Method and hardware for cleaning UV chambers

US9506145B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• Applied Materials, Inc. · US

Inventors

• Sanjeev Baluja · Campbell, US
• Alexandros T. Demos · Fremont, US
• Kelvin Chan · San Ramon, US
• Juan Carlos Rocha-Alvarez · Redwood City, US
• Scott A. Hendrickson · Brentwood, US
• Abhijit A. Kangude · San Jose, US
• Inna TUREVSKY · Santa Clara, US
• Mahendra CHHABRA · Stanford, US
• Thomas Nowak · Cupertino, US
• Daping Yao · San Jose, US
• Bo Xie · Peoria, US
• Daemian Raj · Sunnyvale, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Jun 13, 2016
• Grant date: Nov 29, 2016
• Expiry date: Jun 13, 2036

Classification

• Technology area (CPC C): Chemistry; Metallurgy
• CPC primary: C11D2111/20
• WIPO field: Surface technology, coating
• WIPO sector: Chemistry

Abstract

A cleaning method for a UV chamber involves providing a first cleaning gas, a second cleaning gas, and a purge gas to one or more openings in the chamber. The first cleaning gas may be an oxygen containing gas, such as ozone, to remove carbon residues. The second cleaning gas may be a remote plasma of NF3 and O2 to remove silicon residues. The UV chamber may have two UV transparent showerheads, which together with a UV window in the chamber lid, define a gas volume proximate the UV window and a distribution volume below the gas volume. A purge gas may be flowed through the gas volume while one or more of the cleaning gases is flowed into the distribution volume to prevent the cleaning gases from impinging on the UV transparent window.