# US 2014/0150245 A1 · Pneumatic Clamping Mechanism for Cells with Adjustable Height

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- Number: US 2014/0150245 A1
- Document ID: US20140150245A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 13/692,206
- Filed: 2012-12-03
- Published: 2014-06-05
- Earliest claimed: 2012-12-03
- Assignees: Intermolecular, Inc.
- Applicants: Intermolecular, Inc.
- Inventors: Aaron T. Francis
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140150245A1

## CPC

- H10P 95/00: Generic processes or apparatus for manufacture or treatments not covered by the other groups of this subclass
- H10P 72/0462: {characterised by the construction of the processing chambers, e.g. modular processing chambers}
- Y10T 29/49998: Work holding
- H10P: GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10
- Y10T: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION

## Abstract

In some embodiments of the present disclosure, an apparatus for combinatorial wet processing includes: a chuck, a substrate located on the chuck, a cell located over the substrate; and a height adjustment mechanism for the cell above the substrate wherein applying compressed air on an O-ring in a gland prevents vertical movement of the cell relative to the position of the substrate.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An apparatus for combinatorial wet processing comprising:
a chuck operable to hold a wafer thereon;
a plurality of cells disposed over the chuck; and
a structure disposed around each of the cells; wherein the structure comprises a gland and an O-ring;
wherein the O-ring is operable to maintain a height for each of the cells above the chuck when compressed air is applied to the O-ring.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the gland is disposed in a plate around the cell.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the cells are cylindrical.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the height is adjustable for each of the cells.

### Claim 5

An apparatus comprising:
a chuck operable to hold a wafer thereon, wherein the wafer has a plurality of site-isolated regions and interstitial regions defined on a surface of the wafer;
a cylindrical cell disposed over each of the site-isolated regions; and
a pneumatic clamping mechanism operable to prevent vertical motion of the cylindrical cell relative to the site-isolated region.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the pneumatic clamping mechanism comprises an O-ring disposed in a gland, wherein the gland is disposed in a plate around the cylindrical cell.

### Claim 7 (depends on 5)

The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the pneumatic clamping mechanism comprises an O-ring within a gland wherein the gland is disposed in a periphery of the cylindrical cell.

### Claim 8

A method of combinatorial wet processing site-isolated regions on a substrate comprising:
specifying a height for a cell disposed over a site-isolated region of the substrate,
moving the cell vertically above the site-isolated region,
stopping at the specified height,
applying pressurized gas to move an O-ring in a gland against a wall of the cell,
maintaining the specified height, and
performing a process on the site-isolated region.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The method of claim 8, wherein performing the process comprises multiple wet processes.

### Claim 10 (depends on 8)

The method of claim 8, wherein performing the process comprises applying a barrier gas around an edge of the cell to define an area of a site-isolated region on the substrate.

### Claim 11 (depends on 8)

The method of claim 8, wherein applying the pressurized gas comprises applying compressed air.

### Claim 12 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, wherein the height has a tolerance of +/−0.0005 inch.

### Claim 13 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10 wherein adjacent cells are separated by 0.125 inch.

### Claim 14 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, wherein the pressing of the O-ring against the cell wall comprises increasing friction so the cell cannot move vertically relative to the position of the substrate.