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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 8434341 | Methods and systems for supporting a workpiece and for heat-treating the workpiece An apparatus for supporting a semiconductor workpiece includes a heating system configured to cause thermally-induced motion of the semiconductor workpiece by heating a surface of the workpiece relative to a bulk of the workpiece. The thermally-induced motion includ... | 05/07/2013 |
| 8413604 | Slotted electrostatic shield modification for improved etch and CVD process uniformity A more uniform plasma process is implemented for treating a treatment object using an inductively coupled plasma source which produces an asymmetric plasma density pattern at the treatment surface using a slotted electrostatic shield having uniformly spaced-apart sl... | 04/09/2013 |
| 8405005 | Electrostatic chuck system and process for radially tuning the temperature profile across the surface of a substrate An electrostatic chuck system for maintaining a desired temperature profile across the surface of the substrate is disclosed. The electrostatic chuck system includes a pedestal support defining a substantially uniform temperature profile across the surface of the pe... | 03/26/2013 |
| 8335658 | Method and apparatus for determining measurement values The present invention describes a method for determining a value for the temperature, radiation, emissivity, transmissivity and/or reflectivity of an object (2) such as a semiconductor wafer in a rapid heating system (1), wherein an output signal from ... | 12/18/2012 |
| 8296091 | System and process for calibrating pyrometers in thermal processing chambers A method and system for calibrating temperature measurement devices, such as pyrometers, in thermal processing chambers are disclosed. According to the present invention, the system includes a calibrating light source that emits light energy onto a substrate contain... | 10/23/2012 |
| 8236706 | Method and apparatus for growing thin oxide films on silicon while minimizing impact on existing structures Plasma assisted low temperature radical oxidation is described. The oxidation is selective to metals or metal oxides that may be present in addition to the silicon being oxidized. Selectivity is achieved by proper selection of process parameters, mainly the ratio of... | 08/07/2012 |
| 8222570 | System and process for heating semiconductor wafers by optimizing absorption of electromagnetic energy An apparatus for heat treating semiconductor wafers is disclosed. The apparatus includes a heating device which contains an assembly linear lamps for emitting light energy onto a wafer. The linear lamps can be placed in various configurations. In accordance with the... | 07/17/2012 |
| 8157439 | Methods for determining wafer temperature Methods and apparatus for wafer temperature measurement and calibration of temperature measurement devices may be based on determining the absorption of a layer in a semiconductor wafer. The absorption may be determined by directing light towards the wafer and measu... | 04/17/2012 |
| 8152365 | Method and system for determining optical properties of semiconductor wafers A method and system are disclosed for determining at least one optical characteristic of a substrate, such as a semiconductor wafer. Once the optical characteristic is determined, at least one parameter in a processing chamber may be controlled for improving the pro... | 04/10/2012 |
| 8138451 | Heating device for heating semiconductor wafers in thermal processing chambers An apparatus for heat treating semiconductor wafers is disclosed. The apparatus includes a heating device which contains an assembly of light energy sources for emitting light energy onto a wafer. The light energy sources can be placed in various configurations. In ... | 03/20/2012 |
| 8138105 | Rapid thermal processing using energy transfer layers A method that is performed for heat treating a semiconductor wafer in a process chamber, as an intermediate part of an overall multi-step technique for processing the wafer, includes applying an energy transfer layer to at least a portion of the wafer, and exposing ... | 03/20/2012 |
| 8109549 | Endeffectors for handling semiconductor wafers Various endeffector designs are disclosed for handling semiconductor wafers. For instance, an endeffector for handling wafers at a relatively low temperature is disclosed along with an endeffector for handling wafers at a relatively high temperature. Both endeffecto... | 02/07/2012 |
| 8093157 | Advanced processing technique and system for preserving tungsten in a device structure Removing photoresist from a workpiece is described when a region of tungsten is exposed. A plasma is generated from a gas input consisting essentially of hydrogen gas and oxygen gas in a predetermined ratio. The plasma causes the photoresist to be removed from the w... | 01/10/2012 |
| 8066815 | Multi-workpiece processing chamber A multi-workpiece chamber includes at least two processing stations, for exposing workpieces to a treatment process. A partition cooperates with the chamber such that the partition is disengagably removable from the chamber and re-engagable with the chamber for sele... | 11/29/2011 |
| 8000587 | Pulsed processing semiconductor heating methods and associated system using combinations of heating sources Pulsed processing methods and systems for heating objects such as semiconductor substrates feature process control for multi-pulse processing of a single substrate, or single or multi-pulse processing of different substrates having different physical properties. Hea... | 08/16/2011 |
| 7977258 | Method and system for thermally processing a plurality of wafer-shaped objects Process and system for processing wafer-shaped objects, such as semiconductor wafers is disclosed. In accordance with the present disclosure, a multiple of two wafers are processed in a thermal processing chamber. The thermal processing chamber is in communication w... | 07/12/2011 |
| 7976216 | Determining the temperature of silicon at high temperatures The temperature of an object such as a semiconductor wafer that includes silicon can be determined based on the variation of the optical absorption coefficient of silicon with temperature. Temperatures above about 850° C., can be found by measuring phenomena that a... | 07/12/2011 |
| 7972444 | Workpiece support with fluid zones for temperature control A workpiece support is disclosed defining a workpiece-receiving surface. The workpiece support includes a plurality of fluid zones. A fluid, such as a gas, is fed to the fluid zones for contact with a workpiece on the workpiece support. The fluid can have selected t... | 07/05/2011 |
| 7957926 | System and process for calibrating pyrometers in thermal processing chambers A method and system for calibrating temperature measurement devices, such as pyrometers, in thermal processing chambers are disclosed. According to the present invention, the system includes a calibrating light source that emits light energy onto a substrate contain... | 06/07/2011 |
| 7949237 | Heating configuration for use in thermal processing chambers An apparatus for heat treating semiconductor wafers is disclosed. The apparatus includes a heating device which contains an assembly linear lamps for emitting light energy onto a wafer. The linear lamps can be placed in various configurations. In accordance with the... | 05/24/2011 |
| 7947605 | Post ion implant photoresist strip using a pattern fill and method A method is described for use in a system that removes an implant crust that is formed as an outermost layer of photoresist in a photoresist pattern that is supported by a workpiece. The photoresist pattern defines apertures which lead to an active device region. Th... | 05/24/2011 |
| 7847218 | System and process for heating semiconductor wafers by optimizing absorption of electromagnetic energy An apparatus for heat treating semiconductor wafers is disclosed. The apparatus includes a heating device which contains an assembly linear lamps for emitting light energy onto a wafer. The linear lamps can be placed in various configurations. In accordance with the... | 12/07/2010 |
| 7799685 | System and method for removal of photoresist in transistor fabrication for integrated circuit manufacturing In a technique for fabricating an integrated circuit to include an active device structure which supports an electrical interconnect structure, a photoresist layer is used prior to forming an electrical interconnect structure on the active device structure. The phot... | 09/21/2010 |
| 7745762 | Optimizing the thermal budget during a pulsed heating process An approach for optimizing the thermal budget during a pulsed heating process is disclosed. A heat sink or thermal transfer plate is configured and positioned near an object, such as a semiconductor wafer, undergoing thermal treatment. The heat sink is configured to... | 06/29/2010 |
| 7737385 | Selective reflectivity process chamber with customized wavelength response and method A customizable chamber spectral response is described which can be used at least to tailor chamber performance for wafer heating, wafer cooling, temperature measurement, and stray light. In one aspect, a system is described for processing a treatment object having a... | 06/15/2010 |
| 7734439 | System and process for calibrating pyrometers in thermal processing chambers A method and system for calibrating temperature measurement devices, such as pyrometers, in thermal processing chambers are disclosed. According to the present invention, the system includes a calibrating light source that emits light energy onto a substrate contain... | 06/08/2010 |
| 7704898 | Method for the thermal treatment of disk-shaped substrates Disclosed is an apparatus and a method for reducing flash in an injection mold (532 or 542,543) which molds a molded article between a first mold surface and a second mold surface. The apparatus includes an active material actuator (530 or 53... | 04/27/2010 |
| 7654596 | Endeffectors for handling semiconductor wafers Various endeffector designs are disclosed for handling semiconductor wafers. For instance, an endeffector for handling wafers at a relatively low temperature is disclosed along with an endeffector for handling wafers at a relatively high temperature. Both endeffecto... | 02/02/2010 |
| 7642205 | Rapid thermal processing using energy transfer layers A method that is performed for heat treating a semiconductor wafer in a process chamber, as an intermediate part of an overall multi-step technique for processing the wafer, includes applying an energy transfer layer to at least a portion of the wafer, and exposing ... | 01/05/2010 |
| 7608802 | Heating device for heating semiconductor wafers in thermal processing chambers An apparatus for heat treating semiconductor wafers is disclosed. The apparatus includes a heating device which contains an assembly of light energy sources for emitting light energy onto a wafer. The light energy sources can be placed in various configurations. In ... | 10/27/2009 |
| 7563068 | Low cost high throughput processing platform As part of a system for processing workpieces, a workpiece support arrangement, separate from a process chamber arrangement supports at least two workpieces at least generally in a stacked relationship to form a workpiece column. A transfer arrangement transports at... | 07/21/2009 |
| 7561258 | Wafer tilt detection apparatus and method An exemplary embodiment providing one or more improvements includes a wafer tilt detection apparatus for use with a wafer processing or manufacturing device that applies a process to the wafer and which utilizes an endpoint signal for determining control of the proc... | 07/14/2009 |
| 7543981 | Methods for determining wafer temperature Methods and apparatus for wafer temperature measurement and calibration of temperature measurement devices may be based on determining the absorption of a layer in a semiconductor wafer. The absorption may be determined by directing light towards the wafer and measu... | 06/09/2009 |
| 7528348 | Apparatus and method for measuring the temperature of substrates An apparatus for measuring an object temperature of an object, and including at least one heating apparatus having at least one heating element for heating an object via electromagnetic radiation. Also included is at least one first radiation detector that detects r... | 05/05/2009 |
| 7453051 | System and process for heating semiconductor wafers by optimizing absorption of electromagnetic energy An apparatus for heat treating semiconductor wafers is disclosed. The apparatus includes a heating device which contains an assembly linear lamps for emitting light energy onto a wafer. The linear lamps can be placed in various configurations. In accordance with the... | 11/18/2008 |
| 7361605 | System and method for removal of photoresist and residues following contact etch with a stop layer present In processing an integrated circuit structure including a contact arrangement that is initially covered by a stop layer, a first plasma is used to etch to form openings through an overall insulation layer covered by a patterned layer of photoresist such that one con... | 04/22/2008 |
| 7358462 | Apparatus and method for reducing stray light in substrate processing chambers A method and apparatus for heating semiconductor wafers in thermal processing chambers is disclosed. The apparatus includes a non-contact temperature measurement system that utilizes radiation sensing devices, such as pyrometers, to determine the temperature of the ... | 04/15/2008 |
| 7317870 | Pulsed processing semiconductor heating methods using combinations of heating sources Pulsed processing methods and systems for heating objects such as semiconductor substrates feature process control for multi-pulse processing of a single substrate, or single or multi-pulse processing of different substrates having different physical properties. Hea... | 01/08/2008 |
| 7316969 | Method and apparatus for thermally treating substrates The object of the disclosure is to measure temperature using pyrometers, in a simple and economic way, enabling precise temperature measurement, even for low temperatures. The disclosure presents an apparatus and method for thermally treating substrates, wherein the... | 01/08/2008 |
| 7276122 | Multi-workpiece processing chamber A multi-workpiece chamber includes at least two processing stations, for exposing workpieces to a treatment process. A partition cooperates with the chamber such that the partition is disengagably removable from the chamber and re-engagable with the chamber for sele... | 10/02/2007 |
