Low pressure chemical vapor deposition furnace plasma clean apparatus
US4795880A · kind A · utility
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Mar 7, 1988 |
| Grant date | Jan 3, 1989 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Mar 7, 2008 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH01J37/321
- WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
Cleaning of low pressure chemical vapor deposition (LPCVD) furnaces is accomplished "in-situ" at furnace operating temperatures. Radio frequency (RF) power is coupled into reactive gases, that have been metered into the evacuated furnace tube, using the furnace heating coil as the coupling element so as to create an etchant gas plasma. The gas chemistry and plasma conditions are selected to remove the LPCVD film that has accumulated on the furnace quartzware surfaces during its use in the LPCVD film deposition mode. The volatile chemical byproducts of the plasma clean reaction are removed from the furnace tube by the system's vacuum pump.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.