Method of in-situ cleaning of a chuck within a plasma chamber
US5911833A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jan 15, 1997 |
| Grant date | Jun 15, 1999 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jan 15, 2017 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY10S438/905
- WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A method for in-situ cleaning of a chuck that bears a semiconductor wafer in a semiconductor manufacturing machine maintains a processing chamber in a sealed condition with the chuck inside the chamber. A wafer bearing surface of the chuck is exposed upon determining that the chuck requires a cleaning. A cleaning gas is then injected into the chamber and RF power is applied to the chamber to create a plasma that cleans the wafer bearing surface. Since the processing chamber is maintained in a sealed condition during the in-situ cleaning of the chuck, the time required to clean the chuck and prepare the chamber for continued production runs is greatly reduced.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.