公开(公告)号：US09636778B2

公开(公告)日：2017-05-02

申请号：US14610893

申请日：2015-01-30

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Douglas E. Holmgren ,  Samuel C. Howells

IPC: B23K26/06 ,  B23K26/08 ,  H01L21/67 ,  G02B27/09 ,  G02B27/10 ,  H01L21/268 ,  B23K26/00 ,  B23K26/03 ,  B23K26/082 ,  H01L23/00 ,  B23K101/40 ,  B23K103/00

CPC classification number: B23K26/0648 ,  B23K26/00 ,  B23K26/0006 ,  B23K26/034 ,  B23K26/06 ,  B23K26/0626 ,  B23K26/082 ,  B23K26/0853 ,  B23K26/0876 ,  B23K2101/40 ,  B23K2103/56 ,  G02B27/09 ,  G02B27/0911 ,  G02B27/0961 ,  G02B27/0966 ,  G02B27/10 ,  H01L21/268 ,  H01L21/67115 ,  H01L24/80

Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to an apparatus for thermally processing a semiconductor substrate. In one embodiment, the apparatus includes a substrate support, a beam source having a fast axis for emitting a beam along an optical path intersecting the substrate support, and a homogenizer disposed along the optical path between the beam source and the substrate support. The homogenizer comprises a first lens array, and a second lens array, wherein lenses of the second lens array have a larger lenslet array spacing than lenses of the first lens array.

公开(公告)号：US11703391B2

公开(公告)日：2023-07-18

申请号：US17085942

申请日：2020-10-30

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Samuel C. Howells

IPC: G01K15/00 ,  G01J5/10 ,  G01J5/00 ,  G01J5/60 ,  G01J5/0821 ,  G01J5/58 ,  G01J5/0818 ,  G01J5/08 ,  G01J5/53 ,  G01J5/80 ,  H05B3/00

CPC classification number: G01J5/10 ,  G01J5/0007 ,  G01J5/0818 ,  G01J5/0821 ,  G01J5/0896 ,  G01J5/53 ,  G01J5/58 ,  G01J5/60 ,  G01J5/80 ,  H05B3/0038

Abstract: An apparatus for processing substrates includes a continuum radiation source, a source manifold optically coupled to the continuum radiation source and comprising: a plurality of beam guides, each having a first end that optically couples the beam guide to the continuum radiation source; and a second end. The apparatus also includes a detector manifold to detect radiation originating from the source manifold and transmitted through a processing area, and one or more transmission pyrometers configured to analyze the source radiation and the transmitted radiation to determine an inferred temperature proximate the processing area.

公开(公告)号：US11280686B2

公开(公告)日：2022-03-22

申请号：US16513842

申请日：2019-07-17

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Samuel C. Howells ,  Bruce E. Adams

IPC: G01K11/00

Abstract: A method includes exposing a sample etalon-object to sample incident radiation, resulting in a sample transmitted radiation and sample reflected radiation; exposing a reference etalon-object to reference incident radiation, resulting in a reference transmitted radiation and reference reflected radiation; and analyzing resultant radiation for a heterodyned spectrum. The sample transmitted radiation may become the reference incident radiation, and the reference transmitted radiation may become the resultant radiation. The reference transmitted radiation may become the sample incident radiation, and the sample transmitted radiation may become the resultant radiation. The sample transmitted radiation may become the reference incident radiation, and the reference reflected radiation may become the resultant radiation. The reference transmitted radiation may become the sample incident radiation, and the sample reflected radiation may become the resultant radiation.

公开(公告)号：US09285595B2

公开(公告)日：2016-03-15

申请号：US14594890

申请日：2015-01-12

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Stephen Moffatt ,  Douglas E. Holmgren ,  Samuel C. Howells ,  Edric Tong ,  Bruce E. Adams ,  Jiping Li ,  Aaron Muir Hunter

IPC: G02B27/12 ,  G02B27/10 ,  G02B27/14 ,  G02B17/08

CPC classification number: G02B27/106 ,  G02B17/0888 ,  G02B27/0025 ,  G02B27/10 ,  G02B27/1006 ,  G02B27/12 ,  G02B27/123 ,  G02B27/126 ,  G02B27/14 ,  G02B27/143 ,  G02B27/30

Abstract: Apparatus and methods for combining beams of amplified radiation are disclosed. A beam combiner has a collimating optic positioned to receive a plurality of coherent radiation beams at a constant angle of incidence with respect to an optical axis of the collimating optic. The respective angles of incidence may also be different in some embodiments. The collimating optic has an optical property that collimates the beams. The optical property may be refractive or reflective, or a combination thereof. A collecting optic may also be provided to direct the plurality of beams to the collimating optic. The beam combiner may be used in a thermal processing apparatus to combine more than two beams of coherent amplified radiation, such as lasers, into a single beam.

公开(公告)号：US09146337B2

公开(公告)日：2015-09-29

申请号：US14137592

申请日：2013-12-20

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Jiping Li ,  Aaron Muir Hunter ,  Bruce E. Adams ,  Douglas E. Holmgren ,  Samuel C. Howells ,  Theodore P. Moffitt ,  Stephen Moffatt

IPC: G02B27/10 ,  G02B3/00 ,  G02B27/48

CPC classification number: G02B3/0037 ,  G02B27/48

Abstract: Embodiments described herein relate to thermal processing of semiconductor substrates. More specifically, embodiments described herein relate to laser thermal processing of semiconductor substrates. In certain embodiments, a uniformizer is provided to spatially and temporally decorrelate a coherent light image.

Abstract translation: 本文所述的实施例涉及半导体衬底的热处理。 更具体地，本文所述的实施例涉及半导体衬底的激光热处理。 在某些实施例中，提供均匀器来空间和时间地去相关联相干光图像。

公开(公告)号：US08946594B2

公开(公告)日：2015-02-03

申请号：US13649028

申请日：2012-10-10

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Douglas E. Holmgren ,  Samuel C. Howells

IPC: B23K26/06 ,  G02B27/10 ,  H01L21/268 ,  G02B27/09 ,  B23K26/00

CPC classification number: B23K26/0648 ,  B23K26/00 ,  B23K26/0006 ,  B23K26/034 ,  B23K26/06 ,  B23K26/0626 ,  B23K26/082 ,  B23K26/0853 ,  B23K26/0876 ,  B23K2101/40 ,  B23K2103/56 ,  G02B27/09 ,  G02B27/0911 ,  G02B27/0961 ,  G02B27/0966 ,  G02B27/10 ,  H01L21/268 ,  H01L21/67115 ,  H01L24/80

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention provide an apparatus including a substrate support, a source of laser radiation emitting laser radiation along an optical path, and an illumination optics disposed along the optical path. The illumination optics includes a set of slow-axis and fast-axis lenses. The apparatus further includes a homogenizer disposed between of the illumination optics and the substrate support along the optical path. The homogenizer includes a first and a second micro-optic lenslet arrays of cylindrical lenses, wherein the second micro-optic lenslet array of cylindrical lenses has a relatively larger lenslet pitch than that of the first micro-optic lenslet array of cylindrical lenses, and lenslet axes of the first micro-optic lenslet array and lenslet axes of the second micro-optic lenslet array are oriented along an axis that is parallel to a fast axis of the source of laser radiation.

Abstract translation: 本发明的实施例提供了一种装置，包括基板支撑件，沿着光路发射激光辐射的激光辐射源，以及沿光路设置的照明光学器件。 照明光学器件包括一组慢轴和快轴透镜。 该装置还包括沿着光路设置在照明光学器件和衬底支撑件之间的均质器。 均化器包括柱面透镜的第一和第二微小透镜阵列阵列，其中柱面透镜的第二微小透镜小透镜阵列具有比第一微小透镜柱面透镜阵列更小的小透镜间距，以及透镜 第一微光学小透镜阵列的轴线和第二微小透镜阵列的小透镜轴线沿着平行于激光辐射源的快轴的轴线定向。

公开(公告)号：US11562915B2

公开(公告)日：2023-01-24

申请号：US17582912

申请日：2022-01-24

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Ji-Dih Hu ,  Chaitanya Anjaneyalu Prasad ,  Dongming Iu ,  Samuel C. Howells ,  Vilen K. Nestorov

IPC: H01L21/67 ,  H05B47/105

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus provide for optically monitoring individual lamps of substrate processing chambers. In one aspect, the individual lamps are monitored to determine if one or more lamps are in need of replacement. A method includes using one or more camera coupled to a borescope to capture a plurality of images of one or more lamps in a substrate processing chamber. The plurality of images is analyzed to identify a change of mean light pixel intensity in an image reference region associated with each lamp. The method includes generating an alert based on the detection of the mean light pixel intensity change.

公开(公告)号：US10571337B2

公开(公告)日：2020-02-25

申请号：US15663037

申请日：2017-07-28

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Lara Hawrylchak ,  Samuel C. Howells ,  Wolfgang R. Aderhold ,  Leonid M. Tertitski ,  Michael Liu ,  Dongming Iu ,  Norman L. Tam ,  Ji-Dih Hu

IPC: G01J5/00 ,  H01L21/324 ,  G05D23/19 ,  H01L21/66 ,  H05B1/02 ,  G01J5/60 ,  H01L21/687 ,  H05B3/00 ,  H01L21/67

Abstract: Examples described herein generally relate to apparatus and methods for rapid thermal processing (RTP) of a substrate. In one example, a process chamber includes chamber body, a window disposed on a first portion of the chamber body, a chamber bottom, and a shield disposed on a second portion of the chamber body. The shield has a flat surface facing the window to reduce reflected radiant energy to a back side of a substrate disposed in the process chamber during operation. The process chamber further includes an edge support for supporting the substrate and a cooling member disposed on the chamber bottom. The cooling member is disposed in proximity of the edge support to cool the edge support during low temperature operation in order to improve the temperature uniformity of the substrate.

公开(公告)号：US10537965B2

公开(公告)日：2020-01-21

申请号：US14172422

申请日：2014-02-04

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Douglas E. Holmgren ,  Samuel C. Howells ,  Aaron Muir Hunter ,  Theodore P. Moffitt ,  Diwakar N. Kedlaya

IPC: B23K26/06 ,  H01L21/67

Abstract: Embodiments described herein relate to the rapid thermal processing of substrates. A fiber coupled laser diode array is provided in an optical system configured to generate a uniform irradiance pattern on the surface of a substrate. A plurality of individually controllable laser diodes are optically coupled via a plurality of fibers to one or more lenses. The fiber coupled laser diode array generates a Gaussian radiation profile which is defocused by the lenses to generate a uniform intensity image. In one embodiment, a field stop is disposed within the optical system.

公开(公告)号：US10072986B1

公开(公告)日：2018-09-11

申请号：US15655474

申请日：2017-07-20

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Samuel C. Howells

IPC: G01J5/08

CPC classification number: G01J5/0828 ,  G01J3/18 ,  G01J5/0007 ,  G01J5/041 ,  H01L21/67115 ,  H01L21/67248

Abstract: Apparatus and methods of processing substrates include a detector manifold to detect radiation from proximate a processing area in a chamber body; a radiation detector optically coupled to the detector manifold; and a spectral multi-notch filter. Apparatus and methods of processing substrates include detecting transmitted radiation from an emitting surface of a substrate in a chamber body; conveying at least one spectral band of the detected radiation to a photodetector; and analyzing the detected radiation in the at least one spectral band to determine an inferred temperature of the substrate.