Patent · US Expired

Vacuum processing apparatus, vacuum processing method, and method for cleaning the vacuum processing apparatus

US5785796A · kind A · utility

99Cited by
5References
23Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateDec 24, 1996
Grant dateJul 28, 1998
Priority date
Expiry dateDec 24, 2016

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
  • CPC primaryY10S438/905
  • WIPO fieldSemiconductors
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A vacuum processing apparatus includes a plurality of vacuum processing chambers for processing a target object using a process gas, a vacuum convey chamber, connected to the plurality of vacuum processing chambers, for loading/unloading the target object into/from the processing chambers, an opening/closing means opened/closed to cause the plurality of vacuum processing chambers to communicate with the vacuum convey chamber, and a cleaning gas supply means for supplying a cleaning gas containing ClF.sub.3 into at least one of the vacuum convey chamber and the plurality of vacuum processing chambers. The cleaning gas is supplied into the plurality of vacuum processing chambers and the vacuum convey chamber communicating with each other by opening the opening/closing means to clean the plurality of vacuum processing chambers and the vacuum convey chamber.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.