Process gas discharged from a bypass pipe to a gas exhaust system can be prevented from diffusing back to the inside of a process chamber without having to install a dedicated vacuum pump at the downstream side of the bypass pipe. The substrate processing apparatus includes a process chamber accommodating a substrate, a gas supply system supplying process gas from a process gas source to the process chamber for processing the substrate, a gas exhaust system configured to exhaust the process chamber, two or more vacuum pumps installed in series at the gas exhaust system, and a bypass pipe connected between the gas supply system and the gas exhaust system. The most upstream one of the vacuum pumps is a mechanical booster pump, and the bypass pipe is connected between the mechanical booster pump and the rest vacuum pumps located at a downstream side of the mechanical booster pump.

Substrate Processing Apparatus

Embodiments related to managing the process feed conditions for a semiconductor process module are provided. In one example, a gas channel plate for a semiconductor process module is provided. The example gas channel plate includes a heat exchange surface including a plurality of heat exchange structures separated from one another by intervening gaps. The example gas channel plate also includes a heat exchange fluid director plate support surface for supporting a heat exchange fluid director plate above the plurality of heat exchange structures so that at least a portion of the plurality of heat exchange structures are spaced from the heat exchange fluid director plate.

Process feed management for semiconductor substrate processing

Factories (102 - 104) have host computers (107) for monitoring industrial equipments (106). Each host computer (107) is connected to a management host computer (108) on a vendor (101) side through the internet (105). The host computer (107) on the factory side detects occurrence of a trouble of the industrial equipment (106) and notifies the vendor side of status information representing a trouble state. In response to this, the host computer (108) on the vendor side notifies the factory side of response information representing a countermeasure against the trouble state.

Remote maintenance system

The present invention relates to a process and system for depositing a thin film onto a substrate. One aspect of the invention is depositing a thin film metal oxide layer using atomic layer deposition (ALD).

Systems and methods for thin-film deposition of metal oxides using excited nitrogen-oxygen species

A showerhead including a body having an opening, a first plate positioned within the opening and having a plurality of slots, a second plate positioned within the opening and having a plurality of slots, and wherein each of the first plate plurality of slots are concentrically aligned with the second plate plurality of slots.

Semiconductor reaction chamber showerhead

A multi-port gas injector for a vertical furnace that is utilized for low-pressure chemical vapor deposition of silicon dioxide using a tetraethyl orthosilicate (“TEOS”) source is provided. The multi-port gas injector has two or three ports for introducing TEOS into the vertical furnace. The gas injector includes a first and second section of tubing, preferably made of quartz, joined such that they are preferably substantially perpendicular. One end of the second section forms one of the ports. In one embodiment a hole located at the position where the first and second sections are joined forms a second port. In other embodiments, a third and, possibly, a fourth section of tubing are joined to the second section of tubing to form a second and, possibly, a third port. Additionally, the second section of tubing may have one or more tapers to reduce the diameter of the hole through which gas exits.

Multi-port gas injector for a vertical furnace used in semiconductor processing

Method and apparatus for providing integrated monitoring, control and diagnostics functions for semiconductor spray processors is disclosed In a preferred embodiment, a spray processor host system of the present invention comprises a plurality of PC-class computers interconnected via a network link Each of a first subset of the spray processor host system computers comprises a supervisor computer connected to one of a plurality of spray process tools, which in the preferred embodiment comprise Mercury® MP processors The supervisor computers provide ongoing information exchange with the processors and maintain up-to-date status information Each supervisor computer maintains an event log of processor operations and operator actions, as well as data capture files for storing process variables captured by the supervisor computer Each of a second subset of the spray processor host system computers comprises an engineer computer for providing the system operator with a command driven interface to the spray processor host system Each engineer computer can monitor a plurality of supervisor computers and is used to enable such functions as recipe directory editing, recipe downloading, event log searching, data capture file data graphing and processor status viewing A third subset of the spray processor host system computers comprises a bridge computer for providing a communications link between the supervisor computers and a upstream host computer outside the spray processor host system, for example, a lot scheduling or material flow control computer

System for providing integrated monitoring, control and diagnostics functions for semiconductor spray process tools

A single-array memory employs a novel storage cell providing dual read/write access via either an "A"-side or a "B"-side. The storage cell uses a unique circuit in which read current is borrowed during writing into the cell. Asymmetrical read/write delay circuitry is provided to avoid overwriting the contents of a storage cell during the read-to-write transition. Row-selection decoders use Schottky-clamping diodes in a way which provide an equivalent oscillation-damping capacitance at the base of the selected-row driver transistor. The single-array memory can be advantageously used as part of a single-chip VLSI four-port register file permitting simultaneous reading and/or writing of registers from any of two read ports or two write ports, respectively. Unidirectional busses connect each storage cell to each of the four ports.

Dual-port read/write RAM with single array

A temperature compensated differential level shift circuit (Fig. 2). An ECL type buffered differential circuit employs a source of threshold voltage, VT (Fig. 3), which matches the temperature-dependent characteristic of the input section of the level shift circuit. In a preferred embodiment, s Schottky diode (52) is provided in the output section of a bandgap reference voltage generator (Fig. 3) which matches the temperature dependence of a Schottky diode (30) in the input section of the level shift circuit (Fig. 2). As temperature shifts, the threshold voltage will shift in a manner that tracks the temperature-produced shift in the input voltage as it passes through the Schottky diode in the input section of the level shift circuit. Matched PNP or NPN transistors (70, 72 and 71, 73 ) may also be used in the input section of the level shift circuit (Figs. 6A, 7A) and in the output section of the bandgap reference voltage generator (Figs. 6B, 7B).

Temperature compensated ttl to ecl translator

A low-pressure CVD apparatus is presented including one or more gas heating subsystems which heat process gases prior to their introduction into a reaction chamber of the low-pressure CVD apparatus. As a result, thermal expansions and contractions of the walls of the reaction chamber are reduced, along with the tendency of small particles of deposits on the inner walls of the reaction chamber to flake off. Fewer loose particulates created within the reaction chamber results in a reduction in the number of particulates adhering to surfaces of processed silicon wafers. Each gas heating subsystem includes a heating element thermally coupled to a gas feed line and to a process gas flowing within the gas feed line. Each gas heating subsystem also preferably includes a thermal feedback temperature control mechanism including a temperature sensor and a temperature control unit. The temperature sensor senses the temperature of the heated flow of process gas and produces a corresponding temperature signal. The temperature control unit is coupled to receive the temperature signal from the temperature sensor and controls the temperature of the heating element in response to the temperature signal. The temperature of the process gas entering the reaction chamber may thus be controllably increased.

Michael Allen

Papers

Multi-port gas injector for a vertical furnace used in semiconductor processing

System for providing integrated monitoring, control and diagnostics functions for semiconductor spray process tools

Dual-port read/write RAM with single array

Temperature compensated ttl to ecl translator

Low pressure chemical vapor deposition apparatus including a process gas heating subsystem