Patent EP0790635A2 successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
EP0790635A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Chemical vapor deposition system including dedicated cleaning gas injection
Assignee: Novellus Systems Inc
•
Filing: 1997-02-05
•
Granted: —
•
Expires: 2017-02-05
Abstract
Abstract A plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition system (10) includes a number of process gas injection tubes (128) and at least one dedicated clean gas injection tube (130). A plasma is used to periodically clean the interior surfaces of the deposition chamber. The cleaning is made more rapid and effective by introducing the clean gas through the dedicated clean gas injection tube. In this manner the clean gas can be introduced at a relatively high flow rate without detracting from the cleaning of the interior surfaces of the process gas injection tubes. As a separate aspect of this invention, a high-frequency signal is applied to both terminals of the coil (102) during the cleaning process. This produces a plasma, mainly by capacitive coupling, which has a shape and uniformity that are well-suited to cleaning the surfaces of the deposition chamber.
Inventors
- 👤 Michael D. Kilgore
- 👤 Wilbert G.M. Van Den Hoek
- 👤 Christopher J. Rau
- 👤 Bart J. Van Schravendijk
- 👤 Jeffrey A. Tobin
- 👤 Thomas W. Mountsier
- 👤 James C. Oswalt
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-09 01:56
CPC Classifications
H; H01; H01J; H01J37/00; H01J37/32; H01J37/32431; H01J37/32798; H01J37/32853; H01J37/32862; H10; H10P; H10P14/00; H10P14/20; C; C23; C23C; C23C16/00; C23C16/44; C23C16/4401; C23C16/4405; H01J37/3244; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S156/00; Y10S156/916
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 27
Claim 1
Independent Claim
65 words
A system for processing a substrate comprising a reaction chamber, said reaction chamber comprising: a chuck for supporting a substrate; a process gas injection system; and a clean gas injector separate from said process gas injection system, said clean gas injector being oriented so as to direct a flow of a clean gas laterally and upward into a region within said chamber above said chuck.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
32 words
The system of Claim 1 wherein said clean gas injector is positioned such that an outlet of said injector is located laterally outside a periphery of a substrate supported on said chuck.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
25 words
The system of Claim 2 wherein said outlet of said clean gas injector is located near a plane defined by a surface of said substrate.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
44 words
The system of Claim 2 wherein said reaction chamber is at least partially enclosed by a vessel and said outlet of said clean gas injector is located at a distance of more than one centimeter from any surface of said vessel or said chuck.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
15 words
The system of Claim 1 wherein said clean gas injector comprises at least one tube.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
39 words
The system of Claim 1 wherein said clean gas injector comprises a metal tube and a ceramic sleeve for protecting said metal tube from a plasma within said chamber, said sleeve covering an end region of said metal tube.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
19 words
The system of Claim 1 wherein said process gas injection system comprises a plurality of process gas injection tubes.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
41 words
The system of Claim 7 wherein said process gas injection tubes are arrayed at equal intervals around a central axis of said chamber, said process gas injection tubes being oriented so as to direct a process gas towards said central axis.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
23 words
The system of Claim 8 wherein said process gas injection tubes are inclined upward towards a region within said chamber above said chuck.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
22 words
The system of Claim 1 wherein said reaction chamber is at least partially enclosed by a vessel having a generally hemispherical shape.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
32 words
The system of Claim 10 further comprising a coil, said coil being shaped in the form of a partial or complete hemisphere and being positioned adjacent an outside surface of said vessel.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
28 words
The system of Claim 11 further comprising a source of an AC signal, and lines for applying said AC signal to at least two points on said coil.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
21 words
The system of Claim 12 wherein said lines are connected to an upper terminal and a lower terminal of said coil.
Claim 14
Independent Claim
74 words
A system for processing a substrate comprising: a reaction chamber at least partially enclosed by a vessel; a chuck for supporting a substrate within said reaction chamber; a process gas injection system; a coil positioned adjacent an outside surface of said vessel, said coil serving to generate a plasma within said reaction chamber; a source of an AC signal; and lines for applying said AC signal to at least two points on said coil.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
21 words
The system of Claim 14 wherein said lines are connected to an upper terminal and a lower terminal of said coil.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
93 words
The system of Claim 14 wherein said AC signal is at a first frequency, said system further comprising a source of a second AC signal at a second frequency and a plurality of switches connected in said lines, said switches collectively being operative in a first position to apply said AC signal to said at least two points on said coil and said switches being operative in a second position to apply said second AC signal to one of said two points and to connect a second of said two points to ground.
Claim 17
Independent Claim
67 words
A method of cleaning the interior surfaces of a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) system to remove a residue formed during a processing cycle of said system, said CVD system comprising a coil which at least partially encloses a reaction chamber, said method comprising the step of applying an AC signal to at least two points on said coil to form a clean plasma within said reaction chamber.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
18 words
The method of Claim 17 wherein said at least two points are located at terminals of said coil.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
19 words
The method of Claim 17 wherein said AC signal is at a frequency in the range of 5-20 MHz.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
17 words
The method of Claim 19 wherein said AC signal is at a frequency of about 13.56 MHz.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
30 words
The method of Claim 17 further comprising the step of injecting a clean gas into said reaction chamber, said AC signal operating to form a plasma comprising said clean gas.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
11 words
The method of Claim 21 wherein said clean gas comprises fluorine.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
38 words
The method of Claim 22 wherein said clean gas comprises one or more fluorine-bearing compounds selected from the group which consists of NF 3 , C 2 F 6 , C 3 F 8 and CF 4 .
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
30 words
The method of Claim 23 wherein said clean gas further comprises one or more members of the group which consists of O 2 , H 2 and the inert gases.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
52 words
The method of Claim 22 comprising the further steps of removing said clean gas from the reaction chamber, injecting hydrogen into the reaction chamber, energizing said coil to create a plasma comprising said hydrogen, and using said plasma to remove a residue comprising fluorine from an inside surface of said reaction chamber.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
35 words
The method of Claim 25 wherein the temperature of an interior surface of a wall of the reaction chamber is in the range 25°-150° C. at all times during the step of energizing said coil.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
22 words
The method of Claim 25 comprising the further step of injecting oxygen into said reaction chamber, said oxygen mixing with said hydrogen.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US5129958A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
Maintenance schedule is calculated for granted US utility patents.