Patent US5637153A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US5637153A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Method of cleaning reaction tube and exhaustion piping system in heat processing apparatus
Assignee: Tokyo Electron Ltd
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Filing: 1995-04-26
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Granted: 1997-06-10
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Expires: 2015-04-26
Abstract
Abstract After a polysilicon film is formed on a wafer, a cleaning gas containing ClF 3 at 10 to 50 vol % is supplied into a reaction tube and an exhaust pipe system at a flow rate of 3000 to 3500 SCCM, so as to remove a polysilicon-based film deposited on an inner wall surface of the reaction tube, the surface of a member incorporated in the reaction tube, and an inner wall surface of the exhaust pipe system while the film forming process, by etching using ClF 3 . The cleaning gas is supplied while the temperature in the reaction tube is maintained at 450° C. or higher, and in a pressure condition set at the maintained temperature such that an etching rate of the polysilicon-based film by the cleaning gas is higher than an etching rate of silicon which is the material of the reaction tube or the member incorporated in the reaction tube.
Inventors
- 👤 Reiji Niino
- 👤 Yoshiyuki Fujita
- 👤 Hideki Lee
- 👤 Yasuo Imamura
- 👤 Toshiharu Nishimura
- 👤 Yuuichi Mikata
- 👤 Shinji Miyazaki
- 👤 Takahiko Moriya
- 👤 Katsuya Okumura
- 👤 Hitoshi Kato
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-09 01:49
CPC Classifications
C; C23; C23C; C23C16/00; C23C16/22; C23C16/24; C23C16/30; C23C16/40; C23C16/405; C23C16/44; C23C16/4401; C23C16/4405; C23C16/4412
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 18
Claim 1
Independent Claim
235 words
A method of cleaning the interior of a reaction tube and an exhaust piping system in a heat treatment apparatus, comprising: supplying a cleaning gas containing ClF 3 from a cleaning gas supply source through a first cleaning gas supply pipe to the interior of said reaction tube and to the exhaust piping system connected to the interior of said reaction tube, so as to remove a film deposited on an inner wall surface of said reaction tube or on a surface of a member contained in said reaction tube and on an inner surface of said exhaust piping system by etching, wherein said cleaning gas is supplied while the temperature in said reaction tube is maintained at 450° C. or higher, and in a pressure condition set at the maintained temperature such that an etching rate of said film by the cleaning gas is higher than an etching rate of a material of said reaction tube or a member incorporated in said reaction tube, and wherein, when processing other than cleaning the interior of said reaction tube is executed in said reaction tube, said cleaning gas is supplied from said cleaning gas supply source only to the exhaust piping system, through a second cleaning gas supply pipe provided independently of the first cleaning gas supply pipe, so as to remove a film deposited on the inner surface of said exhaust piping system by etching.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
235 words
A method of cleaning the interior of a reaction tube and an exhaust piping system in a heat treatment apparatus, comprising: supplying a cleaning gas containing ClF 3 from a cleaning gas supply source through a first cleaning gas supply pipe to the interior of said reaction tube and to the exhaust piping system connected to the interior of said reaction tube, so as to remove a film deposited on an inner wall surface of said reaction tube or on a surface of a member contained in said reaction tube and on an inner surface of said exhaust piping system by etching, wherein said cleaning gas is supplied while the temperature in said reaction tube is maintained at 450° C. or higher, and in a pressure condition set at the maintained temperature such that an etching rate of said film by the cleaning gas is higher than an etching rate of a material of said reaction tube or a member incorporated in said reaction tube, and wherein, when processing other than cleaning the interior of said reaction tube is executed in said reaction tube, said cleaning gas is supplied from said cleaning gas supply source only to the exhaust piping system, through a second cleaning gas supply pipe provided independently of the first cleaning gas supply pipe, so as to remove a film deposited on the inner surface of said exhaust piping system by etching.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
18 words
A method according to claim 1, wherein a pressure is within a range of 0.3 to 5 Torr.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
55 words
A method according to claim 1, wherein said second cleaning gas supply pipe is a branch pipe extending from a point located before a first valve inside the first cleaning gas supply pipe, and said second cleaning pipe is connected to the exhaust piping system and contains a second valve at an intermediate point thereof.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
23 words
A method according to claim 1, wherein a concentration of ClF 3 contained in said cleaning gas is 10 to 50 vol %.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
34 words
A method according to claim 4, wherein a flow rate of the cleaning gas to an area of an object to be processed is in a range of 750 to 3500 SCCM/m 2 .
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
30 words
A method according to claim 1, wherein the film is one selected from a group consisting of a polysilicon-based film, a silicon-nitride-based film, a silicon-oxide-based film and a tantalum-oxide-based film.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
57 words
A method according to claim 6, wherein when the film is the polysilicon-based film, a temperature in said reaction tube is 450° C. to 650° C., a flow rate of the cleaning gas to the area of the object to be processed is 750 to 3500 SCCM/m 2 , and a pressure is 0.3 to 5 Torr.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
17 words
A method according to claim 7, wherein the cleaning gas is supplied for 50 to 150 minutes.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
57 words
A method according to claim 6, wherein when the film is the silicon-nitride-based film, a temperature in said reaction tube is 550° C. to 650° C., a flow rate of the cleaning gas to the area of the object to be processed is 750 to 3500 SCCM/m 2 , and a pressure is 0.3 to 5 Torr.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
17 words
A method according to claim 9, wherein the cleaning gas is supplied for 50 to 150 minutes.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
57 words
A method according to claim 6, wherein when the film is the silicon-oxide-based film, a temperature in said reaction tube is 450° C. to 650° C., a flow rate of the cleaning gas to the area of the object to be processed is 750 to 3500 SCCM/m 2 , and a pressure is 0.3 to 5 Torr.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
15 words
A method according to claim 11, wherein a process time is 50 to 150 minutes.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
65 words
A method according to claim 1, wherein said exhaust piping system comprises: exhaust means having a main exhaust system and a sub-exhaust system of exhaust pressure lower than that of said main exhaust system, for evacuating said reaction tube; and detection means for detecting an oxygen gas concentration or an oxygen gas partial pressure in said reaction tube while being evacuated by the sub-exhaust system.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
50 words
A method according to claim 13, wherein said main exhaust system includes a main exhaust path running to the reaction tube, a main valve provided for the main exhaust path, for opening/closing the main exhaust path, and a vacuum pump for evacuating the reaction tube via the main exhaust path.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
84 words
A method according to claim 13, wherein said sub-exhaust system includes a first sub-exhaust path and a second sub-exhaust path parallely connected to the main exhaust path, first and second sub-valves respectively provided for the first and second sub-exhaust paths, a needle valve provided for the first sub-exhaust path for adjusting an exhaustion amount, and a vacuum pump for evacuating said reaction tube via the first subs-exhaust path and the second sub-exhaust path, and said detecting means is provided for the first sub-exhaust path.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
170 words
A cleaning method of cleaning interiors of a reaction tube and an exhaust piping system which are employed in a heat treatment apparatus and connected together, comprising the steps of: supplying a cleaning gas containing ClF 3 from a cleaning gas supply source through a first cleaning gas supply pipe to the interiors of the reaction tube and the exhaust piping system so as to remove a film deposited on an inner wall surface of said reaction tube or a surface of a member contained in said reaction tube and on an inner surface of said exhaust piping system by etching, and supplying the cleaning gas from the cleaning gas supply source only to the exhaust piping system through a second cleaning gas supply pipe provided independently of the first cleaning gas supply pipe when processing other than cleaning the interior of the reaction tube is being executed in the reaction tube, so as to remove a film deposited on the inner surface of said exhaust piping system by etching.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
170 words
A cleaning method of cleaning interiors of a reaction tube and an exhaust piping system which are employed in a heat treatment apparatus and connected together, comprising the steps of: supplying a cleaning gas containing ClF 3 from a cleaning gas supply source through a first cleaning gas supply pipe to the interiors of the reaction tube and the exhaust piping system so as to remove a film deposited on an inner wall surface of said reaction tube or a surface of a member contained in said reaction tube and on an inner surface of said exhaust piping system by etching, and supplying the cleaning gas from the cleaning gas supply source only to the exhaust piping system through a second cleaning gas supply pipe provided independently of the first cleaning gas supply pipe when processing other than cleaning the interior of the reaction tube is being executed in the reaction tube, so as to remove a film deposited on the inner surface of said exhaust piping system by etching.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2000-06-09 | 2000-12-09 | 2001-06-10 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2004-06-09 | 2004-12-09 | 2005-06-10 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2008-06-09 | 2008-12-09 | 2009-06-10 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |