| Patent application number | Description | Published |
|---|
| 20080268753 | NON-CONTACT WET WAFER HOLDER - The present invention relates to a load cup configured to speed up substrate transferring to and from a carrier head and to reduce corrosion during the transferring. One embodiment of the present invention provides a non-contact substrate holder comprising a pedestal having a top surface configured to support a substrate, and at least one injection port configured to eject a high velocity liquid stream on the top surface of the pedestal, wherein the liquid stream in configured to secure the substrate on the pedestal without the substrate contacting the top surface of the pedestal. | 10-30-2008 |
| 20090029629 | METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR POLISHING AN EDGE OF A SUBSTRATE - Methods for polishing an edge of a substrate are provided. The invention includes rotating a substrate against a polishing film so as to remove material from the edge of the substrate; and detecting an amount of force exerted in pressing the polishing film against the substrate. Numerous other aspects are provided. | 01-29-2009 |
| 20090036035 | APPARATUS AND METHODS FOR CONDITIONING A POLISHING PAD - Apparatus and methods for conditioning a polishing pad include a base, an arm pivotally coupled to the base and adapted to support a conditioning disk, and an actuator coupled to the base and the arm. The actuator is adapted to cause the arm to press the conditioning disk against the polishing pad with a linearly variable amount of force. A first force is produced with the actuator. The first force is scaled by a linearly variable amount to a second force that is applied to the polishing pad by a conditioning disk. Numerous other aspects are disclosed. | 02-05-2009 |
| 20090036036 | APPARATUS AND METHODS FOR CONDITIONING A POLISHING PAD - Apparatus and methods for conditioning a polishing pad are provided. An apparatus includes a base, an arm adapted to support a conditioning disk; and a drive mechanism coupled between the arm and the conditioning disk, wherein the drive mechanism is adapted to directly rotate the conditioning disk relative to the arm. Numerous other aspects are disclosed. | 02-05-2009 |
| 20090038642 | METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR CLEANING AN EDGE OF A SUBSTRATE - In one aspect, a method for cleaning an edge of a substrate is provided. The method comprises employing one or more rollers of a first diameter to rotate a substrate; contacting an edge of the substrate with one or more rollers of a second diameter that is larger than the first diameter; and cleaning the edge of the substrate using the one or more rollers of the second diameter. Numerous other aspects are provided. | 02-12-2009 |
| 20090264049 | PLATEN EXHAUST FOR CHEMICAL MECHANICAL POLISHING SYSTEM - The present invention generally relates to a substrate transferring system. Particularly, the present invention relates to apparatus and method to effectively remove the chemical fume, vapor and other byproducts generated during a polishing process. One embodiment of the present invention provides an apparatus for polishing a substrate comprising a platen having a polishing surface configured to polish the substrate by contacting the substrate while moving relatively to the substrate, a polishing head configured to support the substrate and position the substrate to be in contact with the polishing surface during polishing, a solution nozzle configured to dispense a polishing solution on the polishing surface, and an exhaust assembly configured to remove fume, vapor and other byproducts generated during polishing. | 10-22-2009 |
| 20090280727 | POLISHING SYSTEM WITH THREE HEADED CAROUSEL - Embodiments of the present invention provide a polishing module configured to use in a polishing system. The polishing module comprises a base member, two polishing stations disposed on the base member, one load cup, and a carousel having three polishing heads. | 11-12-2009 |
| 20100099342 | PAD CONDITIONER AUTO DISK CHANGE - A method and apparatus for replacing a polishing pad conditioning disk is a chemical mechanical polishing system is provided. The apparatus comprises a disk load/unload station for unloading used conditioning disks from a pad conditioning assembly and loading unused conditioning disks onto the pad conditioning assembly, on or more disk storage stations for storing both used and unused conditioning disks, and a central robot having a range of motion sufficient for transferring both used an unused conditioning disks between the disk load/unload station and the one or more disk storage stations. Embodiments described herein reduce the length of system interruption by eliminating the need to safety lock out the system for the replacement of polishing pad conditioning disks. | 04-22-2010 |
| 20100314244 | Ionized Physical Vapor Deposition for Microstructure Controlled Thin Film Deposition - Methods of processing a substrate in a PVD chamber comprising a target, a substrate and a process gas at a pressure sufficient to cause ionization of a substantial portion of species sputtered from the target are described. A capacitively coupled high density plasma is maintained by applying very high frequency power to the target. Sputtered material is ionized in the plasma and accelerated toward the substrate by a high frequency bias power applied to the substrate. The microstructure of the resultant film is controlled by modifying one or more of the pressure and the high frequency bias power. | 12-16-2010 |
| 20100314245 | Ionized Physical Vapor Deposition for Microstructure Controlled Thin Film Deposition - Methods of processing a substrate in a PVD chamber comprising a target, a substrate and a process gas at a pressure sufficient to cause ionization of a substantial portion of species sputtered from the target are described. A capacitively coupled high density plasma is maintained by applying very high frequency power to the target. Sputtered material is ionized in the plasma and accelerated toward the substrate by a high frequency bias power applied to the substrate. The microstructure of the resultant film is controlled by modifying one or more of the pressure and the high frequency bias power. | 12-16-2010 |
| 20110045170 | IN-SITU DEPOSITION OF BATTERY ACTIVE LITHIUM MATERIALS BY THERMAL SPRAYING - A method and apparatus for forming an electrochemical layer of a thin film battery is provided. A precursor mixture comprising electrochemically active precursor particles dispersed in a carrying medium is provided to a processing chamber and thermally treated using a combustible gas mixture also provided to the chamber. The precursor is converted to nanocrystals by the thermal energy, and the nanocrystals are deposited on a substrate. A second precursor may be blended with the nanocrystals as they deposit on the surface to enhance adhesion and conductivity. | 02-24-2011 |
| 20110045206 | IN-SITU DEPOSITION OF BATTERY ACTIVE LITHIUM MATERIALS BY PLASMA SPRAYING - A method and apparatus for forming an electrochemical layer of a thin film battery is provided. A precursor mixture comprising precursor particles dispersed in a carrying medium is activated in an activation chamber by application of an electric field to ionize at least a portion of the precursor mixture. The activated precursor mixture is then mixed with a combustible gas mixture to add thermal energy to the precursor particles, converting them to nanocrystals, which deposit on a substrate. A second precursor may be blended with the nanocrystals as they deposit on the surface to enhance adhesion and conductivity. | 02-24-2011 |
| 20110064545 | SUBSTRATE TRANSFER MECHANISM WITH PREHEATING FEATURES - Embodiments of the present invention provide apparatus and method for heating one or more substrates during transfer. One embodiment provides a robot blade assembly for supporting a substrate or a substrate carrier thereon. The robot blade assembly comprises a base plate, an induction heating assembly disposed on the base plate, and a top plate disposed above the induction heating assembly. Another embodiment provides an induction heating assembly disposed over a transfer chamber having a substrate transfer mechanism disposed therein. | 03-17-2011 |
| 20110097518 | VERTICALLY INTEGRATED PROCESSING CHAMBER - A method and apparatus for plasma processing of substrates in a substantially vertical orientation is described. Substrates are positioned on a carrier comprising at least two frames oriented substantially vertically. The carrier is disposed in a plasma chamber with an antenna structure positioned between the substrates. Multiple plasma chambers may be coupled to a transfer chamber with a turntable for directing the carrier to a target chamber. A loader moves substrates between the carrier and a load-lock chamber in which substrates are staged in a substantially horizontal position. | 04-28-2011 |
| 20110097878 | CHAMBER FOR PECVD - A method and apparatus for plasma processing of substrates in a substantially vertical orientation is described. Substrates are positioned on a carrier comprising at least two frames oriented substantially vertically. The carrier is disposed in a plasma chamber with an antenna structure positioned between the substrates. Multiple plasma chambers may be coupled to a transfer chamber with a turntable for directing the carrier to a target chamber. A loader moves substrates between the carrier and a load-lock chamber in which substrates are staged in a substantially horizontal position. | 04-28-2011 |
| 20110129732 | COMPRESSED POWDER 3D BATTERY ELECTRODE MANUFACTURING - Embodiments of the invention contemplate forming an electrochemical device and device components, such as a battery cell or supercapacitor, using thin-film or layer deposition processes and other related methods for forming the same. In one embodiment, a battery bi-layer cell is provided. The battery bi-layer cell comprises an anode structure comprising a conductive collector substrate, a plurality of pockets formed on the conductive collector substrate by conductive microstructures comprising a plurality of columnar projections, and an anodically active powder deposited in and over the plurality of pockets, an insulative separator layer formed over the plurality of pockets, and a cathode structure joined over the insulative separator. | 06-02-2011 |
