： B66C1/42

CPC分类号： H01L21/67259 ,  H01L21/68707 ,  Y10S294/907

摘要： End-effectors may be used to grasp microelectronic workpieces for handling by automated transport devices. One such end-effector includes a plurality of end-effectors and a detector adapted to detect engagement of the edge of the workpiece by at least one of the abutments. An alternative end-effector includes at least three abutments, at least one of which is resiliently connected to an actuator for movement between a retracted position and a deployed position wherein it engages a workpiece.

摘要翻译： 终端效应器可用于掌握微电子工件以便通过自动运输装置进行处理。 一个这样的端部执行器包括多个端部执行器和适于检测至少一个基台的工件的边缘的接合的检测器。 替代的末端执行器包括至少三个邻接部分，其中至少一个邻接部分弹性地连接到致动器，用于在缩回位置和展开位置之间移动，其中它接合工件。

公开(公告)号：US06322677B1

公开(公告)日：2001-11-27

申请号：US09604041

申请日：2000-06-27

申请人： Daniel J. Woodruff ,  Martin C. Bleck

发明人： Daniel J. Woodruff ,  Martin C. Bleck

IPC分类号： C25D1704

CPC分类号： H01L21/67017 ,  C25D7/123 ,  C25D17/001

摘要： A lift and rotate assembly for use in a workpiece processing station. The lift and rotate assembly includes a body having a slim profile and pins located on opposite sides for mounting the assembly onto a tool frame. The lift and rotating assembly further includes a rotating mechanism coupling a processing head to the body, and for rotating the process head with respect to the body. The rotating mechanism includes a motor, wherein the motor is located within the processing head and the shaft of the motor is coupled to and rotationally fixed with respect to the body. The lift and rotate assembly further includes a lift mechanism for lifting the process head with respect to the body. A cable assembly within the lift and rotate assembly includes a common cable loop for feeding additional length of cable along both the lift direction and the rotational direction of movement.

摘要翻译： 用于工件加工台的升降和旋转组件。 提升和旋转组件包括具有细长轮廓的主体和位于相对侧上的销，用于将组件安装到工具框架上。 提升和旋转组件还包括将处理头连接到主体并且用于相对于主体旋转处理头的旋转机构。 旋转机构包括电动机，其中电动机位于处理头内并且电动机的轴相对于主体联接并旋转地固定。 提升和旋转组件还包括用于相对于主体提升处理头的升降机构。 提升和旋转组件内的电缆组件包括用于沿着提升方向和旋转运动方向进给额外长度的电缆的公共电缆环。

公开(公告)号：US06203582B1

公开(公告)日：2001-03-20

申请号：US08680068

申请日：1996-07-15

申请人： Robert W. Berner ,  Daniel J. Woodruff ,  Wayne J. Schmidt ,  Kevin W. Coyle ,  Vladimir Zila ,  Worm Lund

发明人： Robert W. Berner ,  Daniel J. Woodruff ,  Wayne J. Schmidt ,  Kevin W. Coyle ,  Vladimir Zila ,  Worm Lund

IPC分类号： H01L2100

CPC分类号： H01L21/67173 ,  C25D7/12 ,  H01L21/6719 ,  H01L21/67196 ,  H01L21/6723 ,  H01L21/67742 ,  Y10S414/141 ,  Y10T29/40 ,  Y10T29/41

摘要： The present invention provides for a semiconductor workpiece processing tool. The semiconductor workpiece processing tool includes an interface section comprising at least one interface module and a processing section comprising a plurality of processing modules for processing the semiconductor workpieces. The semiconductor workpiece processing tool has a conveyor for transferring the semiconductor workpieces between the interface modules and the processing modules.

摘要翻译： 本发明提供一种半导体工件加工工具。 半导体工件加工工具包括一个接口部分，该接口部分包括至少一个接口模块和一个包括用于处理半导体工件的多个处理模块的处理部分。 半导体工件加工工具具有用于在接口模块和处理模块之间传送半导体工件的输送机。