| Patent application number | Description | Published |
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| 20080230518 | GAS FLOW DIFFUSER - A method and apparatus for providing flow into a processing chamber are provided. In one embodiment, a vacuum processing chamber is provided that includes a chamber body having an interior volume, a substrate support disposed in the interior volume and a gas distribution assembly having an asymmetrical distribution of gas injection ports. In another embodiment, a method for vacuum processing a substrate is provided that includes disposing a substrate on a substrate support within in a processing chamber, flowing process gas into laterally into a space defined above a gas distribution plate positioned in the processing chamber over the substrate, and processing the substrate in the presence of the processing gas. | 09-25-2008 |
| 20080314522 | APPARATUS AND METHOD TO CONFINE PLASMA AND REDUCE FLOW RESISTANCE IN A PLASMA REACTOR - An apparatus configured to confine a plasma within a processing region in a plasma processing chamber. In one embodiment, the apparatus includes a ring that has a baffle having a plurality of slots and a plurality of fingers. Each slot is configured to have a width less than the thickness of a plasma sheath contained in the processing region. | 12-25-2008 |
| 20090179085 | HEATED SHOWERHEAD ASSEMBLY - The present invention generally comprises a heated showerhead assembly that may be used to supply processing gases into a processing chamber. The processing chamber may be an etching chamber. When processing gas is evacuated from the processing chamber, the uniform processing of the substrate may be difficult. As the processing gas is pulled away from the substrate and towards the vacuum pump, the plasma, in the case of etching, may not be uniform across the substrate. Uneven plasma may lead to uneven etching. To prevent uneven etching, the showerhead assembly may be separated into two zones each having independently controllable gas introduction and temperature control. The first zone corresponds to the perimeter of the substrate while the second zone corresponds to the center of the substrate. By independently controlling the temperature and the gas flow through the showerhead zones, etching uniformity of the substrate may be increased. | 07-16-2009 |
| 20090188624 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR ENHANCING FLOW UNIFORMITY IN A PROCESS CHAMBER - Methods and apparatus for processing substrates are provided herein. In some embodiments, an apparatus for processing a substrate may include a process chamber having an inner volume and an exhaust system coupled thereto, wherein the exhaust system includes a plurality of first conduits, each first conduit having an inlet adapted to receive exhaust from the inner volume of the process chamber. A pumping plenum is coupled to each of the plurality of first conduits. The pumping plenum has a pumping port adapted to pump the exhaust from the chamber. The conductance between each inlet of the plurality of first conduits and the pumping port is substantially equivalent. | 07-30-2009 |
| 20090188625 | ETCHING CHAMBER HAVING FLOW EQUALIZER AND LOWER LINER - A plasma processing chamber having a lowered flow equalizer and a lower chamber liner. In an etching process, the processing gases may be unevenly drawn from the processing chamber which may cause an uneven etching of the substrate. By equalizing the flow of the processing gases evacuated from the chamber, a more uniform etching may occur. By electrically coupling the flow equalizer to the chamber liners, the RF return path from the flow equalizer may run along the chamber liners and hence, reduce the amount of plasma drawn below the substrate during processing. | 07-30-2009 |
| 20090250169 | LOWER LINER WITH INTEGRATED FLOW EQUALIZER AND IMPROVED CONDUCTANCE - A plasma processing chamber has a lower liner with an integrated flow equalizer. In an etching process, the processing gases may be unevenly drawn from the processing chamber which may cause an uneven etching of the substrate. The integrated flow equalizer is configured to equalize the flow of the processing gases evacuated from the chamber via the lower liner. | 10-08-2009 |
| 20100065213 | ETCHING CHAMBER HAVING FLOW EQUALIZER AND LOWER LINER - A plasma processing chamber having a lowered flow equalizer and a lower chamber liner. In an etching process, the processing gases may be unevenly drawn from the processing chamber which may cause an uneven etching of the substrate. By equalizing the flow of the processing gases evacuated from the chamber, a more uniform etching may occur. By electrically coupling the flow equalizer to the chamber liners, the RF return path from the flow equalizer may run along the chamber liners and hence, reduce the amount of plasma drawn below the substrate during processing. | 03-18-2010 |
| 20100081284 | METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR IMPROVING FLOW UNIFORMITY IN A PROCESS CHAMBER - Methods and apparatus for processing substrates are provided herein. In some embodiments, an apparatus for processing a substrate includes a flow equalizer configured to control the flow of gases between a process volume and an exhaust port of a process chamber. The flow equalizer includes at least one restrictor plate configured to be disposed in a plane proximate a surface of a substrate to be processed and defines an azimuthally non-uniform gap between an edge of the at least one restrictor plate and one of either a chamber wall or a substrate support when installed in the process chamber. | 04-01-2010 |
| 20100133255 | APPARATUS FOR EFFICIENT REMOVAL OF HALOGEN RESIDUES FROM ETCHED SUBSTRATES - An apparatus for removing volatile residues from a substrate is provided. In one embodiment, an apparatus for removing halogen-containing residues from a substrate includes a chamber suitable for operating maintaining a vacuum therein and a heat module positioned to heat a substrate disposed in the chamber. The apparatus for removing halogen-containing residues from a substrate also includes at least one of A) a temperature controlled pedestal having a projection extending radially therefrom suitable for supporting the temperature control pedestal on a ledge of the chamber body, the projection thermally isolating the base from the chamber body; B) a pair of substrate holders that include two support flanges extending radially inward from an inner edge of an arc-shaped body, each support flange having a substrate support step that includes a sloped landing; or C) a domed window. | 06-03-2010 |
| 20110151590 | APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR LOW-K DIELECTRIC REPAIR - A method, a system and a computer readable medium for integrated in-vacuo repair of low-k dielectric thin films damaged by etch and/or strip processing. A repair chamber is integrated onto a same platform as a plasma etch and/or strip chamber to repair a low-k dielectric thin film without breaking vacuum between the damage event and the repair event. UV radiation may be provided on the integrated etch/repair platform in any combination of before, after, or during the low-k repair treatment to increase efficacy of the repair treatment and/or stability of repair. | 06-23-2011 |
| 20110162800 | RECONFIGURABLE MULTI-ZONE GAS DELIVERY HARDWARE FOR SUBSTRATE PROCESSING SHOWERHEADS - Reconfigurable showerheads used in process chambers for substrate processing are provided herein. In some embodiments, a reconfigurable showerhead may include a body having one or more plenums disposed therein; and one or more inserts configured to be disposed within the one or more plenums, wherein the one or more inserts divide the reconfigurable showerhead into a plurality of zones. In some embodiments, a substrate processing system may include a process chamber having a reconfigurable showerhead coupled to a gas supply for providing one or more process gases to the process chamber, the reconfigurable showerhead including a body having one or more plenums disposed therein and one or more inserts configured to be disposed within the one or more plenums, wherein the one or more inserts divide the reconfigurable showerhead into a plurality of zones. | 07-07-2011 |
