| Patent application number | Description | Published |
|---|
| 20100009470 | WITHIN-SEQUENCE METROLOGY BASED PROCESS TUNING FOR ADAPTIVE SELF-ALIGNED DOUBLE PATTERNING - An apparatus for adaptive self-aligned dual patterning and method thereof. The method includes providing a substrate to a processing platform configured to perform an etch process and a deposition process and a metrology unit configured for in-vacuo critical dimension (CD) measurement. The in-vacuo CD measurement is utilized for feedforward adaptive control of the process sequence processing platform or for feedback and feedforward adaptive control of chamber process parameters. In one aspect, a first layer of a multi-layered masking stack is etched to form a template mask, an in-vacuo CD measurement of the template mask is made, and a spacer is formed, adjacent to the template mask, to a width that is dependent on the CD measurement of the template mask. | 01-14-2010 |
| 20100071438 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR CALIBRATING MASS FLOW CONTROLLERS - A method for determining the flow rate of a gas includes measuring a first concentration of a calibration gas provided to the process chamber at a first pressure and temperature by directing infrared radiation into the process chamber and monitoring a first amount of infrared radiation absorbed by the calibration gas. A mixture of a second gas and the calibration gas is provided to the process chamber while maintaining the first pressure and temperature. A second concentration of the calibration gas in the mixture is measured by directing infrared radiation into the process chamber and monitoring a second amount of infrared radiation absorbed by the calibration gas. A flow rate of the second gas is calculated by comparing the first and second concentrations of the calibration gas. In one embodiment, the calibration gas and the second gas may not absorb the infrared radiation at the same wavelength. | 03-25-2010 |
| 20100076729 | SELF-DIAGNOSTIC SEMICONDUCTOR EQUIPMENT - Methods and apparatus for predictive maintenance of semiconductor process equipment are provided herein. In some embodiments, a method of performing predictive maintenance on semiconductor processing equipment may include performing at least one self-diagnostic test on the semiconductor processing equipment with no substrate present in the equipment. The self-diagnostic test may include measuring one or more predictor parameters and one or more response parameters from the semiconductor process equipment. One or more expected response parameters may be calculated based upon the measured predictor parameters utilizing a predictive model. The one or more measured response parameters may be compared with the one or more expected response parameters. A determination may be made whether equipment maintenance is required based upon the comparison. | 03-25-2010 |
| 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 |
| 20100224322 | ENDPOINT DETECTION FOR A REACTOR CHAMBER USING A REMOTE PLASMA CHAMBER - An analysis chamber coupled to a processing chamber includes an actively switchable capacitive-inductive coupling apparatus providing excitation in a capacitively coupled mode and an inductively coupled mode. | 09-09-2010 |
| 20110013175 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR IN-SITU METROLOGY OF A WORKPIECE DISPOSED IN A VACUUM PROCESSING CHAMBER - A method and apparatus for in-situ metrology of a workpiece disposed in a vacuum processing chamber. The apparatus may include an optical assembly external to the processing chamber configured to focus a relatively large optical spot over a relatively large working distance to acquire a TE and TM spectra from a periodic array on the workpiece. The workpiece may be disposed in the processing chamber with an arbitrary orientation which is first determined via a reflectance measurement. TE and/or TM spectra may then be acquired by initiating a periodic triggering of a flash lamp based on the determined workpiece orientation to account for variation in placement of the workpiece within the processing chamber. The periodic array from which spectra are collected may be a memory array being fabricated in a semiconductor wafer. | 01-20-2011 |
