Semiconductor device manufacturing: process – Chemical etching – Having liquid and vapor etching steps
Reexamination Certificate
2000-10-02
2002-10-29
Everhart, Caridad (Department: 2825)
Semiconductor device manufacturing: process
Chemical etching
Having liquid and vapor etching steps
C438S690000, C438S905000, C118S719000, C118S629000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06472326
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to semiconductor process chambers, and more particularly to particle removal following a process chamber wet clean.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Defect-free processing is paramount in semiconductor processing. Semiconductor processing tools must be free of defects/particles so that product yields are not impacted. Processing tools require cleaning, so that defect-free processing can be maintained.
FIGS. 1
a
and
1
b
illustrate a prior art chamber cleaning process. Referring concurrently to both
FIGS. 1
a
and
1
b
, a process chamber
10
is cleaned and wiped with a solvent (step
11
) and then placed under vacuum (step
13
). The disturbance of the solvent clean step can leave particles
12
inside the chamber
10
in areas, such as area
14
, which are not accessible from the solvent wipe. Then, typically, a function known as cycle purge is performed on the chamber (step
15
). A cycle purge creates a laminar flow through the chamber
10
by allowing a small amount of inert gas
16
through a single, cycle purge port
18
in the chamber
10
until a preset chamber pressure is achieved. The laminar flow is then turned off, and the chamber
10
is pumped down via pump
20
through open valve
22
to base pressure. This action of flowing gas and pumping down is repeated several times as a part of the cycle purge. Since the common method of cycle purging following solvent wipe does not always yield a particle free chamber, a better and more reliable method is needed so that manufacturing cost can be minimized.
The present invention addresses such a need.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides aspects for more reliable particle removal from a semiconductor processing chamber following a chamber wet clean. With the present invention, an improved particle removal following wet cleans of semiconductor processing chambers occurs. The present invention creates a turbulent gas flow in a chamber in order to more thoroughly remove particles from the chamber, including those that the wet clean procedures cannot reach. In a straightforward and efficient manner, the turbulent gas flow is created by providing gas in both an upper and lower portion of the chamber substantially simultaneously, including the advantageous use of the backside helium available to chamber processing.
These and other advantages of the aspects of the present invention will be more fully understood in conjunction with the following detailed description and accompanying drawings.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4800105 (1989-01-01), Nakayama et al.
patent: 6090222 (2000-07-01), Ivey et al.
patent: 6110556 (2000-08-01), Bang et al.
patent: 2001/0052350 (2001-12-01), Chow et al.
Holbrook Allison
Johnson Greg A.
Mariam Theodros W.
Serna Omar
Smith Darlene
Everhart Caridad
Sawyer Law Group LLP
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