Exemplary substrate processing systems may include a plurality of processing regions. The systems may include a transfer region housing defining a transfer region fluidly coupled with the plurality of processing regions. The systems may include a plurality of substrate supports. Each substrate support of the plurality of substrate supports may be vertically translatable between the transfer region and an associated processing region of the plurality of processing regions. The systems may include a transfer apparatus including a rotatable shaft extending through the transfer region housing. The transfer apparatus may also include an end effector coupled with the rotatable shaft. The systems may include an exhaust foreline including a plurality of foreline tails. Each foreline tail of the plurality of foreline tails may be fluidly coupled with a separate processing region of the plurality of processing regions. The systems may include a plurality of throttle valves.

Disclosed are apparatuses and methods for flowing a reactant process gas into a processing chamber containing a substrate, generating a plasma at a first power level in the processing chamber during the flowing of the reactant process gas, thereby depositing a layer of a material on the substrate by plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition, maintaining the plasma while ceasing flowing the reactant process gas into the processing chamber, thereby stopping the depositing, without extinguishing the plasma, adjusting the plasma to a second power level, flowing an inert process gas into the processing chamber, thereby modifying the layer of the material while the plasma is at the second power level, and extinguishing the plasma after the modifying.

A fastening system for attaching two components with a spring force is disclosed. The fastening system utilizes O-rings to provide the spring force, eliminating the need for any metal components. The O-ring may be disposed in an O-ring holder that has a plurality of spokes. When compressed, indentations are created in the O-ring by the spokes. The number of spokes and their size and shape determine the spring force of the fastening system. In another embodiment, vertically oriented O-rings are utilized. The fastening system may be used to fasten various components of an ion source.

A plasma processing apparatus includes: a chamber accommodating a plurality of substrates; a plurality of substrate supports provided inside the chamber and configured to support a substrate; a plurality of radio-frequency power sources provided corresponding to the plurality of substrate supports, and configured to supply radio-frequency power to the plurality of substrate supports, respectively; and a plurality of shields configured to compart the inside of the chamber and provided corresponding to the plurality of substrate supports to define a processing space where plasma is generated. A radio-frequency current path is formed between the plurality of shields so as not to interfere with one another.

A server trains a neural network by feeding a first set of input time-series data of one or more sensors of a first processing chamber that is within specification to the neural network to produce a corresponding first set of output time-series data. The server calculates a first error. The server feeds a second set of input time-series data from corresponding one or more sensors associated with a second processing chamber under test to the trained neural network to produce a corresponding second set of output time-series data. The server calculates a second error. Responsive to the difference between a second error between the second set of input time-series data and the corresponding second set of output time-series data and a first error between the first set of input time-series data and the corresponding first set of output time-series data being equal to or exceeding a threshold amount, the server declares that the second processing chamber under test mismatches the first processing chamber that is within specifications.

A method of cleaning a chamber for an electronics manufacturing system includes flowing a gas mixture comprising oxygen and a carrier gas into a remote plasma generator. The method further includes generating a plasma from the gas mixture by the remote plasma generator and performing a remote plasma cleaning of the chamber by flowing the plasma into an interior of the chamber, wherein the plasma removes a plurality of organic contaminants from the chamber.

IR radiation may be used to examine substrates prior to a fabrication operation in order to adjust processing parameters of the fabrication operation, or to determine features of the substrate. A thermographic image may be collected and provided to a transfer function or machine learning model to determine processing parameters or features. The processing parameters may improve the uniformity of the wafer and/or achieve a desired target feature value.

There is provided a technique that includes: a processor configured to process a substrate; a transceiver connected to a group management apparatus such that the transceiver can communicate with the group management apparatus, the transceiver being configured to transmit and receive only telegram data to and from the group management apparatus; and a controller configured to be capable of controlling a process performed by the processor based on the telegram data received by the transceiver.

Methods of dicing semiconductor wafers, each wafer having a plurality of integrated circuits, are described. A method includes forming a mask above the semiconductor wafer, the mask including a layer covering and protecting the integrated circuits. The mask and a portion of the semiconductor wafer are patterned with a laser scribing process to provide a patterned mask and to form trenches partially into but not through the semiconductor wafer between the integrated circuits. Each of the trenches has a width. The semiconductor wafer is plasma etched through the trenches to form corresponding trench extensions and to singulate the integrated circuits. Each of the corresponding trench extensions has the width.

A plasma generator and a method for the pulsed provision of electrical power having a frequency of at least 40 KHz to at least two process chambers are described. The plasma generator comprises: a control unit configured to obtain and evaluate process data about processes in the at least two process chambers; a controllable power supply having an output, the controllable power supply being configured to output a direct current at a predetermined voltage and/or intensity at its output in response to a control signal from the control unit; and a switching unit having a first input connected to the output of the power supply and having at least two switching unit outputs for respective connection to one of the at least two process chambers. The switching unit is configured to form, from a direct current at the input, an alternating current having a predetermined frequency of at least 40 KHz as an output signal and to selectively output the output signal as a pulse for a predetermined pulse duration to one of the switching unit outputs in response to a control signal from the control unit. The control unit is configured to coordinate power requirements of the at least two process chambers and to drive the power supply and the switching unit such that at the respective switching unit outputs communicating with the process chambers, substantially the power corresponding to the power requirements is provided as pulses over a period of time, wherein the pulses of the respective process chambers are temporally offset from each other such that the process chambers can be operated simultaneously.