Method and apparatus for reducing contamination in a wafer loadlock of a semiconductor wafer processing system
US6410889B1 · kind B1 · utility
16Cited by
11References
9Claims
0Family size
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Sep 21, 2001 |
| Grant date | Jun 25, 2002 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Sep 21, 2021 |
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.