Integrated wet clean for epitaxial growth

US12538737B2 · US · B2

Patent metadata
FieldValue
Publication numberUS-12538737-B2
Application numberUS-202217859752-A
CountryUS
Kind codeB2
Filing dateJul 7, 2022
Priority dateJul 7, 2021
Publication dateJan 27, 2026
Grant dateJan 27, 2026

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  1. Title

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  2. Abstract

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  3. Assignees and inventors

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  4. Key dates

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  5. First independent claim

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  6. CPC / IPC classifications

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  7. Citations and related patents

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Abstract

Official abstract text for this publication.

Exemplary integrated cluster tools may include a factory interface including a first transfer robot. The tools may include a wet clean system coupled with the factory interface at a first side of the wet clean system. The tools may include a load lock chamber coupled with the wet clean system at a second side of the wet clean system opposite the first side of the wet clean system. The tools may include a first transfer chamber coupled with the load lock chamber. The first transfer chamber may include a second transfer robot. The tools may include a dry etch chamber coupled with the first transfer chamber. The tools may include a second transfer chamber coupled with the first transfer chamber. The second transfer chamber may include a third transfer robot. The tools may include a process chamber coupled with the second transfer chamber.

First claim

Opening claim text (preview).

The invention claimed is: 1 . An integrated cluster tool comprising: a factory interface including a first transfer robot; a wet clean system coupled with the factory interface at a first side of the wet clean system, the wet clean system comprising a plurality of single-wafer wet clean chambers stacked on one another, wherein each single-wafer wet clean chamber is fluidly coupled with multiple wet chemistry delivery systems; a load lock chamber coupled with the wet clean system at a second side of the wet clean system opposite the first side of the wet clean system; a first transfer chamber coupled with the load lock chamber, wherein the first transfer chamber includes a second transfer robot; a dry etch chamber coupled with the first transfer chamber; a second transfer chamber coupled with the first transfer chamber, wherein the second transfer chamber includes a third transfer robot; and an epitaxial growth chamber coupled with the second transfer chamber. 2 . The integrated cluster tool of claim 1 , wherein the wet clean system comprises: a single-wafer wet clean chamber operably maintained at atmospheric pressure, wherein the first transfer chamber is maintained at vacuum conditions. 3 . The integrated cluster tool of claim 2 , wherein the single-wafer wet clean chamber is fluidly coupled with multiple chemistry delivery systems. 4 . The integrated cluster tool of claim 2 , wherein the single-wafer wet clean chamber is accessible to the first transfer robot of the factory interface. 5 . The integrated cluster tool of claim 2 , wherein the wet clean system further comprises: a fourth transfer robot disposed in the wet clean system, wherein the fourth transfer robot is operable to transfer substrates between the single-wafer wet clean chamber and the load lock chamber. 6 . The integrated cluster tool of claim 1 , wherein a track on which the first transfer robot operates extends into the wet clean system.

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What does patent US12538737B2 cover?
Exemplary integrated cluster tools may include a factory interface including a first transfer robot. The tools may include a wet clean system coupled with the factory interface at a first side of the wet clean system. The tools may include a load lock chamber coupled with the wet clean system at a second side of the wet clean system opposite the first side of the wet clean system. The tools may…
Who is the assignee on this patent?
Applied Materials Inc
What technology area does this patent fall under?
Primary CPC classification H01L21/67184. Mapped technology areas include Electricity.
When was this patent published?
Publication date Tue Jan 27 2026 00:00:00 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time) (B2). Legal status and post-grant events are not shown on this page.
What related patents are in patentsdb?
We list 4 related publications on this page (citations in our corpus or others sharing the same primary CPC).