Coating apparatus – Gas or vapor deposition – With treating means
Patent
1992-10-27
1994-07-19
Breneman, R. Bruce
Coating apparatus
Gas or vapor deposition
With treating means
134 21, 148DIG17, 239106, 239114, 239115, C23C 1600
Patent
active
053305779
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to a semiconductor fabrication apparatus for forming a film on a wafer by a CVD method.
BACKGROUND ART
In a conventional CVD system, a film is formed on a wafer utilizing a chemical reaction with a reaction gas. Accordingly, by-product particles form on the gas releasing surface of the gas dispersing device, and further these particles separate from the gas releasing surface and then stick to the wafer, thereby causing contamination of the wafer. Therefore, in the CVD system, it is necessary to clean the gas releasing surface of the gas dispersing device on a specified cycle.
In a plasma CVD system, even if by-product particles stick to the gas releasing surface of a gas dispersing device, the inside of a chamber can be depressurized and thereby the particles stuck on the gas releasing surface can be simply removed by introducing an etching gas into the chamber after the formation of a film. This technique, which is called an in-situ cleaning, is conventional practice.
In an atmospheric pressure CVD system, when a reaction gas such as a mixed gas of SiH.sub.4 --O.sub.2 or TEOS--O.sub.3 is released from a gas releasing device, the reaction products stick to the gas releasing surface as powder-like particles. However, in this CVD system, since the inside of the chamber cannot be depressurized, it is impossible to perform the in-situ cleaning, and it thereby differs from the above plasma CVD system. Accordingly, the particles on the gas releasing surface must be physically removed by a cleaner or chemically removed by chemicals such as hydrofluoric acid (HF) after stopping this CVD system.
As a result, in the atmospheric pressure CVD system, the cleaning takes a lot of time or labor thereby reducing the uptime/downtime ratio thereof. Also, in this system, the deposited powder can accummulate to the point where it is difficult to remove.
Taking the above conventional problems into consideration, the present invention has been made, and an object is to provide a semiconductor fabrication apparatus and method using the same, wherein the dust generated in a chamber can be easily removed without reducing the uptime/downtime ratio of the equipment.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
In a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a semiconductor fabrication apparatus including: one or more gas dispersing devices, each being adapted to release a reaction gas from a gas releasing surface for forming a film on a wafer; one or more wafer holders having wafer mounting surfaces, each being parallel to the plane including the gas releasing surface; and one or more cleaners, each having a suction port and brush connected to the suction port and defining a plane parallel to the plane including the gas releasing surface, wherein either the cleaner or the gas dispersing device is moved to cause the brush to contact and traverse the gas releasing surface. This makes it possible to brush, at least either before or after the film formation, the gas releasing surface with the brush and simultaneously the dust separated from the gas releasing surface is removed through a suction port, and therefore, the dust remaining in a chamber can be reduced.
In a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a semiconductor fabrication apparatus according to the first aspect, further including a rotary shaft, wherein the wafer holders are mounted around the circumference of the rotary shaft and fixed to the rotary shaft. Each of the gas dispersing devices is arranged such that the gas releasing surface is opposed to the wafer mounting surface. The wafer holder and the cleaner rotate with the rotary shaft along a circular planar path opposed to the gas releasing surface. With this construction, since the wafer holder and the cleaner are moved along a so-called endless track (the planar, circular path), it is possible to provide a continuous automatic film formation system such as a CVD system.
In a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a semiconductor fa
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Hirose Mitsuo
Maeda Kazuo
Ohira Kouichi
Alcan-Tech Co., Inc.
Breneman R. Bruce
Canon Sales Co., Inc.
Paladugu Ramamohan Rao
Semiconductor Process Laboratory Co., Inc.
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