Patent US3270437A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
Patent EP0884401A1 successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
EP0884401A1
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Method and system for coating the inside of a processing chamber
Assignee: Applied Materials Inc
•
Filing: 1998-04-30
•
Granted: —
•
Expires: 2018-04-30
Abstract
Abstract A method and apparatus for controlling the introduction of contaminates into a deposition chamber that occur naturally within the chamber components. The CVD chamber is "seasoned" with a protective layer after a dry clean operation and before a substrate is introduced into the chamber. The deposited seasoning layer has a lower diffusion rate for typical contaminants in relation to the chamber component materials and covers the chamber component, reducing the likelihood that the naturally occurring contaminants will interfere with subsequent processing steps. After deposition of the seasoning layer is complete, the chamber is used for one to n substrate deposition steps before being cleaned by another clean operation as described above and then reseasoned.
Inventors
- 👤 Kent Rossman
- 👤 Sahin Turgut
- 👤 Hichem M'saad
- 👤 Romould Nowak
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-05 12:29
CPC Classifications
C; C23; C23C; C23C16/00; C23C16/44; C23C16/4401; C23C14/00; C23C14/22; C23C14/56; C23C14/564; C23C16/4404; C23C16/458; C23C16/4582; C23C16/4583
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 8
Claim 1
Independent Claim
78 words
A method of seasoning a substrate processing chamber having an
interior surface with components containing contaminates, wherein a protective
seasoning film substantially covering at least a portion of said interior surface of
said chamber is deposited by introducing a process gas into said chamber,
characterized in that said protective seasoning film is chosen such that said
contaminates have a lower diffusion rate in said protective seasoning film than in
said components of said interior surface of said chamber.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
23 words
The method of claim 1, wherein said protective seasoning film
comprises silicon nitride (SiN) or silicon oxynitride (SiON) or phosphorous-doped
silicate glass (PSG).
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
17 words
The method of claim 1, wherein said contaminates comprise sodium
(Na) or lithium (Li) or potassium (K).
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
43 words
The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of depositing a
precursor seasoning film substantially covering at least a portion of said interior
surface of said chamber by introducing a process gas into said chamber prior to
depositing said protective seasoning film.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
17 words
The method of claim 8 wherein said precursor seasoning film
comprises undoped silicon oxide (SiO 2 ).
Claim 6
Independent Claim
55 words
The method of any of the claims 1 to 5, wherein said seasomimg is
carried out befor transferring a substrate upon which one or more integrated
circuits are formed into said chamber; and wherein, after the transfer of the
substrate, a deposition gas is introduced into said chamber to deposit a layer over
said substrate.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
28 words
The method of claim 6, further comprising the step of etching said
protective seasoning film from said interior surface of said chamber after
processing at least one substrate.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
163 words
A substrate processing system for carrying out the method of any of
the claims 1 to 7, comprising: a housing for forming a vacuum chamber having an interior surface with
components containing contaminates; a substrate holder, located within said housing, for holding a substrate; a gas delivery system for introducing a process gas into said vacuum
chamber; a controller for controlling said gas delivery system, said temperature
control system and said pressure control system; and a memory coupled to said controller comprising a computer-readable
medium having a computer-readable program embodied therein for directing
operation of said chemical vapor deposition reactor system, characterized in that said computer-readable program comprising a set of instructions for
depositing a protective seasoning film substantially covering at least a portion of
said interior surface of said chamber by introducing said process gas into said
chamber, wherein said contaminates have a lower diffusion rate in said protective
seasoning film than in said components of said interior surface of said chamber
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
Maintenance schedule is calculated for granted US utility patents.