Apparatus for cleaning a semiconductor process chamber

Details Apparatus for cleaning a semiconductor process chamber Apparatus for cleaning a semiconductor process chamber

2000-11-21

2002-04-02

Wilson, Pamela (Department: 3749)

Drying and gas or vapor contact with solids

Apparatus

With apparatus cleaner and/or escaping material collector

C034S091000, C034S229000, C204S298070

Reexamination Certificate

active

06363624

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE
1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates generally to apparatus for processing semiconductor wafers. More specifically, the invention relates to an apparatus for cleaning a semiconductor wafer process chamber.
2. Description of the Background Art
Semiconductor wafer processing chambers are susceptible to particle generation caused by condensate from processing gasses or reactants formed during processing. When the condensate accumulates on the various components of the chamber, a residue forms and is susceptible to flaking. Such flaking generates the particles (or contaminants) that are undesirable, since they can drift onto a wafer during processing. These contaminants can subsequently create shorts or voids in the devices formed in the processed wafer thereby degrading the quality of the wafer.
In particular, during a plasma assisted chemical vapor deposition process, processing gases are introduced into a chamber containing a semiconductor substrate, i.e. wafer. The wafer is supported and retained on a substrate support circumscribed by a process kit. The process kit assists in controlling the distribution of the gas over the semiconductor wafer. Once a plasma is formed, the process gas reacts with the wafer and deposits a desired material layer. During this process, the inner walls of the chamber, the substrate support, and the process kit, are subjected to the aforementioned residue, particles, or contaminants.
Removal of the residue is typically accomplished via a cleaning agent that is injected into the chamber from a cleaning device that is attached to a wall of the chamber. The cleaning device comprises a container having the cleaning agent (e.g., fluorine). The cleaning agent is used to etch the undesirable residue from the inner chamber walls and wafer support devices. However, present cleaning devices do not uniformly remove the unwanted residue from the various surface areas within the chamber.
Therefore, there is a need in the art for an apparatus that uniformly removes unwanted deposits from the chamber surfaces and components.
SUMMARY OF INVENTION
The disadvantages associated with the prior art are overcome by the present invention of an apparatus for cleaning a semiconductor substrate processing chamber. Specifically, the apparatus comprises a feed block disposed on top of the processing chamber and a support block disposed over the feed block. The feed block and the support block slidably interfit and are axially moveable with respect to one another.


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