Method and apparatus for reducing contamination in a wafer loadlock of a semiconductor wafer processing system
US6323463A · kind A · utility
21Cited by
5References
9Claims
0Family size
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Mar 29, 2000 |
| Grant date | Nov 27, 2001 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Mar 29, 2020 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH01L21/67028
- WIPO fieldSurface technology, coating
- WIPO sectorChemistry
Abstract
A method and apparatus for heating a loadlock to inhibit the formation of contaminants within the loadlock. At least one heater is attached to the walls of the loadlock to boil contaminants from the surfaces within the loadlock. These desorbed contaminants are exhausted from the loadlock by a vacuum pump. Alternatively, a purge gas can be supplied to the loadlock while the loadlock is being heated. The flow of purge gas flushes the desorbed contaminants from the loadlock.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.