IP Library Granted Patent US 12,583,043
Granted Patent B2
US 12,583,043 · App. 18/311,513 · Granted Mar 24, 2026

Process chamber with UV irradiance

Inventors: Tapani Laaksonen (Fremont, CA); M Ziaul Karim (San Jose, CA); Christopher Lane (Los Gatos, CA); Craig Walter McCoy (Los Gatos, CA); Ramakanth Alapati (Dublin, CA)
Assignee: Yield Engineering Systems, Inc.
B23K1/015B23K1/008B23K3/085H01L24/742H01L24/75B23K1/0016B23K1/012B23K2101/40B23K2101/42H01L2021/60007H01L2021/60135H01L2021/6027H01L2224/75272H01L2224/75283
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,583,043
App. No.
18/311,513
Granted
Mar 24, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A semiconductor processing apparatus includes a process chamber that defines an enclosure. The enclosure includes a substrate support configured to support a substrate and rotate the substrate about a central axis of the process chamber. The substrate support is also configured to move vertically along the central axis and position the substrate at multiple locations in the enclosure. The apparatus also includes one or more UV lamps configured to irradiate a top surface of the substrate supported on the substrate support.

Claims (33)

1 . A semiconductor processing apparatus, comprising:

a process chamber defining an enclosure;

a substrate support configured to (a) support a substrate, (b) rotate with the substrate about a central axis of the process chamber, and (c) move vertically along the central axis to position the substrate at multiple locations in the enclosure;

one or more UV lamps configured to irradiate a top surface of the substrate supported on the substrate support; and

one or more motors configured to rotate the substrate support about the central axis and move the substrate support vertically along the central axis,

wherein the process chamber comprises a liquid-cooled cold plate that defines a bottom wall of the enclosure.

2 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the one or more UV lamps include a plurality of UV lamps symmetrically positioned about the central axis.

3 . The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the plurality of UV lamps includes four UV lamps.

4 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the process chamber further includes a transparent window that defines a top wall of the enclosure, wherein the one or more UV lamps are configured to irradiate the top surface of the substrate through the transparent window.

5 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the process chamber further comprises a lid hinged to a base of the process chamber, and the one or more UV lamps are disposed on an underside of the lid.

6 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the substrate support further includes one or more heaters configured to heat the substrate supported on the substrate support.

7 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein a side wall of the process chamber further comprises a substrate-inlet port, the substrate-inlet port being configured to direct the substrate into the enclosure.

8 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the bottom wall of the process chamber includes a plurality of openings configured to direct an inert gas into the enclosure.

9 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein a side wall of the process chamber includes a plurality of gas-inlet ports configured to direct an inert gas into the enclosure.

10 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the apparatus further includes a plurality of IR lamps configured to heat the top surface of the substrate supported on the substrate support.

11 . A semiconductor processing apparatus, comprising:

a process chamber defining an enclosure;

a substrate support positioned in the enclosure and configured to (a) support a substrate thereon, (b) rotate along with the substrate about a central axis of the process chamber, and (c) move vertically along the central axis to position the substrate at multiple locations in the enclosure;

a liquid-cooled cold plate that defines a bottom wall of the enclosure;

a transparent window that defines a top wall of the enclosure; and

one or more UV lamps, wherein the one or more UV lamps are configured to irradiate a top surface of the substrate supported on the substrate support through the transparent window.

12 . The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the process chamber further comprises a lid hinged to a base of the process chamber, and the one or more UV lamps are disposed on an underside of the lid.

13 . The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the substrate support includes one or more heaters configured to heat the substrate supported on the substrate support.

14 . The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein a side wall of the process chamber further comprises a substrate-inlet port, the substrate-inlet port being configured to direct the substrate into the enclosure.

15 . The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the one or more UV lamps includes a plurality of UV lamps symmetrically positioned about the central axis.

16 . The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the one or more UV lamps includes only a single UV lamp.

17 . The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the liquid-cooled cold plate includes a plurality of openings configured to direct an inert gas into the enclosure.

18 . The apparatus of claim 17 , wherein a side wall of the process chamber includes a plurality of gas-inlet ports configured to direct the inert gas into the enclosure.

19 . The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the apparatus further includes a plurality of IR lamps configured to heat the top surface of the substrate supported on the substrate support.

20 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the one or more motors are configured to move the substrate support vertically along the central axis to a first height to cool the substrate and to a second height to heat the substrate.

21 . The apparatus of claim 20 , wherein the one or more motors are configured to move the substrate support vertically along the central axis to the first height to contact a back side of the substrate support with the liquid-cooled cold plate to cool the substrate.

22 . The apparatus of claim 20 , wherein the first height is closer to a base of the processing chamber than is the second height.

23 . The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a control system configured to control at least one of the one or more UV lamps or the one or more motors.

Assignments (3)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 9, 2023
From: YIELD ENGINEERING SYSTEMS, INC.
To: YIELD ENGINEERING SPV LLC
Reel/Frame 063584/0553 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded May 9, 2023
From: YIELD ENGINEERING SPV LLC
To: AON IP ADVANTAGE FUND LP
Reel/Frame 063585/0001 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 3, 2023
From: LAAKSONEN, TAPANI; KARIM, M. ZIAUL; LANE, CHRISTOPHER; MCCOY, CRAIG WALTER; ALAPATI, RAMAKANTH
To: YIELD ENGINEERING SYSTEMS, INC.
Reel/Frame 063525/0040 →
Continuity (4)
Continuation In Part 17872320 · Jul 25, 2022
Continuation 17692760 · Mar 11, 2022
Continuation In Part 17463012 · Aug 31, 2021
Related Publication 20230294190A1 · Sep 21, 2023
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