公开(公告)号：US06409890B1

公开(公告)日：2002-06-25

申请号：US09362917

申请日：1999-07-27

申请人： Howard E. Grunes ,  Zheng Xu ,  Praburam Gopalraja ,  John C. Forster ,  Ralf Hofmann ,  Anantha Subramani

发明人： Howard E. Grunes ,  Zheng Xu ,  Praburam Gopalraja ,  John C. Forster ,  Ralf Hofmann ,  Anantha Subramani

IPC分类号： C23C1435

CPC分类号： H01J37/321 ,  C23C14/044 ,  C23C14/358 ,  H01J37/3447

摘要： Embodiments include devices and methods for sputtering material onto a workpiece in a chamber which includes a plasma generation area and a target. A coil is positioned to inductively couple energy into the plasma generation area to generate a plasma. A body is positioned between the workpiece and the target to prevent an amount of target material from being sputtered onto the workpiece. The body prevents an amount of target material from being sputtered onto the workpiece. The body may act as a dark space shield and inhibit plasma formation between the body and the target. The body may also act as a physical shield to block sputtered material from accumulating on the workpiece.

摘要翻译： 实施例包括用于在包括等离子体产生区域和靶子的室中将材料溅射到工件上的装置和方法。 线圈被定位成将能量感应地耦合到等离子体产生区域中以产生等离子体。 主体位于工件和目标之间，以防止一定量的目标材料溅射到工件上。 该主体防止一定量的目标材料溅射到工件上。 身体可以作为暗空间屏蔽，并且抑制身体和目标之间的血浆形成。 主体还可以作为物理屏蔽来阻止溅射的材料积聚在工件上。

公开(公告)号：US08398832B2

公开(公告)日：2013-03-19

申请号：US11229139

申请日：2005-09-15

申请人： Jaim Nulman ,  Sergio Edelstein ,  Mani Subramani ,  Zheng Xu ,  Howard E. Grunes ,  Avi Tepman ,  John C. Forster ,  Praburam Gopalraja

发明人： Jaim Nulman ,  Sergio Edelstein ,  Mani Subramani ,  Zheng Xu ,  Howard E. Grunes ,  Avi Tepman ,  John C. Forster ,  Praburam Gopalraja

IPC分类号： C23C14/34

CPC分类号： C23C14/34 ,  H01J37/321 ,  H01J37/34

摘要： A sputtering coil for a plasma chamber in a semiconductor fabrication system is provided. The sputtering coil couples energy into a plasma and also provides a source of sputtering material to be sputtered onto a workpiece from the coil to supplement material being sputtered from a target onto the workpiece. Alternatively a plurality of coils may be provided, one primarily for coupling energy into the plasma and the other primarily for providing a supplemental source of sputtering material to be sputtered on the workpiece.

公开(公告)号：US07048837B2

公开(公告)日：2006-05-23

申请号：US10659902

申请日：2003-09-11

申请人： Sasson R. Somekh ,  Marc O. Schweitzer ,  John C. Forster ,  Zheng Xu ,  Roderick C. Mosely ,  Barry L. Chin ,  Howard E. Grunes

发明人： Sasson R. Somekh ,  Marc O. Schweitzer ,  John C. Forster ,  Zheng Xu ,  Roderick C. Mosely ,  Barry L. Chin ,  Howard E. Grunes

IPC分类号： C23C14/35

CPC分类号： C23C14/544 ,  C23C14/046 ,  C23C14/165 ,  C23C14/5833 ,  C23C14/5873 ,  G01N21/68 ,  H01J37/321 ,  H01J37/32477 ,  H01J37/32935 ,  H01J37/32963 ,  H01J37/3455 ,  H01L21/2855 ,  H01L21/76814 ,  H01L21/76844 ,  H01L21/76846 ,  H01L21/76862 ,  H01L21/76865 ,  H01L22/26 ,  H01L2924/0002 ,  H01L2924/00

摘要： Plasma etching or resputtering of a layer of sputtered materials including opaque metal conductor materials may be controlled in a sputter reactor system. In one embodiment, resputtering of a sputter deposited layer is performed after material has been sputtered deposited and while additional material is being sputter deposited onto a substrate. A path positioned within a chamber of the system directs light or other radiation emitted by the plasma to a chamber window or other optical view-port which is protected by a shield against deposition by the conductor material. In one embodiment, the radiation path is folded to reflect plasma light around the chamber shield and through the window to a detector positioned outside the chamber window. Although deposition material may be deposited onto portions of the folded radiation path, in many applications, the deposition material will be sufficiently reflective to permit the emission spectra to be detected by a spectrometer or other suitable detector without significant signal loss. The etching or resputtering may be terminated when the detector detects that an underlying layer has been reached or when some other suitable process point has been reached.

摘要翻译： 可以在溅射反应器系统中控制包括不透明金属导体材料的溅射材料层的等离子体蚀刻或再溅射。 在一个实施例中，溅射沉积层的溅射在材料溅射沉积之后进行，并且另外的材料被溅射沉积到衬底上。 位于系统的腔室内的路径将等离子体发射的光或其他辐射引导到腔室窗口或其他光学视图端口，其被屏蔽物保护以防止被导体材料沉积。 在一个实施例中，辐射路径被折叠以将等离子体光围绕室屏蔽件并且通过窗口反射到位于室窗口外部的检测器。 虽然沉积材料可以沉积在折叠辐射路径的部分上，但是在许多应用中，沉积材料将被充分反射，以允许发射光谱由光谱仪或其它合适的检测器检测，而没有显着的信号损失。 当检测器检测到已经到达下层或者当达到某些其它合适的处理点时，蚀刻或再溅射可以被终止。

公开(公告)号：US06640151B1

公开(公告)日：2003-10-28

申请号：US09469227

申请日：1999-12-22

申请人： Sasson Somekh ,  Howard E. Grunes

发明人： Sasson Somekh ,  Howard E. Grunes

IPC分类号： G06F1900

CPC分类号： H01L21/67253

摘要： A system/method for interactively monitoring and adjusting product output from a module that includes two or more preparation tools. The output is a result of the coordinated effort of the two or more semiconductor preparation tools making up the module. The first of the tools is capable of implementing a first process on a semiconductor product and producing a first output. The second of the tools is configured to receive as input the first output from the first tool. The second tool is also capable of implementing a second process on the semiconductor product and producing a second output. A module control mechanism is capable of facilitating the exchange of information between the first tool and the second tool so that the module yields a desired semiconductor product output. Certain information can also be exchanged between the first and second tools. Other system/method embodiments for output/production control are also envisioned.

摘要翻译： 用于交互式监视和调整包含两个或更多准备工具的模块的产品输出的系统/方法。 输出是构成模块的两个或更多个半导体制备工具的协调努力的结果。 第一个工具能够实现半导体产品上的第一个工艺并产生第一个输出。 第二个工具被配置为从第一个工具接收第一个输出作为输入。 第二工具还能够实现半导体产品上的第二工艺并产生第二输出。 模块控制机构能够促进第一工具和第二工具之间的信息交换，使得模块产生期望的半导体产品输出。 某些信息也可以在第一和第二工具之间交换。 也可以设想用于输出/生产控制的其它系统/方法实施例。

公开(公告)号：US5556248A

公开(公告)日：1996-09-17

申请号：US380548

申请日：1995-01-30

申请人： Howard E. Grunes

发明人： Howard E. Grunes

IPC分类号： B65G1/00 ,  H01L21/673 ,  H01L21/677 ,  B65G1/07

CPC分类号： H01L21/6732 ,  H01L21/67778 ,  Y10S414/137 ,  Y10S414/139

摘要： A semiconductor cassette and transfer system for facilitating the direct loading and unloading of wafers from different sides of a cassette by a first robot handling device moveable along a first extension axis and second robot handling device moveable along a second extension axis intersecting said first extension axis at an acute angle, and at a predetermined point concurrent with the center of the cassette as it is disposed in a fixed position within a loadlock chamber of a wafer processing apparatus.

摘要翻译： 一种半导体盒和传送系统，用于通过可沿着第一延伸轴线移动的第一机器人操纵装置，便于从盒的不同侧直接装载和卸载晶片，第二机器人处理装置可沿着与所述第一延伸轴相交的第二延伸轴线移动， 一个锐角，并且在一个预定点处，当它被设置在晶片处理装置的负载锁定室内的固定位置时与盒的中心同时发生。

公开(公告)号：US5656093A

公开(公告)日：1997-08-12

申请号：US612652

申请日：1996-03-08

申请人： Vincent E. Burkhart ,  Michael N. Sugarman ,  Howard E. Grunes

发明人： Vincent E. Burkhart ,  Michael N. Sugarman ,  Howard E. Grunes

IPC分类号： H02N13/00 ,  B23Q3/15 ,  H01L21/683 ,  C23C16/00 ,  C23C14/50

CPC分类号： H01L21/6831 ,  Y10S269/903 ,  Y10T279/23

摘要： A wafer spacing mask for supporting a workpiece in a spaced apart relation to a workpiece support chuck. More specifically, the wafer spacing mask contains a plurality of metallic support members deposited upon the support surface of the chuck. The support members maintain a wafer, or other workpiece, in a spaced apart relation to the support surface of the chuck. The distance between the underside surface of the wafer and the chuck is defined by the thickness of the support members. This distance should be larger than the expected diameter of contaminant particles that may lie on the surface of the chuck. In this manner, the contaminant particles do not adhere to the underside of the wafer during processing.

摘要翻译： 一种晶片间隔掩模，用于以与工件支撑卡盘间隔开的关系支撑工件。 更具体地，晶片间隔掩模包含沉积在卡盘的支撑表面上的多个金属支撑构件。 支撑构件保持与卡盘的支撑表面间隔开的晶片或其它工件。 晶片的下表面和卡盘之间的距离由支撑构件的厚度限定。 该距离应大于可能位于卡盘表面上的污染物颗粒的预期直径。 以这种方式，污染物颗粒在加工期间不粘附到晶片的下侧。

公开(公告)号：US4393663A

公开(公告)日：1983-07-19

申请号：US253817

申请日：1981-04-13

申请人： Howard E. Grunes ,  Dennis J. Morrison

发明人： Howard E. Grunes ,  Dennis J. Morrison

IPC分类号： F28D15/00 ,  F25D15/00 ,  F28D15/02

CPC分类号： F28D15/0266

摘要： An apparatus for transferring heat from a heat source to a heat sink using a vaporizable liquid wherein the vaporizable liquid is heated in an evaporator so that some of the liquid vaporizes to propel the remaining heated liquid to a condenser, where heat is transferred from the heated liquid to the condenser predominantly by forced convection, and wherein the cooled liquid and condensed vapor are returned to the evaporator for reheating, and further wherein a restriction is disposed in the liquid/condensate return path to prevent vapor from the evaporator from flowing to the condenser through the return path.

摘要翻译： 一种使用可蒸发液体将热量从热源传递到散热器的设备，其中可蒸发的液体在蒸发器中被加热，使得一些液体蒸发以将剩余的加热液体推进到冷凝器，其中热量从加热的 液体主要通过强制对流进入冷凝器，并且其中将冷却的液体和冷凝的蒸汽返回到蒸发器以进行再加热，并且其中限制装置设置在液体/冷凝物返回路径中，以防止来自蒸发器的蒸气流入冷凝器 通过返回路径。

公开(公告)号：US5387067A

公开(公告)日：1995-02-07

申请号：US4331

申请日：1993-01-14

申请人： Howard E. Grunes

发明人： Howard E. Grunes

IPC分类号： B65G1/00 ,  H01L21/673 ,  H01L21/677 ,  B65G1/07

CPC分类号： H01L21/6732 ,  H01L21/67778 ,  Y10S414/137 ,  Y10S414/139

摘要： A semiconductor cassetteand transfer system for facilitating the direct loading and unloading of wafers from different sides of a cassette by a first robot handling means moveable along a first extension axis and second robot handling means moveable along a second extension axis intersecting said first extension axis at an acute angle, and at a predetermined point concurrent with the center of the cassetteas it is disposed in a fixed position within a loadlock chamber of a wafer processing apparatus.

摘要翻译： 一种半导体盒和传送系统，用于通过可沿着第一延伸轴线移动的第一机器人处理装置来促进从盒的不同侧直接装载和卸载晶片，以及第二机器人处理装置，其可沿着与所述第一延伸轴线交叉的第二延伸轴线移动， 锐角，并且在与盒的中心同时的预定点处，它被设置在晶片处理装置的装载锁定室内的固定位置。

公开(公告)号：US06824612B2

公开(公告)日：2004-11-30

申请号：US10036321

申请日：2001-12-26

申请人： Joseph J. Stevens ,  Dmitry Lubomirsky ,  Ian Pancham ,  Donald J. Olgado ,  Howard E. Grunes ,  Yeuk-Fai Edwin Mok ,  Girish Dixit

发明人： Joseph J. Stevens ,  Dmitry Lubomirsky ,  Ian Pancham ,  Donald J. Olgado ,  Howard E. Grunes ,  Yeuk-Fai Edwin Mok ,  Girish Dixit

IPC分类号： B05C502

CPC分类号： H01L21/67167 ,  C23C18/1632 ,  C23C18/1692 ,  H01L21/6723

摘要： A method and apparatus for plating substrates, wherein the apparatus includes a central substrate transfer enclosure having at least one substrate transfer robot positioned therein. A substrate activation chamber in communication with the central substrate transfer enclosure is provided and is accessible to the at least one substrate transfer robot. A substrate plating chamber in communication with the central substrate transfer enclosure is provided and is accessible to the at least one substrate transfer robot. A substrate spin rinse dry chamber in communication with the central substrate transfer enclosure is provided and is accessible to the at least one substrate transfer robot, and an annealing chamber in communication with the central substrate transfer enclosure is provided and is accessible to the at least one substrate transfer robot. At least one substrate pod loader in communication with the substrate transfer chamber and accessible to the at least one substrate transfer robot is also provided.

摘要翻译： 一种用于电镀基板的方法和装置，其中所述装置包括具有至少一个基板传送机器人的中央基板传送外壳。 提供与中心基板传送外壳连通的基板激活室，并且可由至少一个基板传送机器人访问。 提供与中心基板传送外壳连通的基板电镀室，并且可由至少一个基板传送机器人访问。 提供与中央基板传送外壳连通的基板旋转漂洗干燥室，并且可由至少一个基板传送机器人访问，并且提供与中央基板传送外壳连通的退火室，并且可由至少一个 基板传送机器人。 还提供了至少一个与基板传送室连通并且可由至少一个基板传送机器人访问的基板盒装载器。

公开(公告)号：US07138014B2

公开(公告)日：2006-11-21

申请号：US10059572

申请日：2002-01-28

申请人： Joseph J. Stevens ,  Dmitry Lubomirsky ,  Ian Pancham ,  Donald J. K. Olgado ,  Howard E. Grunes ,  Yeuk-Fai Edwin Mok

发明人： Joseph J. Stevens ,  Dmitry Lubomirsky ,  Ian Pancham ,  Donald J. K. Olgado ,  Howard E. Grunes ,  Yeuk-Fai Edwin Mok

IPC分类号： C23C14/00 ,  B05C11/00 ,  B05C3/00

CPC分类号： H01L21/67126 ,  C23C18/1607 ,  C23C18/1619 ,  C23C18/1628 ,  C23C18/165 ,  C23C18/1653 ,  C23C18/1678 ,  C25D7/123 ,  C25D17/001

摘要： An apparatus and a method of depositing a catalytic layer comprising at least one metal selected from the group consisting of noble metals, semi-noble metals, alloys thereof, and combinations thereof in sub-micron features formed on a substrate. Examples of noble metals include palladium and platinum. Examples of semi-noble metals include cobalt, nickel, and tungsten. The catalytic layer may be deposited by electroless deposition, electroplating, or chemical vapor deposition. In one embodiment, the catalytic layer may be deposited in the feature to act as a barrier layer to a subsequently deposited conductive material. In another embodiment, the catalytic layer may be deposited over a barrier layer. In yet another embodiment, the catalytic layer may be deposited over a seed layer deposited over the barrier layer to act as a “patch” of any discontinuities in the seed layer. Once the catalytic layer has been deposited, a conductive material, such as copper, may be deposited over the catalytic layer. In one embodiment, the conductive material is deposited over the catalytic layer by electroless deposition. In another embodiment, the conductive material is deposited over the catalytic layer by electroless deposition followed by electroplating or followed by chemical vapor deposition. In still another embodiment, the conductive material is deposited over the catalytic layer by electroplating or by chemical vapor deposition.