公开(公告)号：US11640915B2

公开(公告)日：2023-05-02

申请号：US17532954

申请日：2021-11-22

申请人： APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.

发明人： Paul B. Reuter ,  Dean C. Hruzek ,  Nir Merry ,  John C. Menk ,  Douglas B. Baumgarten

IPC分类号： H01L21/673 ,  H01L21/677 ,  H01L21/67

摘要： Electronic device processing systems including an equipment front end module (EFEM) with a side storage pod are described. The EFEM includes an EFEM chamber and a recirculation duct. The side storage pod is fluidly coupled to the recirculation duct. The side storage pod includes an interior chamber and a side storage container disposed within the interior chamber. The side storage container is configured to receive one or more substrates from the EFEM chamber. The electronic device processing system further includes an environmental control system. The environmental control system is configured to circulate a purge gas between the EFEM chamber and the side storage pod via the recirculation duct.

公开(公告)号：US10278501B2

公开(公告)日：2019-05-07

申请号：US14689342

申请日：2015-04-17

申请人： Applied Materials, Inc.

发明人： Eran Weiss ,  Travis Morey ,  Nir Merry ,  Paul B. Reuter ,  Izya Kremerman ,  Jeffrey C. Hudgens ,  Dean C. Hruzek

IPC分类号： H01L21/67 ,  A47B96/00

摘要： A load lock door assembly with side actuation is disclosed. Load lock door assembly includes a load lock door and a door support assembly coupled thereto. Door support assembly includes one or more pivot members pivotable relative to one or more sides of the load lock body, a door support bracket coupled to the load lock door, one or more separator side actuators coupled between the door support bracket being actuatable to separate the load lock door from a sealing surface, and one or more pivot side actuator operable to pivot the load lock door above or below the load lock entry. Load lock apparatus with side actuation, systems including one or more load lock door assemblies with side actuation, and methods of operating load lock door assemblies are provided, as are numerous other aspects.

公开(公告)号：US10192765B2

公开(公告)日：2019-01-29

申请号：US14456631

申请日：2014-08-11

申请人： Applied Materials, Inc.

发明人： Sushant S. Koshti ,  Dean C. Hruzek ,  Ayan Majumdar ,  John C. Menk ,  Helder T. Lee ,  Sangram Patil ,  Sanjay Rajaram ,  Douglas Baumgarten ,  Nir Merry

IPC分类号： H01L21/67 ,  H01L21/677

摘要： Electronic device processing systems including environmental control of the factory interface are described. One electronic device processing system has a factory interface having a factory interface chamber, a load lock apparatus coupled to the factory interface, one or more substrate carriers coupled to the factory interface, and an environmental control system coupled to the factory interface and operational to monitor or control one of: relative humidity, temperature, an amount of oxygen, or an amount of inert gas within the factory interface chamber. In another aspect, purge of a carrier purge chamber within the factory interface chamber is provided. Methods for processing substrates are described, as are numerous other aspects.

公开(公告)号：US20150050118A1

公开(公告)日：2015-02-19

申请号：US14529848

申请日：2014-10-31

申请人： Applied Materials, Inc.

发明人： Khurshed Sorabji ,  Joseph M. Ranish ,  Wolfgang Aderhold ,  Aaron M. Hunter ,  Blake R. Koelmel ,  Alexander N. Lerner ,  Nir Merry

IPC分类号： H01L21/67 ,  H01L21/687 ,  H01L21/324 ,  H01L21/68

CPC分类号： H01L21/67259 ,  C23C16/46 ,  H01L21/324 ,  H01L21/67115 ,  H01L21/68 ,  H01L21/681 ,  H01L21/6835 ,  H01L21/68742

摘要： Methods and apparatus for rapid thermal processing of a planar substrate including axially aligning the substrate with a substrate support or with an empirically determined position are described. The methods and apparatus include a sensor system that determines the relative orientations of the substrate and the substrate support.

摘要翻译： 描述了包括将衬底轴向对准衬底支撑件或经验确定的位置的用于快速热处理平面衬底的方法和装置。 所述方法和装置包括确定衬底和衬底支撑件的相对取向的传感器系统。

公开(公告)号：US20140150878A1

公开(公告)日：2014-06-05

申请号：US14091130

申请日：2013-11-26

申请人： Applied Materials, Inc.

发明人： Nir Merry ,  Chandrakant M. Sapkale ,  Karuppasamy Muthukamtchi ,  Jeffrey C. Hudgens ,  Penchala N. Kankanala

IPC分类号： F16K51/00

CPC分类号： F16K51/00 ,  C23C16/4412 ,  F16K1/24 ,  F16K31/00 ,  F16K51/02 ,  Y10T137/0318 ,  Y10T137/8593

摘要： Process chamber gas flow control apparatus having a tiltable valve are disclosed. The gas flow apparatus includes a process chamber adapted to contain a substrate, an exit from the process chamber including a valve seat, and a tiltable valve configured and adapted to tilt relative to the valve seat to control flow non-uniformities within the process chamber. Systems and methods including the tiltable valve apparatus are disclosed, as are numerous other aspects.

摘要翻译： 公开了具有可倾斜阀的过程室气体流量控制装置。 气流装置包括适于容纳基底的处理室，包括阀座的处理室的出口以及被构造成适于相对于阀座倾斜的可倾斜阀，以控制处理室内的流动不均匀性。 公开了包括可倾斜阀装置的系统和方法，以及许多其它方面。

公开(公告)号：US11772958B2

公开(公告)日：2023-10-03

申请号：US17475294

申请日：2021-09-14

申请人： APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.

发明人： Nir Merry ,  Paul Wirth ,  Ming Xu ,  Sushant Koshti ,  Raechel Chu-Hui Tan

IPC分类号： B81B3/00 ,  G01F1/684 ,  G01F1/72 ,  G01F1/86 ,  G05D7/06

CPC分类号： B81B3/0018 ,  G01F1/6845 ,  G01F1/72 ,  G01F1/86 ,  G05D7/0623 ,  G05D7/0647 ,  B81B2201/0292 ,  B81B2203/01 ,  B81B2203/0315 ,  B81B2203/0338 ,  B81B2207/11

摘要： Disclosed herein are embodiments of a mass flow control apparatus, systems incorporating the same, and methods using the same. In one embodiment, a mass flow control apparatus comprises a flow modulating valve configured to modulate gas flow in a gas flow channel, a sensor device, such as a micro-electromechanical (MEMS) device, configured to generate a signal responsive to a condition of the gas flow, and a processing device operatively coupled to the flow modulating valve and the sensor device to control the flow modulating valve based on a signal received from the sensor device.

公开(公告)号：US20220392789A1

公开(公告)日：2022-12-08

申请号：US17821073

申请日：2022-08-19

申请人： Applied Materials, Inc.

发明人： Sushant S. Koshti ,  Dean C. Hruzek ,  Ayan Majumdar ,  John C. Menk ,  Helder T. Lee ,  Sangram Patil ,  Sanjay Rajaram ,  Douglas Baumgarten ,  Nir Merry

IPC分类号： H01L21/67

摘要： An electronic device processing system includes a factory interface (FI), substrate carrier(s), a humidity sensor, an oxygen sensor, and an environmental control system coupled to the FI. A processor of the environmental control system is to cause inert gas to be provided to an FI chamber and inert gas exhausted from the FI chamber to be circulated back into the FI chamber. The processor is also to identify conditions to be satisfied before opening a door of the substrate carriers. The processor is to control the humidity level based on detection by the humidity sensor or the oxygen level based on detection by the oxygen sensor. If the one or more conditions are satisfied, the processor is to open the carrier door to enable passing of substrates between the FI chamber and the substrate carriers.

公开(公告)号：US11373891B2

公开(公告)日：2022-06-28

申请号：US16660057

申请日：2019-10-22

申请人： Applied Materials, Inc.

发明人： Paul B. Reuter ,  Robin C. Armstrong ,  John C. Menk ,  Nir Merry

IPC分类号： H01L21/673

摘要： Equipment front end module (EFEM) includes front located return ducts. The EFEM may include a front wall, a rear wall, and two side walls, the front wall including a plurality of load ports, and the rear wall configured to couple to a load lock apparatus. An EFEM chamber is formed between the front wall, the rear wall, and the two side walls. An upper plenum is positioned at a top of the EFEM and includes an opening into the EFEM chamber. Return ducts provide a return gas flow path enabling recirculation of gas from the EFEM chamber to the upper plenum. At least some of the plurality of return ducts are located between the load ports. Electronic device manufacturing assemblies and methods of operating equipment front end modules are also disclosed.

公开(公告)号：US11244846B2

公开(公告)日：2022-02-08

申请号：US16408303

申请日：2019-05-09

申请人： Applied Materials, Inc.

发明人： Jeffrey C. Hudgens ,  Michael R. Rice ,  Karuppasamy Muthukamatchi ,  Nir Merry

IPC分类号： H01L21/677 ,  H01L21/687 ,  H01L21/67

摘要： Electronic device manufacturing apparatus and robot apparatus are described. The apparatus are configured to efficiently pick and place substrates wherein the robot apparatus includes an upper arm and three blades B1, B2, B3 that are independently rotatable. The three blades are configured to service a first dual load lock and second dual load lock wherein each dual load lock includes a different pitch. In some embodiments, a first pitch P1 is smaller than a second pitch P2. Blades B2 and B3 (or optionally blades B1 and B2) can service the first dual load lock with Pitch P1 and blades B1 and B3 can service the second dual load lock including the second pitch P2. Methods of operating the electronic device manufacturing apparatus and the robot apparatus are provided, as are numerous other aspects.

公开(公告)号：US11244844B2

公开(公告)日：2022-02-08

申请号：US16657685

申请日：2019-10-18

申请人： Applied Materials, Inc.

发明人： Paul B. Reuter ,  Murali Narasimhan ,  Amulya L. Athayde ,  Patrick Pannese ,  Dean C. Hruzek ,  Nir Merry

IPC分类号： H01L21/673 ,  H01L21/677 ,  H01L21/67

摘要： In some embodiments, a side storage pod apparatus of an equipment front end module (EFEM) includes a side storage enclosure having a surface configured to couple to a side wall of a body of the equipment front end module, and an opening configured to receive substrates from the equipment front end module. The EFEM further includes a side storage chamber within the side storage enclosure having a plurality of support members configured to support substrates thereon. The EFEM further includes a plenum chamber provided proximate the side storage chamber, the plenum chamber being a separate chamber from the side storage chamber and an exhaust port coupled to the plenum chamber.