A system includes a robot configured to transfer either one of a substrate and an edge ring within a substrate processing system, a substrate aligner configured to adjust a rotational position of either one of the substrate or the edge ring relative to an end effector of the robot, and a carrier plate configured to support the edge ring. The robot is configured to retrieve the carrier plate with the end effector, retrieve the edge ring using the carrier plate supported on the end effector, and transfer the carrier plate and the edge ring to the substrate aligner.

There is a plasma processing apparatus comprising: a chamber; a substrate support configured to support a substrate and an edge ring; high-frequency power supply configured to generate first high-frequency power via the substrate and second high-frequency power via the edge ring; and bias power supply configured to generate first electric bias energy supplied to the substrate and second electric bias energy supplied to the edge ring, wherein the first electric bias energy and the second electric bias energy have a waveform repeatedly at a cycle, the cycle includes a first period in which voltage of each of the first and second electric bias energies has a positive level with respect to an average value of the voltage within the cycle, and a second period in which the voltage of each of the first and second electric bias energies has a negative level with respect to the average value.

Embodiments of deposition rings for use in a process chamber are provided herein. In some embodiments, a deposition ring includes: an annular body; an inner wall extending upward from an inner portion of the annular body; and an outer wall extending upward form an outer portion of the annular body to define a large deposition cavity between the inner wall and the outer wall, wherein a width of the large deposition cavity is about 0.35 inches to about 0.60 inches, wherein the outer wall includes an outer ledge and an inner ledge raised with respect to the outer ledge.

The present invention relates to a component for manufacturing a semiconductor manufactured by using a CVD method. A SiC structure formed by the CVD method according to one aspect of the present invention is used such that the SiC structure is exposed to plasma inside a chamber, wherein the SiC structure comprises a crystal grain structure in which the length in a first direction is longer than the length in a second direction when defining a direction perpendicular to the surface most exposed to the plasma as the first direction and a direction horizontal to the surface most exposed to the plasma as the second direction.

An exclusion ring for semiconductor wafer processing includes an outer circumferential segment having a first thickness and an inner circumferential segment having a second thickness, with the first thickness being greater than the second thickness. The top surface of an inner circumferential segment and the top surface of the outer circumferential segment define a common top surface for the exclusion ring. A plurality of flow paths is formed within the outer circumferential segment, with each of the flow paths extending radially through the plurality of flow paths provides for exhaust of a wafer edge gas from the pocket where a wafer has an edge thereof disposed below part of the inner circumferential portion. The exhausting of the wafer edge gas from the pocket prevents up-and-down movement of the exclusion ring when bowed wafers are processed.

A consumable part and methods for tracking the consumable part includes embedding a radio frequency tag within a pocket created on a side of the consumable part that faces away from a process region defined within a process chamber of the processing tool and covering an opening of the pocket using a plug. The plug is laser fused along an interface formed between sidewalls of the plug and sidewalls of the pocket.

An impedance measurement jig may include a first contact plate, a second contact plate, a cover plate, a plug, and an analyzer. The first contact plate may make electrical contact with an ESC in a substrate-processing apparatus. The second contact plate may make electrical contact with a focus ring configured to surround the ESC. The cover plate may be configured to cover an upper surface of the substrate-processing apparatus. The plug may be installed at the cover plate to selectively make contact with the first contact plate or the second contact plate. The analyzer may individually apply a power to the first contact plate and the second contact plate through the plug to measure an impedance of the ESC and an impedance of the focus ring. Thus, the impedances of the ESC and the focus ring may be individually measured to inspect the ESC and/or the focus ring.

A plasma processing system includes a plasma chamber having a substrate support, and a multi-zone gas injection upper electrode disposed opposite the substrate support. An inner plasma region is defined between the upper electrode and the substrate support. The multi-zone gas injection upper electrode has a plurality of concentric gas injection zones. A confinement structure, which surrounds the inner plasma region, has an upper horizontal wall that interfaces with the outer electrode of the upper electrode. The confinement structure has a lower horizontal wall that interfaces with the substrate support, and includes a perforated confinement ring and a vertical wall that extends from the upper horizontal wall to the lower horizontal wall. The lower surface of the upper horizontal wall, an inner surface of the vertical wall, and an upper surface of the lower horizontal wall define a boundary of an outer plasma region, which surrounds the inner plasma region.

A segmented edge protection shield for plasma dicing a wafer. The segmented edge protection shield includes an outer structure and a plurality of plasma shield edge segments. The outer structure defines an interior annular edge configured to correspond to the circumferential edge of the wafer. Each one of the plurality of plasma shield edge segments is defined by an inner edge and side edges. The inner edge is interior to and concentric to the annular edge of the outer structure. The side edges extend between the inner edge and the annular edge.

Carrier rings with radially-varied plasma impedance are provided herein. In some embodiments, a carrier ring may include an outer ring that holds a removable inner ring. The outer ring may be formed of a dielectric material such as ceramic. The inner ring may be formed of a metal such as aluminum to provide a desired impedance. In some other embodiments, a carrier ring is formed from a single piece with radially-varying impedances.