Claims
- 1. An engagement mechanism for semiconductor substrate deposition process kit hardware, comprising:
a body having a distal portion and a proximal portion, the body being sized for movement through a passageway of a semiconductor substrate deposition chamber through which semiconductor substrates pass into and out of the chamber for deposition processing; and at least one engager mounted to the distal portion of the body, the engager being sized for movement through said passageway with the body, the engager being configured to releasably engage a component of process kit hardware received within said chamber.
- 2. The mechanism of claim 1 comprising multiple of said engagers mounted to the distal portion.
- 3. The mechanism of claim 1 comprising two diametrically opposed engagers, one of the two comprising said at least one.
- 4. The mechanism of claim 1 comprising two diametrically opposed engagers, one of the two comprising said at least one, the two engagers being mechanical engagers mounted for movement towards and away from one another.
- 5. The mechanism of claim 1 comprising two diametrically opposed engagers, one of the two comprising said at least one, the two engagers being mechanical engagers mounted for movement towards and away from one another, and about respective axes of rotation.
- 6. The mechanism of claim 1 wherein the distal portion includes at least one distalmost end, the engager being mounted to extend beyond the one distalmost end.
- 7. The mechanism of claim 1 wherein the engager is a mechanical engager mounted for movement relative to the body.
- 8. The mechanism of claim 1 wherein the engager is a mechanical engager mounted for rotational movement relative to the body.
- 9. The mechanism of claim 1 wherein the engager is a mechanical engager mounted for eccentric rotational movement relative to the body.
- 10. The mechanism of claim 1 wherein the body is elongated along a longitudinal axis, the engager being a mechanical engager mounted for rotational movement relative to the body about an axis of rotation which is generally transverse the longitudinal axis.
- 11. The mechanism of claim 1 wherein the engager is a mechanical engager mounted for rotational movement relative to the body about an axis of rotation which is horizontal.
- 12. The mechanism of claim 1 wherein the engager is a mechanical engager mounted for rotational movement relative to the body about an axis of rotation which is vertical.
- 13. The mechanism of claim 1 wherein the process kit hardware comprises a heater cover.
- 14. An engagement mechanism for semiconductor substrate deposition process kit hardware, comprising:
a body having a distal portion and a proximal portion, the body being sized for movement through a passageway of a semiconductor substrate deposition chamber through which semiconductor substrates pass into and out of the chamber for deposition processing; a first engager mounted to the distal portion of the body, the first engager being sized for movement through said passageway with the body; a second engager mounted to the proximal portion of the body, the second engager being sized for movement through said passageway with the body; and the first and second engagers being configured to releasably engage a component of process kit hardware received within said chamber.
- 15. The mechanism of claim 14 wherein the first and second engagers are mechanical engagers mounted for movement relative to the body.
- 16. The mechanism of claim 14 wherein the first and second engagers are mechanical engagers mounted for movement towards and away from one another.
- 17. The mechanism of claim 14 wherein the first and second engagers are mechanical engagers which are diametrically opposed and mounted for movement towards and away from one another.
- 18. The mechanism of claim 14 wherein the first and second engagers are mechanical engagers mounted for movement towards and away from one another, and about respective axes of rotation.
- 19. The mechanism of claim 14 comprising multiple of said first engagers and multiple of said second engagers.
- 20. The mechanism of claim 14 wherein the first and second engagers are of a common construction.
- 21. The mechanism of claim 14 wherein at least one of the first and second engagers is mechanically mounted for rotational movement relative to the body.
- 22. The mechanism of claim 14 wherein at least one of the first and second the engagers is mechanically mounted for eccentric rotational movement relative to the body.
- 23. The mechanism of claim 14 wherein the process kit hardware comprises a heater cover.
- 24. An engagement mechanism for semiconductor substrate deposition process kit hardware, comprising:
a body sized for movement through a passageway of a semiconductor substrate deposition chamber through which semiconductor substrates pass into and out of the chamber for deposition processing; and a plurality of suction openings associated with the body for movement through said passageway, the suction openings being configured to releasably engage a component of process kit hardware received within said chamber.
- 25. The mechanism of claim 24 wherein the suction openings comprise flexible suction cups.
- 26. The mechanism of claim 24 wherein the suction openings are oriented generally transverse a longitudinal orientation of the body.
- 27. The mechanism of claim 24 wherein the suction openings are even in number, and arranged in diametrically opposing pairs.
- 28. The mechanism of claim 24 wherein the body comprises a plurality of projecting arms, respective of the suction opening being received proximate distal ends of the arms.
- 29. The mechanism of claim 24 wherein,
the suction openings comprise flexible suction cups; and the suction cups are oriented generally transverse a longitudinal orientation of the body.
- 30. The mechanism of claim 24 wherein,
the suction openings comprise flexible suction cups; and the suction cups are even in number, and arranged in diametrically opposing pairs.
- 31. The mechanism of claim 24 wherein,
the suction openings comprise flexible suction cups; and the body comprises a plurality of projecting arms, respective of the suction cups being received proximate distal ends of the arms.
- 32. The mechanism of claim 24 wherein the process kit hardware comprises a heater cover.
- 33. An engagement mechanism for semiconductor substrate deposition process kit hardware, comprising:
a support having a first end and a second end; a plurality of arms extending outwardly of the support proximate the second end, the respective arms having a proximal portion and a distal portion; an engager mounted to the respective distal portion of the respective arms, the engagers collectively being configured to releasably engage a component of process kit hardware received within a semiconductor substrate deposition chamber; and the support, arms and engagers collectively being sized for movement through a passageway of said chamber through which semiconductor substrates pass into and out of said chamber for deposition processing.
- 34. The mechanism of claim 33 wherein the engagers are all of a common construction.
- 35. The mechanism of claim 33 wherein the engagers are all of a common construction, and comprise suction openings.
- 36. The mechanism of claim 33 wherein the engagers are all of a common construction, and comprise flexible suction cups.
- 37. The mechanism of claim 33 wherein the engagers are all of a common construction, and comprise mechanical engagers mounted for mechanical movement relative to the respective distal portions.
- 38. The mechanism of claim 33 wherein the respective distal portions have a distal end, the respective engagers being mounted to extend beyond the distal ends.
- 39. The mechanism of claim 33 wherein the process kit hardware comprises a heater cover.
- 40. A method of replacing at least a portion of semiconductor substrate deposition process kit hardware, comprising:
removing at least a piece of semiconductor substrate deposition process kit hardware from a deposition chamber by passing it through a passageway to the deposition chamber through which semiconductor substrates pass into and out of the chamber for deposition processing; and providing a replacement for the removed process kit hardware into the chamber by passing the replacement through said passageway through which semiconductor substrates pass into and out of the chamber for deposition processing.
- 41. The method of claim 40 wherein the piece comprises a heater cover.
- 42. The method of claim 40 wherein the deposition chamber is maintained at subatmospheric pressure during the removing and the providing, and between the removing and the providing.
- 43. The method of claim 40 wherein the deposition chamber is maintained at a substantially constant subatmospheric pressure during the removing and the providing, and between the removing and the providing.
- 44. A method of replacing at least a portion of semiconductor substrate deposition process kit hardware, comprising:
engaging a piece of semiconductor substrate deposition process kit hardware with an arm extending through a passageway to the deposition chamber through which semiconductor substrates pass into and out of the chamber for deposition processing; moving the engaged piece with the arm to proximate said passageway; removing the piece from the deposition chamber with the arm by passing the piece through the passageway; and providing a replacement for the removed piece into the chamber by passing the replacement through said passageway with the arm.
- 45. The method of claim 44 wherein the piece comprises a heater cover.
- 46. The method of claim 44 wherein the deposition chamber is maintained at subatmospheric pressure during the removing and the providing, and between the removing and the providing.
- 47. The method of claim 44 wherein the deposition chamber is maintained at a substantially constant subatmospheric pressure during the removing and the providing, and between the removing and the providing.
- 48. The method of claim 44 comprising a mechanical engager movably mounted proximate a distal end of the arm, the engaging comprising moving the mechanical engager relative to the arm effective to mechanically engage the piece.
- 49. The method of claim 44 comprising at least two mechanical engagers movably mounted proximate a distal end of the arm, the engaging comprising moving the mechanical engagers relative to the arm effective to mechanically engage the piece.
- 50. The method of claim 44 comprising a suction opening received proximate a distal end of the arm, the engaging comprising applying a vacuum force against the piece from the suction opening.
- 51. The method of claim 44 comprising a flexible suction cup received proximate a distal end of the arm, the engaging comprising applying a vacuum force against the piece from the suction cup.
- 52. A method of depositing materials over a plurality of semiconductor substrates, comprising:
providing a subatmospheric deposition chamber in communication with a subatmospheric transfer chamber; processing a first plurality of semiconductor substrates within the subatmospheric deposition chamber effective to deposit one or more materials over said first plurality, said first plurality of substrates passing from the subatmospheric transfer chamber to the subatmospheric deposition chamber and then from the subatmospheric deposition chamber to the subatmospheric transfer chamber through a substrate passageway therebetween; after processing the first plurality of substrates, removing at least a piece of process kit hardware received within the subatmospheric deposition chamber by passing it through the substrate passageway into the transfer chamber; providing a replacement for the removed piece into the subatmospheric deposition chamber by passing the replacement from the subatmospheric transfer chamber through the substrate passageway into the subatmospheric deposition chamber; and processing a second plurality of semiconductor substrates within the subatmospheric deposition chamber effective to deposit said one or more materials over said second plurality; all of said first plurality processing, said removing, said providing a replacement and said second plurality processing occurring without exposing either the transfer chamber or the deposition chamber to room atmospheric pressure.
- 53. The method of claim 52 wherein the piece comprises a heater cover.
- 54. The method of claim 52 wherein the first and second plurality processings are one substrate at a time.
- 55. The method of claim 52 wherein the deposition chamber is maintained at a substantially constant subatmospheric pressure during said all.
- 56. The method of claim 52 comprising removing and replacing multiple pieces of said process kit hardware through said passageway intermediate the first plurality processing and the second plurality processing.
RELATED PATENT DATA
[0001] This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/121,302, filed on Apr. 11, 2002, entitled “Method Of Replacing At Least A Portion Of A Semiconductor Substrate Deposition Chamber Liner, Method Of Depositing Materials Over A Plurality Of Semiconductor Substrates, And Semiconductor Substrate Deposition Processor Chamber Liner Apparatus”, and naming Craig M. Carpenter, Ross S. Dando, Philip H. Campbell, Allen P. Mardian and Gurtej S. Sandhu as inventors. Such parent application is hereby incorporated by reference into this document as if presented in its entirety herein.
Divisions (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
10163671 |
Jun 2002 |
US |
Child |
10396268 |
Mar 2003 |
US |
Continuation in Parts (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
10121302 |
Apr 2002 |
US |
Child |
10396268 |
Mar 2003 |
US |