EP0350021A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Removal of surface contaminants by irradiation from a high-energy source
Assignee: Cauldron LP
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Filing: 1989-07-06
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2009-07-06
Abstract
Abstract A method and apparatus for removing surface contaminants from the surface of a substrate by high-energy irradiation is provided. The invention enables removal of surface contaminants without altering of the substrate's underlying molecular structure. The source of high-energy irradiation may comprise a pulsed laser (11).
Inventors
- 👤 Audrey C. Engelsberg
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-31 19:13
CPC Classifications
H; H10; H10P; H10P70/00; H10P70/10; H10P70/12; B; B08; B08B; B08B7/00; B08B7/0035; B08B7/0042; B08B7/0057; B23; B23K; B23K26/00; B23K26/12; B23K26/127; B23K26/14; B23K26/1462; G; G03; G03F; G03F7/00; G03F7/70; G03F7/70383; G03F7/704; G03F7/708; G03F7/70858; G03F7/70866; G03F7/70908; G03F7/70925; H10P14/00; H10P14/40; H10P14/412; H10P34/00; H10P34/40; H10P34/42; H10P52/00; H10P52/40; H10P52/403; H10P72/00; H10P72/04; H10P72/0402; H10P72/0406; H10P95/00; H10W; H10W20/00; H10W20/01; H10W20/071; H10W20/092; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S148/00; Y10S148/017; Y10S148/091; Y10S148/093; Y10S438/00; Y10S438/906
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 25
Claim 1
Independent Claim
85 words
A method for removing surface contaminants from the surface of a substrate while preserving the molecular structure of the surface being treated, comprising the steps of: constantly flowing a gas across the substrate treatment surface, said gas being inert to the substrate treatment surface; and irradiating said substrate with high-energy irradiation, said irradiation characterized by an energy density and duration between that required to release surface contaminants from the substrate treatment surface and that required to alter the molecular structure of the substrate treatment surface.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
85 words
A method for removing surface contaminants from the surface of a substrate while preserving the molecular structure of the surface being treated, comprising the steps of: constantly flowing a gas across the substrate treatment surface, said gas being inert to the substrate treatment surface; and irradiating said substrate with high-energy irradiation, said irradiation characterized by an energy density and duration between that required to release surface contaminants from the substrate treatment surface and that required to alter the molecular structure of the substrate treatment surface.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
24 words
A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said step of irradiating said substrate with high-energy irradiation comprises irradiating said substrate with laser-generated irradiation.
Claim 4
Independent Claim
92 words
A method for removing adsorbed surface contaminants from the surface of a substrate while preserving the molecular structure of the surface being treated, comprising the steps of: constantly flowing a gas across the substrate treatment surface, said gas being inert to the substrate treatment surface; and irradiating said substrate treatment surface with laser-generated irradiation, said irradiation characterized by an energy density and duration between the energy required to break bonds between adsorbed surface contaminants and the treatment surface, and the energy required to alter the molecular structure of the substrate treatment surface.
Claim 5
Independent Claim
92 words
A method for removing adsorbed surface contaminants from the surface of a substrate while preserving the molecular structure of the surface being treated, comprising the steps of: constantly flowing a gas across the substrate treatment surface, said gas being inert to the substrate treatment surface; and irradiating said substrate treatment surface with laser-generated irradiation, said irradiation characterized by an energy density and duration between the energy required to break bonds between adsorbed surface contaminants and the treatment surface, and the energy required to alter the molecular structure of the substrate treatment surface.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
66 words
A method as claimed in claim 3, further comprising the steps of: analyzing the gas having passed across the substrate treatment surface during laser treatment to determine the composition of removed contaminants; and adjusting the energy density and duration of said laser pulse irradiation to raise the treatment surface energy level above that required to break bonds between the analyzed surface contaminants and the treatment surface.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
61 words
A method as claimed in claim 4 wherein said step of adjusting the energy density and duration of said laser pulse irradiation includes adjusting the energy density and duration of said laser pulse irradiation to raise the treatment surface energy level to between two and five times that required to break bonds between the analyzed surface contaminants and the treatment surface.
Claim 8
Independent Claim
79 words
A method for removing chemisorbed molecular contaminants from the surface of a semiconductor substrate while preserving the substrate treatment surface, comprising the steps of: constantly flowing a gas across the substrate treatment surface, said gas being inert to the substrate treatment surface; and irradiating said substrate with a series of laser-generated pulses, said laser pulse series having a duration of at least 6000 pulses wherein each pulse has an energy density in the range of 35 to 75 mJ/cm².
Claim 9
Independent Claim
79 words
A method for removing chemisorbed molecular contaminants from the surface of a semiconductor substrate while preserving the substrate treatment surface, comprising the steps of: constantly flowing a gas across the substrate treatment surface, said gas being inert to the substrate treatment surface; and irradiating said substrate with a series of laser-generated pulses, said laser pulse series having a duration of at least 6000 pulses wherein each pulse has an energy density in the range of 35 to 75 mJ/cm².
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
17 words
A method as claimed in claim 6 wherein said semiconductor substrate treatment surface consists essentially of silicon.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
22 words
A method as claimed in claim 6 wherein said semiconductor substrate treatment surface consists essentially of silicon with semiconductor circuitry layered thereon.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
26 words
A method as claimed in claim 8 wherein said laser-generated irradiation has a duration of about 6000 pulses and an energy density of about 35 mJ/cm².
Claim 13
Independent Claim
196 words
A method for removing molecular contaminants from the surface of a semiconductor substrate during production of the semiconductor while preserving the substrate treatment surface, comprising the steps of: flowing a gas across the semiconductor substrate treatment surface, said gas being inert to the substrate treatment surface; while flowing said gas inert to said substrate treatment surface, irradiating said substrate before deposition of circuitry on the semiconductor substrate treatment surface with laser-generated irradiation, said irradiation characterized by an energy density and duration between that required to release surface contaminants from the substrate treatment surface and that required to alter the molecular structure of the substrate treatment surface; depositing a circuitry layer on said semiconductor substrate treatment surface; flowing a gas across said deposited layer, said gas being inert to the substrate treatment surface and said desposited layer; while flowing said gas inert to said substrate treatment surface and deposited layer, irradiating said substrate treatment surface after deposition of circuitry thereon with laser-generated irradiation, said irradiation characterized by an energy density and duration between that required to release surface contaminants from the substrate treatment surface and that required to alter the molecular structure of the substrate treatment surface.
Claim 14
Independent Claim
196 words
A method for removing molecular contaminants from the surface of a semiconductor substrate during production of the semiconductor while preserving the substrate treatment surface, comprising the steps of: flowing a gas across the semiconductor substrate treatment surface, said gas being inert to the substrate treatment surface; while flowing said gas inert to said substrate treatment surface, irradiating said substrate before deposition of circuitry on the semiconductor substrate treatment surface with laser-generated irradiation, said irradiation characterized by an energy density and duration between that required to release surface contaminants from the substrate treatment surface and that required to alter the molecular structure of the substrate treatment surface; depositing a circuitry layer on said semiconductor substrate treatment surface; flowing a gas across said deposited layer, said gas being inert to the substrate treatment surface and said desposited layer; while flowing said gas inert to said substrate treatment surface and deposited layer, irradiating said substrate treatment surface after deposition of circuitry thereon with laser-generated irradiation, said irradiation characterized by an energy density and duration between that required to release surface contaminants from the substrate treatment surface and that required to alter the molecular structure of the substrate treatment surface.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
16 words
A method as claimed in claim 10 wherein said substrate treatment surface consists essentially of silicon.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
26 words
A method as claimed in claim 12 wherein said laser-generated irradiation has a duration of about 6000 pulses and an energy density of about 35 mJ/cm².
Claim 17
Independent Claim
109 words
An apparatus for removing adsorbed surface contaminants from the surface of a substrate (12) while preserving the substrate treatment surface, comprising: a gas (18) inert to the substrate treatment surface; gas flow means for constantly flowing said gas across the substrate treatment surface; laser pulse generating means (14) for generating pulses of laser energy (11) against the substrate treatment surface over which said gas (18) passes, said laser pulse generating means (14) generating laser pulses (11) having an energy density between the energy required to break bonds between adsorbed surface contaminants and the treatment surface, and the energy required to alter the molecular structure of the substrate treatment surface.
Claim 18
Independent Claim
109 words
An apparatus for removing adsorbed surface contaminants from the surface of a substrate (12) while preserving the substrate treatment surface, comprising: a gas (18) inert to the substrate treatment surface; gas flow means for constantly flowing said gas across the substrate treatment surface; laser pulse generating means (14) for generating pulses of laser energy (11) against the substrate treatment surface over which said gas (18) passes, said laser pulse generating means (14) generating laser pulses (11) having an energy density between the energy required to break bonds between adsorbed surface contaminants and the treatment surface, and the energy required to alter the molecular structure of the substrate treatment surface.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
19 words
An apparatus as claimed in claim 13, wherein said laser pulse generating means (14) has an ultraviolet energy source.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
19 words
An apparatus as claimed in claim 13, wherein said laser pulse generating means (14) is a KrF excimer laser.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
53 words
An apparatus as claimed in claim 13, wherein said gas flow means comprises: an enclosure (15) in which the substrate (12) being treated can be placed, said enclosiure (15) having an inlet port (23) and an outlet port (25), and means for introducing said gas to said enclosure (23) through said inlet port.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
23 words
An apparatus as claimed in claim 13, wherein said gas inert to the surface of said substrate (12) is a chemically inert gas.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
14 words
An apparatus as claimed in claim 17, wherein said chemically inert gas is argon.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
48 words
An apparatus as claimed in claim 13, further comprising gas analyzer means (27) for analyzing the gas having passed across the substrate treatment surface during laser energy generation against said treatment surface, said gas analyzer (27) means being for determining the composition of contaminants removed from said surface.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
60 words
An apparatus as claimed in claim 16, further comprising gas analyzer means (27) for analyzing the gas having passed across the substrate treatment surface during laser energy generation against said treatment surface, said gas analyzer means (27) being for determining the composition of contaminants removed from said surface, said gas analyzer means (27) being connected to said enclosure outlet port.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
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