Metal working – Means to assemble or disassemble – Means comprising hand manipulatable tool
Utility Patent
1999-05-06
2001-01-02
Gerrity, Stephen F. (Department: 3729)
Metal working
Means to assemble or disassemble
Means comprising hand manipulatable tool
C029S739000, C029S764000, C294S099200, C606S210000
Utility Patent
active
06167602
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention generally relates to a lamp removal tool and more particularly, relates to a lamp removal tool that can be used to remove a hot lamp from a lamp module rapidly in a semiconductor processing machine without the need of first cooling down the lamp module.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In many industrial type heaters, heating is accomplished by using lamp heaters where high wattage lamps are used to achieve quick and efficient heating through the convection and radiation of heat. These industrial type heaters are used in drying machines, baking machines, annealing machines and in various semiconductor processing machines. The advantages of using lamp heaters as a heat source is its quick response, efficient heating and easy maintenance.
For instance, in semiconductor processing machines, a lamp module consists of a A plurality of lamp heaters is frequently used to achieve the quick and efficient heating of a reaction chamber. The processing machines include any machines that has a reaction chamber which requires heating such that the temperature of a wafer positioned in the chamber can be quickly raised to a reaction temperature. Such machines include, but are not limited to, a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) chamber, a physical vapor deposition (PVD) chamber or a sputter, an etcher for the etching or removal of semiconductor materials, a furnace for the thermal oxidation or annealing of wafers, and an ion implanters for the diffusion or implantation of dopant ions.
As an example, an illustration of a reaction chamber and its heating arrangement used in a chemical vapor deposition machines is shown in FIG.
1
. For the purpose of illustration, the chemical vapor deposition machine
10
is shown only by a wafer holding device
12
and a heating device
14
. The wafer holding device
12
is positioned inside a reaction chamber
18
wherein a wafer
22
is supported by a susceptor
24
. The heating device
14
consists mainly of a lamp module
28
which contains and provides electrical connections to lamp heaters
32
. It can be seen that electrical power is supplied to filament
34
through connectors
36
and electrical socket
38
. Heat emanate from the lamp heaters
32
by both radiation and convection of heat through a quartz window
42
located at the floor
44
of the vacuum chamber
18
. It should be noted that
FIG. 1
is shown for illustration only and as such, the CVD machine shown is greatly simplified and that not all components of the machine are shown.
An enlarged view of the lamp module
28
is shown in FIG.
2
. The lamp module, such as one that is commonly used in a chemical vapor deposition machine, is constructed of a metal that withstands high temperatures. For instance, it can be constructed of stainless steel. The lamp module
28
is generally formed in a barrel configuration with a plurality of lamp sockets
46
formed vertically in the module. In a normal semiconductor processing machine, any number between 10 and 20 sockets are used in the lamp module depending on the size of the module and the requirement of heat. The module
28
is constructed, as shown in
FIG. 2
, in two concentric sections
52
and
54
to facilitate cooling. The inner section
52
allows heat to dissipate toward the center cavity of the module while the outer section
54
allows heat to dissipate to the surrounding environment. The module
28
is further cooled by cooling water circulating in water tubes (not shown) on the inside of the outer periphery of the outer section
54
of the module. This protects a machine operator from severe injury should accidental touching of the module
28
occur during the operation of the CVD machine
10
.
In a typical CVD machine, approximately
14
lamp heaters of 1000 W each are used in the sockets
46
. The arrangement allows a wafer
22
positioned on a susceptor
24
to be heated to a temperature of well over 400° C. in a relatively short period of time so that a chemical vapor deposition process can be carried out.
During the normal operation of a semiconductor processing machine that is equipped with a lamp module, preventive maintenance is conducted during which the lamps are replaced at predetermined time intervals. For instance, for the 1000 watt lamp used in a CVD machine, the average life time for the lamp is approximately 200 hours. A preventive maintenance procedure therefore calls for the replacement of all the lamps after 200 hours usage. However, problem arises when lamps bum out pre-maturely before its scheduled replacement under the preventive maintenance schedule. For instance, during the operation of a semiconductor processing machine, various factors can cause the pre-mature burn-out of the lamps. When such burn-out occurs, the temperature uniformity in the reaction chamber is affected which results in a defective or non-uniform process to be conducted on the wafer. The wafer yield is consequently reduced. In a CVD process, when more than two lamps are burned out, the deposition process is severely affected which results in the deposition of non-uniform films on the wafer surface since the reactant gases are heated non-uniformly. In order to maintain the yield of the water fabrication process, any pre-maturely burned out lamp should be replaced as quickly as possible before the temperature of the chamber drops significantly below the reaction temperature. For instance, in a CVD process, it is desirable that the burned-out lamp heaters be replaced before the temperature of the reaction chamber drops below 250° C. At such a reaction chamber temperature, the lamps are still very hot, i.e., in the range between about 80° C. and about 150° C. It is therefore a difficult task to remove a burned-out lamp from a lamp socket when the lamp is still maintained at such a high temperature. On the other hand, if the lamp is allowed to drop below a safe-to-touch temperature, the yield of the wafer deposition process would significantly suffer.
To further complicate the task of replacing a burned-out lamp, the lamps are normally mounted in sockets that have very limited access. For instance, in a lamp module that is used in a CVD machine, the outside diameter of the lamps is approximately 25 mm, while the inside diameter of the socket (or cavity) is approximately 55 mm. The length of the lamps is approximately 60 mm which is completely submerged in the socket. This is shown in FIG.
3
. The work space on each side of the lamp is therefore only approximately 15 mm for allowing a tool to reach and remove the lamp.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a lamp removal tool for removing a lamp from a lamp module situated in a semiconductor processing machine that is not previously available in the industry.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a lamp removal tool that can be used in a very limited access space in a lamp socket.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a lamp removal tool for use in a semiconductor processing machine for removing a lamp that is maintained at a high temperature.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a lamp removal tool that is equipped with a cushion lining for gripping the lamp such that lamp breakage problems during removal can be avoided.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a lamp removal tool that is constructed of a high temperature material such that no contaminants can be produced by the tool.
It is another further object of the present invention to provide a lamp removal tool that has a bent tip for achieving a firm grip of the lamp such that it can be pulled out of a socket.
It is yet another further object of the present invention to provide a clamp for removing an object from a cavity of limited access space without the danger of breaking the object.
It is still another further object of the present invention to provide a method of using a lamp removal tool for removing a burned-out lamp from a lamp module of a semiconductor processing machine.
SUMMARY O
Yang Chao Sheng
Yang Jing Long
Gerrity Stephen F.
Sands Rhonda E
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. Ltd.
Tung & Associates
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