Remote plasma processing of interface surfaces

US8217513B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• Novellus Systems, Inc. · US

Inventors

• George Andrew Antonelli · Portland, US
• Jennifer O'Loughlin · Portland, US
• Tony Xavier · West Linn, US
• Mandyam Sriram · Beaverton, US
• Bart J. van Schravendijk · Sunnyvale, US
• Vishwanathan Rangarajan · Beaverton, US
• Seshasayee Varadarajan · Lake Oswego, US
• Bryan L. Buckalew · Tualatin, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Feb 2, 2011
• Grant date: Jul 10, 2012
• Expiry date: Feb 2, 2031

Classification

• Technology area (CPC H): Electricity
• CPC primary: H01L2924/0002
• WIPO field: Semiconductors
• WIPO sector: Electrical engineering

Abstract

Embodiments related to the cleaning of interface surfaces in a semiconductor wafer fabrication process via remote plasma processing are disclosed herein. For example, in one disclosed embodiment, a semiconductor processing apparatus includes a processing chamber, a load lock coupled to the processing chamber via a transfer port, a wafer pedestal disposed in the load lock and configured to support a wafer in the load lock, a remote plasma source configured to provide a remote plasma to the load lock, and an ion filter disposed between the remote plasma source and the wafer pedestal.