US20050230048A1 - Liner for use in processing chamber - Google Patents
Liner for use in processing chamber Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- US20050230048A1 US20050230048A1 US11/149,226 US14922605A US2005230048A1 US 20050230048 A1 US20050230048 A1 US 20050230048A1 US 14922605 A US14922605 A US 14922605A US 2005230048 A1 US2005230048 A1 US 2005230048A1
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- Prior art keywords
- container
- chamber
- processing chamber
- processing
- plasma
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- Abandoned
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- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01J—ELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS
- H01J37/00—Discharge tubes with provision for introducing objects or material to be exposed to the discharge, e.g. for the purpose of examination or processing thereof
- H01J37/32—Gas-filled discharge tubes
- H01J37/32431—Constructional details of the reactor
- H01J37/32458—Vessel
- H01J37/32477—Vessel characterised by the means for protecting vessels or internal parts, e.g. coatings
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- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01J—ELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS
- H01J37/00—Discharge tubes with provision for introducing objects or material to be exposed to the discharge, e.g. for the purpose of examination or processing thereof
- H01J37/32—Gas-filled discharge tubes
- H01J37/32009—Arrangements for generation of plasma specially adapted for examination or treatment of objects, e.g. plasma sources
- H01J37/32082—Radio frequency generated discharge
- H01J37/321—Radio frequency generated discharge the radio frequency energy being inductively coupled to the plasma
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- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01J—ELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS
- H01J37/00—Discharge tubes with provision for introducing objects or material to be exposed to the discharge, e.g. for the purpose of examination or processing thereof
- H01J37/32—Gas-filled discharge tubes
- H01J37/32431—Constructional details of the reactor
- H01J37/32458—Vessel
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01J—ELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS
- H01J37/00—Discharge tubes with provision for introducing objects or material to be exposed to the discharge, e.g. for the purpose of examination or processing thereof
- H01J37/32—Gas-filled discharge tubes
- H01J37/32431—Constructional details of the reactor
- H01J37/32623—Mechanical discharge control means
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
- H01L21/00—Processes or apparatus adapted for the manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or solid state devices or of parts thereof
- H01L21/67—Apparatus specially adapted for handling semiconductor or electric solid state devices during manufacture or treatment thereof; Apparatus specially adapted for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or electric solid state devices or components ; Apparatus not specifically provided for elsewhere
- H01L21/67005—Apparatus not specifically provided for elsewhere
- H01L21/67011—Apparatus for manufacture or treatment
- H01L21/67017—Apparatus for fluid treatment
- H01L21/67063—Apparatus for fluid treatment for etching
- H01L21/67069—Apparatus for fluid treatment for etching for drying etching
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
- H01L21/00—Processes or apparatus adapted for the manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or solid state devices or of parts thereof
- H01L21/67—Apparatus specially adapted for handling semiconductor or electric solid state devices during manufacture or treatment thereof; Apparatus specially adapted for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or electric solid state devices or components ; Apparatus not specifically provided for elsewhere
- H01L21/67005—Apparatus not specifically provided for elsewhere
- H01L21/67011—Apparatus for manufacture or treatment
- H01L21/67155—Apparatus for manufacturing or treating in a plurality of work-stations
- H01L21/6719—Apparatus for manufacturing or treating in a plurality of work-stations characterized by the construction of the processing chambers, e.g. modular processing chambers
Definitions
- the present invention relates to the processing of work pieces used in semiconductor fabrication. More particularly, the present invention relates to a reusable container, or liner, for use in a work piece plasma processing chamber.
- a plasma is a collection of electrically charged and neutral particles.
- the density of negatively-charged particles is equal to the density of positively-charged particles (positive ions).
- Plasma generation may be conducted by applying power to electrodes in a chamber of a reactor. In diode or parallel plate reactors, power is applied to one electrode to generate a plasma. In triode reactors, power is typically applied to two of three electrodes to generate a plasma.
- RF plasma generation for a diode reactor, a sinusoidal signal is sent to an electrode of a pair of electrodes.
- a chuck or susceptor is the powered electrode.
- parallel plate reactors include the 5000MERIE from Applied Materials, Santa Clara, Calif.
- a plasma source material which typically includes one or more gases, such as, for example, argon, silane (SiH 4 ), oxygen, TEOS, diethylsilane, and silicon tetrafluoride (SiF 4 ), is directed to an interelectrode gap between the pair of electrodes.
- gases such as, for example, argon, silane (SiH 4 ), oxygen, TEOS, diethylsilane, and silicon tetrafluoride (SiF 4 .
- triode reactor In a typical triode reactor, three parallel plates or electrodes are used.
- the middle or intermediate electrode is conventionally located in between a top and bottom electrode, and thus two interelectrode cavities or regions are defined (one between top and middle electrode and one between middle and bottom electrode).
- the middle electrode typically has holes in it. Conventionally, both the top and bottom electrode are powered via RF sources, and the middle electrode is grounded. Examples of triode reactors are available from Lam Research, Fremont, Calif., and Tegal Corporation Ltd., San Diego, Calif.
- Parallel plate and triode reactors generate capacitively coupled plasmas. These are conventionally “low density” plasmas (ion-electron density of less or equal to 10 10 ions-electrons per cm 3 ) as compared with high-density (also known as “hi density”) plasmas which are generated by systems such as electron cyclotron resonance (ECR) and inductively coupled plasma (ICP).
- ECR electron cyclotron resonance
- ICP inductively coupled plasma
- an inductive coil electrode
- the inductive coil and RF supply provide a source power, or top power, for plasma generation.
- a microwave power source for example, a magnetron
- a top power for example, a magnetron
- bias power voltage that forms on a susceptor or chuck (also known as the direct current (DC) bias), is affected by the bottom power (RF bias); whereas, current is affected by the top power.
- DC bias direct current
- contamination particles are personnel, equipment, and chemicals. For example, people, by shedding of skin flakes, create particles which are easily ionized and can cause defects. It is estimated that particles sized from less than 0.01 micrometers to 200 micrometers and above should be of concern during the processing of semiconductors. “Clean rooms” are typically used for semiconductor manufacture, and through filtering and other techniques, attempts are made to prevent entry of particles with sizes of 0.03 micrometers and larger. It is virtually impossible, however, to keep particles smaller than 0.03 micrometers out of a clean room.
- SMIF Standard Mechanical Interface
- SMIF system While the SMIF system is useful for preventing particle contamination during transport of the wafers, it is wholly ineffective at preventing contamination during processing of the wafers.
- the SMIF containers are used during the transport of the wafers, but are removed when the wafers are placed in processing chambers for wafer processing.
- Particulate contamination builds up within work piece processing chambers, such as a plasma processing chamber. This build up of contaminants must be cleansed from the processing chambers periodically. This entails considerable time and effort and requires the removal of the processing chamber from a production line. This, in turn, causes lost production time and increases costs.
- the present invention provides a removable container which is inserted into a processing chamber and in which the work piece processing is carried out.
- the container has at least one side and a base, as well as an ingress and egress for the work piece.
- the container further includes one or more ports located in the side which connect with ports of the processing chamber which provide gasses or other materials used in processing.
- the container is made of materials allowing the container to have an effective life at least as long as the required processing, preferably allowing the container to be reused a number of times.
- a locking mechanism may be included to lock the container within the chamber.
- the present invention also provides a system for processing a semiconductor work piece.
- the system includes a processing chamber and a removable container having the characteristics noted in the preceding paragraph.
- the processing chamber is a plasma processing chamber.
- the present invention further provides a method of processing a semiconductor work piece in which the work piece is provided within a container, the container being removably inserted in a work piece processing chamber, with the processing being accomplished inside the container.
- the invention may be used to process any work piece associated with semiconductor fabrication including, but not limited to, reticules, masks, leads, wafers, and packages.
- FIG. 1 is perspective view of a conventional plasma processing chamber.
- FIG. 2 is a top view of the processing chamber of FIG. 1 .
- FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 2 - 2 of FIG. 2 of the chamber of FIG. 1 and a container constructed in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.
- FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the container of FIG. 3 and the chamber of FIG. 1 .
- FIG. 5 is a top view of the chamber of FIG. 1 showing the interior of the chamber.
- FIG. 6 is a partial cross-sectional view of a chamber and container constructed in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention.
- FIG. 7 is a top view of a container constructed in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention.
- FIG. 8 is a partial cross-sectional view of a chamber and container of FIG. 7 .
- FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of a chamber and of a container constructed in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention.
- FIG. 10 is a close-up view of a locking mechanism taken within circle XI of FIG. 3 .
- FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of a chamber and of a container constructed in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention.
- FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view of a chamber and of a container constructed in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention.
- the invention is described in connection with a plasma processing chamber. However, this is merely illustrative of one environment of use for the invention and the invention is not to be considered as limited to that environment. Also, the invention can be used with other work piece processing chambers. In addition, the invention is described with reference to a reticule, which is but one example of a work piece which can be processed using the invention.
- FIG. 1 a reticule processing chamber 10 .
- the processing chamber 10 which is shown as being generally cylindrical in shape, is an inductively coupled plasma processing chamber and includes an inductive coil 16 as an electrode wrapped around a side surface 14 thereof.
- the chamber 10 further includes a door 18 and an under surface 19 .
- the door 18 is conventionally made to allow ingress and egress of wafers, or other semiconductor work pieces or integrated circuit packages, to be processed within the chamber 10 .
- a gas port 20 and a vacuum port 22 are provided in the door 18 , as shown in FIG. 2 .
- a guiding mechanism specifically a plurality of chamfers 15 , FIG. 3 , are located on an inner surface of the side 14 of the chamber 10 .
- the inductive coil here coil 16
- a radio frequency (RF) supply 27 a radio frequency (RF) supply 27 .
- the coil and the radio frequency supply provide a source of power for the plasma generation.
- RF radio frequency
- FIGS. 1, 3 a wafer, or RF, chuck 26 is provided through the under surface 19 of the chamber 10 .
- the RF supply 27 in electrical connection to the chuck 26 , drives the coil 16 at a high frequency, thereby providing the source of power for the plasma generation within the chamber 10 .
- FIG. 3 which is a cross-sectional view that has been elongated for clarity of description of the invention
- the generally cylindrical container 30 has a base 32 , an upper surface 34 , and a side 36 .
- the upper surface 34 acts as a door for ingress and egress for a work piece, which is illustrated as a reticule 50 . It is, however, to be understood that any type of semiconductor work piece may be used with the container 30 , such as wafers, lead frames, or integrated circuit packages.
- the chuck 26 extends through the base 32 , thereby placing a top surface of the chuck 26 (upon which a work piece to be processes will rest) within the chamber 30 .
- the container 30 may be formed of any suitable material which is able to withstand the environment within the processing chamber 30 for at least as long as the processing step.
- the container 30 may be formed of a conductive material.
- the container may be formed of a dielectric material, a partially conducting material, an insulative material, or a combination of these.
- the container 30 may be formed of a material which would allow it to be subjected to more than one processing of a work piece, prior to being cleaned or discarded.
- the upper surface 34 of the container 30 includes a gas port 38 and a vacuum port 40 .
- the ports 38 , 40 align with the processing chamber ports 20 , 22 when the container 30 is positioned within the processing chamber 10 .
- a gas conduit 60 extends from the port 20 of the chamber 10 . It is important that the gas ports 20 and 38 closely align. Port 20 is in sealing and fluid communication with the port 38 of the container 30 . Further, a vacuum conduit 70 extends from the port 22 of the chamber 10 . It is somewhat less important for the vacuum ports 22 , 40 to closely align. While close alignment of the vacuum ports 22 , 40 may be preferable, exerting a high speed vacuum in a closed system (the chamber 10 ) will pump the gas out of the container 30 even if the ports 22 , 40 are not closely aligned. As shown in FIG. 3 , the port 22 is closely aligned to the port 40 of the container 30 .
- Compliant sealing members 62 and 72 are placed between the container 30 and processing chamber 10 in a space 82 and around the ports 20 , 38 and 22 , 40 , respectively, to provide a seal preventing fluids which pass through the ports from escaping into the space 82 between the container 30 and the processing chamber 10 .
- the conduits 60 , 70 may be pipes, hoses, or any other suitable member defining an interior space.
- the gas conduit 60 and vacuum conduit 70 may only extend into the upper surface 34 of the container 30 .
- a mating gas conduit 60 ′ is fit within the port 38 and is adapted to mate with the conduit 60 .
- the sealing member 62 is placed in position to seal the junction between the conduits 60 and 60 ′.
- a mating vacuum conduit 70 ′ is fit within the port 40 and is adapted to mate with the vacuum conduit 70 .
- the sealing member 72 is placed in position to seal the junction between the conduits 70 and 70 ′.
- the compliant sealing members 62 , 72 may be any suitable seal, such as an O-ring or hose clamp. Further, the sealing members 62 , 72 may not be separate sealing devices, but instead may be devices built into the hoses.
- sealing member 62 may be a push-fit seal positioned at an end of the conduit 60 such that the conduits 60 and 60 ′ may mate with and be sealed together through pushing the conduit 60 ′ into the sealing member 62 .
- the container 30 is shown with another aspect of the invention.
- a plurality of vacuum ports 40 ′ are located on the upper surface 34 of the container 30 .
- the ports 40 ′ spread out the vacuuming throughout the space 80 within the container 30 .
- the vacuum conduit 70 should be of sufficient size to encircle all of the ports 40 ′. As illustrated, the vacuum conduit 70 is not sealed to the upper surface 34 around the ports 40 ′. Alternatively, the vacuum conduit 70 may be sealed to the upper surface 34 .
- the conduit 70 should be between six and twenty inches in diameter.
- the ports 40 ′ as shown in FIGS. 7 , should number between ten to twenty ports, each being between 0.02 and 0.04 inches in diameter.
- the size of a single gas conduit 60 need not be as large as the vacuum conduit 70 .
- the diameter of a single gas conduit 60 should be in the range of about 0.4 inches.
- the gas may be injected through a multiple of smaller gas ports, much like the multiple ports 40 ′ shown in FIGS. 7 .
- the multiple gas ports typically called a gas distribution system or a gas showerhead, may be used to obtain greater uniformity of gas distribution within the container 30 .
- the container 30 may be manually placed within the chamber 10 .
- the chamfers 15 which have an increasing radial height in a direction from the upper surface 34 to the under surface 36 , assist in aligning the container 30 properly within the chamber.
- Robotic systems may be used to mechanically place the container 30 in the chamber 10 . Examples of suitable robotic systems include those having robot arms which are pre-aligned during maintenance and those having robot arms which are self-aligning.
- An important aspect of the container 30 is that it protects the wafer or reticule 50 from particles contamination caused during insertion of the container 30 within the chamber 10 , such as, for example, by striking one of the chamfers 15 .
- FIG. 9 shows a horizontal processing chamber 310 and a container 330 ; specifically, lying on a chamber side 314 and a container side 336 with a door 318 , an under surface 319 , an upper surface 334 and a base 332 all in a vertically directed plane.
- the wafer chuck 326 and the RF supply 27 are positioned under the side 314 of the chamber 310 , and inductive coils 316 are positioned above the chuck 326 on the top side of the side 314 .
- the reticule 50 is positioned above the chuck 326 when the container 330 is placed within the chamber 310 .
- FIGS. 9, 10 A locking apparatus which releasably locks the container 330 to the chamber 310 is shown in FIGS. 9, 10 .
- the locking mechanism includes a hole 323 provided through the chamber side 314 and a recess 342 provided in the container side 336 .
- a biased locking pin 55 passes through the hole 323 .
- the pin 55 is spring loaded and biased upwardly toward the recess 342 .
- the pin 55 has a rounded head 56 to facilitate locking.
- the pin 55 may have a tapered or angled head 56 .
- this embodiment may include the chamfers 15 , in which case the container side 336 would slide along the chamfers 15 .
- the pin 55 When a portion of the container side 336 reaches the pin 55 , it presses the pin 55 downwardly against the biasing force. When the recess 342 reaches the locking pin 55 , the pressure pushing the pin 55 downwardly is released, allowing the pin 55 to move upwardly into the recess 342 , thereby locking the container 330 into place within the chamber 310 .
- the pin 55 may be pulled down manually, or by other means, to later unlock and release the container 330 from the chamber side 314 .
- the recess 342 can be formed of a sufficient length to ensure that the recess 342 meets up with the pin 55 .
- the apparatus for locking the container 330 to the chamber 310 is shown as a spring-loaded locking pin 55 and a recess 342 , it is to be understood that the container 330 may be locked into position within the chamber 310 in a variety of different ways. Further, although the locking mechanism has been described in terms of the FIG. 9 embodiment, it is to be understood that the locking mechanism may be included in the embodiments shown in FIGS. 3 , 6 , 8 , 11 , and 12 .
- the reticule 50 is placed within the container 30 , the latter of which is guided into place within the chamber 10 by the chamfers 15 .
- the gas conduit 60 and the vacuum conduit 70 each extend through the container 30 and are sealed thereto with, respectively, the sealing members 62 , 72 .
- the gas and vacuum conduits 60 , 70 are mated with, respectively, the conduits 60 ′, 70 ′, and sealed together with the sealing members 62 , 72 .
- Gas is introduced to a space 80 within the container 30 through the gas conduit 60 .
- Pressure within the container 30 may be equalized to the pressure in the space 82 through a plurality of pores 44 in a side 36 of the container 30 .
- the RF supply 27 then drives the inductive coil 16 .
- the amplitude of the RF signal from the RF supply 27 needs to be sufficiently high to interact and breakdown the gas, which acts as the plasma source material.
- the type of gas will have a bearing upon the amplitude of the RF signal necessary from the RF supply 27 .
- the manner of creating a plasma, including the necessary gas compositions and RF voltages needed for desired processing conditions are well known in the art and are not described in detail herein.
- the vacuum introduced to the container 30 through the vacuum conduit 70 pulls volatile reaction products from the container 30 .
- the build up of non-volatile reaction products will occur on the interior walls of the container 30 .
- the container 30 By utilizing the container 30 , less defects are deposited on the work piece during the processing. Further, the chamber 10 is not exposed to as many contaminant particles during the processing. Thus, the chamber 10 need not be wet cleaned as frequently, thus eliminating many of the re-qualifications of the chamber 10 .
- the container 30 itself provided it is in a good condition to be utilized again after the processing, may be cleaned and/or refurbished and used again. Otherwise, the container 30 may be discarded.
- FIG. 11 shows another preferred embodiment of the present invention.
- a chamber 100 and a container 130 are shown in FIG. 11 .
- the chamber 100 is generally cylindrical and includes an upper section 101 having a dome portion 102
- the generally cylindrical container 130 likewise includes a dome portion 132 which fits within the dome portion 102 .
- the upper section 101 of the chamber 100 may be lowered onto and secured to a lower section 103 after the container 130 is placed inside the chamber 100 .
- a space 180 is located within the dome portion 132 and in the upper reaches of the rectangular portion of the container 130 .
- the space 180 denotes an area within the container, like space 80 , within which plasma products are formed through a reaction between the RF signal from the RF supply 27 , the inductive coil 16 and the gas, which is introduced through the gas conduits 60 .
- Vacuum conduits 70 are positioned at a lower position of the chamber 130 .
- the conduits 60 , 70 may mate with conduits 60 ′, 70 ′, respectively, and be sealed with sealing members 62 , 72 .
- the container 130 may be guided into the chamber 100 through a guiding mechanism, such as the previously described chamfers 15 , or any other suitable guiding mechanism.
- the chamber 100 and the container 130 may be supported horizontally or vertically, and a releasable locking mechanism, such as the locking pin 55 , may be utilized to lock the container 130 into place within the chamber 100 .
- FIG. 12 Another preferred embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIG. 12 .
- a dome-shaped processing chamber 200 is shown encasing a dome-shaped removable container 230 .
- the chamber 200 is a microwave-generated plasma chamber. Alternatively, it may be an electron cyclotron resonance chamber.
- the chamber 200 is grounded by a pair of grounding plates 90 .
- the chamber 200 does not utilize a coil in conjunction with an RF supply to produce plasma. Instead, the microwaves 216 , from a microwave power source 218 shown schematically, provide power to generate plasma within a space 280 within the container 230 .
- the microwave power source 218 may be any suitable source, such as, for example, a magnetron.
- the container 230 is preferably formed of a dielectric material.
- the chamber 200 includes a top portion 201 which is detachable from and securable to a bottom portion 203 . The top portion 201 is removed, allowing the container 230 to be placed within the chamber 200 .
- the container 30 has been discussed in terms of diode processing reactors, or chambers, it is to be understood that the container 30 may be used with triode reactors or any other form of chamber used to process semiconductor work pieces.
- certain methods of plasma generation have been discussed herein, such as inductively coupled plasma, electron cyclotron resonance, and microwave, other methods of plasma generation may be utilized in the invention, such as, for example, parallel plate etchers, diodes, magnetically enhanced reactive ion etching (MERIE), and surface wave plasma.
- MERIE magnetically enhanced reactive ion etching
- conduits 60 , 60 ′, 70 , and 70 ′ have been described for pumping gas in and out of the container 30 , it is to be understood that other apparatus may be used, such as, for example, a plate having a plurality of openings positioned on a wall of the container 30 which is mated to a conduit. Accordingly, the scope of the present invention is not to be considered as limited by the specifics of the particular structure which have been described and illustrated, but is only limited by the scope of the appended claims.
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Abstract
A container for use in a processing chamber to lessen the amount of contaminant particles found within the chamber after processing. The container fits closely within the chamber and includes ports for a gas conduit and a vacuum conduit. The container may be locked to the chamber through a locking mechanism and a recess in the container. The container may be guided into the chamber with a plurality of chamfers. The container may be used in inductively coupled plasma chambers, electron cyclotron resonance chambers, and chambers capable of receiving microwaves.
Description
- The present invention relates to the processing of work pieces used in semiconductor fabrication. More particularly, the present invention relates to a reusable container, or liner, for use in a work piece plasma processing chamber.
- A plasma is a collection of electrically charged and neutral particles. In a plasma, the density of negatively-charged particles (electrons and negative ions) is equal to the density of positively-charged particles (positive ions). Plasma generation may be conducted by applying power to electrodes in a chamber of a reactor. In diode or parallel plate reactors, power is applied to one electrode to generate a plasma. In triode reactors, power is typically applied to two of three electrodes to generate a plasma.
- In radio frequency (RF) plasma generation, for a diode reactor, a sinusoidal signal is sent to an electrode of a pair of electrodes. Conventionally, a chuck or susceptor is the powered electrode. Examples of parallel plate reactors include the 5000MERIE from Applied Materials, Santa Clara, Calif.
- A plasma source material, which typically includes one or more gases, such as, for example, argon, silane (SiH4), oxygen, TEOS, diethylsilane, and silicon tetrafluoride (SiF4), is directed to an interelectrode gap between the pair of electrodes. The amplitude of the RF signal must be sufficiently high for a breakdown of plasma source material. In this manner, electrons have sufficient energy to ionize the plasma source material and to replenish the supply of electrons to sustain a plasma. The ionization potential, the minimum energy needed to remove an electron from an atom or molecule, varies with different atoms or molecules.
- In a typical triode reactor, three parallel plates or electrodes are used. The middle or intermediate electrode is conventionally located in between a top and bottom electrode, and thus two interelectrode cavities or regions are defined (one between top and middle electrode and one between middle and bottom electrode). The middle electrode typically has holes in it. Conventionally, both the top and bottom electrode are powered via RF sources, and the middle electrode is grounded. Examples of triode reactors are available from Lam Research, Fremont, Calif., and Tegal Corporation Ltd., San Diego, Calif.
- Parallel plate and triode reactors generate capacitively coupled plasmas. These are conventionally “low density” plasmas (ion-electron density of less or equal to 1010 ions-electrons per cm3) as compared with high-density (also known as “hi density”) plasmas which are generated by systems such as electron cyclotron resonance (ECR) and inductively coupled plasma (ICP). For ICP systems, an inductive coil (electrode) is conventionally driven at a high frequency using an RF supply. The inductive coil and RF supply provide a source power, or top power, for plasma generation. In ECR systems, a microwave power source (for example, a magnetron) is used to provide a top power. Both ICP and-ECR systems have a separate power supply known as bias power or bottom power, which may be employed for directing and accelerating ions from the plasma to a substrate assembly or other target. In either case, voltage that forms on a susceptor or chuck (also known as the direct current (DC) bias), is affected by the bottom power (RF bias); whereas, current is affected by the top power.
- It has been known that control of particulate contamination is imperative for cost effective, high-yielding manufacture of VLSI circuits. This control is by necessity increasing with increasingly smaller lines, feature sizes and critical dimensions being designed on such circuits. Contamination particles cause incomplete etching of work pieces such as reticules or wafers in spaces between lines, thus leading to an unwanted electrical bridge. Further, contamination particles may induce ionization or trapping centers in gate dielectrics or junctions or in reticule areas which will be used in semiconductor fabrication, leading to electrical failure of a fabricated part.
- The major sources of contamination particles are personnel, equipment, and chemicals. For example, people, by shedding of skin flakes, create particles which are easily ionized and can cause defects. It is estimated that particles sized from less than 0.01 micrometers to 200 micrometers and above should be of concern during the processing of semiconductors. “Clean rooms” are typically used for semiconductor manufacture, and through filtering and other techniques, attempts are made to prevent entry of particles with sizes of 0.03 micrometers and larger. It is virtually impossible, however, to keep particles smaller than 0.03 micrometers out of a clean room.
- To address the problem of semiconductor contamination, a Standard Mechanical Interface (SMIF) system was devised. The SMIF system provides a small volume of still, particle-free air, with no internal source of particles, for transporting wafers. SMIF designs are discussed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,752,796 (Muka) and U.S. Pat. No. 5,607,276 (Muka et al.).
- While the SMIF system is useful for preventing particle contamination during transport of the wafers, it is wholly ineffective at preventing contamination during processing of the wafers. The SMIF containers are used during the transport of the wafers, but are removed when the wafers are placed in processing chambers for wafer processing.
- Particulate contamination builds up within work piece processing chambers, such as a plasma processing chamber. This build up of contaminants must be cleansed from the processing chambers periodically. This entails considerable time and effort and requires the removal of the processing chamber from a production line. This, in turn, causes lost production time and increases costs.
- There is, thus, a need in the industry for a low cost and effective method and apparatus for reducing the need to periodically clean work piece processing chambers, such as a plasma processing chamber.
- The present invention provides a removable container which is inserted into a processing chamber and in which the work piece processing is carried out. The container has at least one side and a base, as well as an ingress and egress for the work piece. The container further includes one or more ports located in the side which connect with ports of the processing chamber which provide gasses or other materials used in processing. The container is made of materials allowing the container to have an effective life at least as long as the required processing, preferably allowing the container to be reused a number of times. A locking mechanism may be included to lock the container within the chamber.
- The present invention also provides a system for processing a semiconductor work piece. The system includes a processing chamber and a removable container having the characteristics noted in the preceding paragraph. In one aspect of the invention, the processing chamber is a plasma processing chamber.
- The present invention further provides a method of processing a semiconductor work piece in which the work piece is provided within a container, the container being removably inserted in a work piece processing chamber, with the processing being accomplished inside the container.
- The invention may be used to process any work piece associated with semiconductor fabrication including, but not limited to, reticules, masks, leads, wafers, and packages.
-
FIG. 1 is perspective view of a conventional plasma processing chamber. -
FIG. 2 is a top view of the processing chamber ofFIG. 1 . -
FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 2-2 ofFIG. 2 of the chamber ofFIG. 1 and a container constructed in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. -
FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the container ofFIG. 3 and the chamber ofFIG. 1 . -
FIG. 5 is a top view of the chamber ofFIG. 1 showing the interior of the chamber. -
FIG. 6 is a partial cross-sectional view of a chamber and container constructed in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention. -
FIG. 7 is a top view of a container constructed in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention. -
FIG. 8 is a partial cross-sectional view of a chamber and container ofFIG. 7 . -
FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of a chamber and of a container constructed in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention. -
FIG. 10 is a close-up view of a locking mechanism taken within circle XI ofFIG. 3 . -
FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of a chamber and of a container constructed in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention. -
FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view of a chamber and of a container constructed in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention. - In the following description, the invention is described in connection with a plasma processing chamber. However, this is merely illustrative of one environment of use for the invention and the invention is not to be considered as limited to that environment. Also, the invention can be used with other work piece processing chambers. In addition, the invention is described with reference to a reticule, which is but one example of a work piece which can be processed using the invention.
- Referring now to the drawings, where like numerals designate like elements, there is shown in
FIG. 1 a reticule processing chamber 10. Theprocessing chamber 10, which is shown as being generally cylindrical in shape, is an inductively coupled plasma processing chamber and includes aninductive coil 16 as an electrode wrapped around aside surface 14 thereof. Thechamber 10 further includes adoor 18 and an undersurface 19. Thedoor 18 is conventionally made to allow ingress and egress of wafers, or other semiconductor work pieces or integrated circuit packages, to be processed within thechamber 10. Agas port 20 and avacuum port 22 are provided in thedoor 18, as shown inFIG. 2 . In addition, a guiding mechanism, specifically a plurality ofchamfers 15,FIG. 3 , are located on an inner surface of theside 14 of thechamber 10. - As noted above, in inductively coupled plasma systems, the inductive coil, here
coil 16, is driven at a high frequency using a radio frequency (RF)supply 27. Together, the coil and the radio frequency supply provide a source of power for the plasma generation. As shown inFIGS. 1, 3 , a wafer, or RF, chuck 26 is provided through theunder surface 19 of thechamber 10. TheRF supply 27, in electrical connection to thechuck 26, drives thecoil 16 at a high frequency, thereby providing the source of power for the plasma generation within thechamber 10. - With further reference to
FIG. 3 , which is a cross-sectional view that has been elongated for clarity of description of the invention, a removable container, or liner, 30 is encased within theprocessing chamber 10. The generallycylindrical container 30 has abase 32, anupper surface 34, and aside 36. Theupper surface 34 acts as a door for ingress and egress for a work piece, which is illustrated as areticule 50. It is, however, to be understood that any type of semiconductor work piece may be used with thecontainer 30, such as wafers, lead frames, or integrated circuit packages. Thechuck 26 extends through thebase 32, thereby placing a top surface of the chuck 26 (upon which a work piece to be processes will rest) within thechamber 30. - The
container 30 may be formed of any suitable material which is able to withstand the environment within theprocessing chamber 30 for at least as long as the processing step. For example, if a conductive material is necessary, thecontainer 30 may be formed of a conductive material. Alternatively, the container may be formed of a dielectric material, a partially conducting material, an insulative material, or a combination of these. Additionally, thecontainer 30 may be formed of a material which would allow it to be subjected to more than one processing of a work piece, prior to being cleaned or discarded. - The
upper surface 34 of thecontainer 30 includes agas port 38 and avacuum port 40. Theports processing chamber ports container 30 is positioned within theprocessing chamber 10. - As shown in
FIGS. 1-3 , agas conduit 60 extends from theport 20 of thechamber 10. It is important that thegas ports align. Port 20 is in sealing and fluid communication with theport 38 of thecontainer 30. Further, avacuum conduit 70 extends from theport 22 of thechamber 10. It is somewhat less important for thevacuum ports vacuum ports container 30 even if theports FIG. 3 , theport 22 is closely aligned to theport 40 of thecontainer 30.Compliant sealing members container 30 andprocessing chamber 10 in aspace 82 and around theports space 82 between thecontainer 30 and theprocessing chamber 10. Theconduits - Alternatively, with reference to
FIG. 6 , thegas conduit 60 andvacuum conduit 70 may only extend into theupper surface 34 of thecontainer 30. Amating gas conduit 60′ is fit within theport 38 and is adapted to mate with theconduit 60. The sealingmember 62 is placed in position to seal the junction between theconduits mating vacuum conduit 70′ is fit within theport 40 and is adapted to mate with thevacuum conduit 70. The sealingmember 72 is placed in position to seal the junction between theconduits compliant sealing members members member 62 may be a push-fit seal positioned at an end of theconduit 60 such that theconduits conduit 60′ into the sealingmember 62. - With reference to
FIGS. 7, 8 , thecontainer 30 is shown with another aspect of the invention. To more symmetrically pump the gas and non-volatile reaction products, and thereby more efficiently clean the interior of thecontainer 30, a plurality ofvacuum ports 40′ are located on theupper surface 34 of thecontainer 30. Theports 40′ spread out the vacuuming throughout thespace 80 within thecontainer 30. Thus, a more even vacuuming of thespace 80 may be accomplished. Thevacuum conduit 70 should be of sufficient size to encircle all of theports 40′. As illustrated, thevacuum conduit 70 is not sealed to theupper surface 34 around theports 40′. Alternatively, thevacuum conduit 70 may be sealed to theupper surface 34. - It is required that gas pumping, or vacuuming, speeds must be relatively high, and thus, it is necessary to provide a sufficiently large opening through which to pump the gas. Preferably, the
conduit 70 should be between six and twenty inches in diameter. Theports 40′, as shown inFIGS. 7 , should number between ten to twenty ports, each being between 0.02 and 0.04 inches in diameter. Contrarily, the size of asingle gas conduit 60 need not be as large as thevacuum conduit 70. Preferably, the diameter of asingle gas conduit 60 should be in the range of about 0.4 inches. The gas may be injected into thecontainer 30 through asingle gas port 38, as shown inFIG. 3 , or alternatively, the gas may be injected through a multiple of smaller gas ports, much like themultiple ports 40′ shown inFIGS. 7 . The multiple gas ports, typically called a gas distribution system or a gas showerhead, may be used to obtain greater uniformity of gas distribution within thecontainer 30. - The
container 30 may be manually placed within thechamber 10. Thechamfers 15, which have an increasing radial height in a direction from theupper surface 34 to theunder surface 36, assist in aligning thecontainer 30 properly within the chamber. Robotic systems may be used to mechanically place thecontainer 30 in thechamber 10. Examples of suitable robotic systems include those having robot arms which are pre-aligned during maintenance and those having robot arms which are self-aligning. An important aspect of thecontainer 30 is that it protects the wafer or reticule 50 from particles contamination caused during insertion of thecontainer 30 within thechamber 10, such as, for example, by striking one of thechamfers 15. - Next will be described an alternative embodiment of the
chamber 10 and thecontainer 30 whereby they are supported horizontally.FIG. 9 shows ahorizontal processing chamber 310 and acontainer 330; specifically, lying on achamber side 314 and acontainer side 336 with adoor 318, an undersurface 319, anupper surface 334 and a base 332 all in a vertically directed plane. Thewafer chuck 326 and theRF supply 27 are positioned under theside 314 of thechamber 310, andinductive coils 316 are positioned above thechuck 326 on the top side of theside 314. The reticule 50 is positioned above thechuck 326 when thecontainer 330 is placed within thechamber 310. - A locking apparatus which releasably locks the
container 330 to thechamber 310 is shown inFIGS. 9, 10 . The locking mechanism includes ahole 323 provided through thechamber side 314 and arecess 342 provided in thecontainer side 336. Abiased locking pin 55 passes through thehole 323. Thepin 55 is spring loaded and biased upwardly toward therecess 342. Further, thepin 55 has a roundedhead 56 to facilitate locking. Alternatively, thepin 55 may have a tapered orangled head 56. As thecontainer 330 is placed in thechamber 310, thecontainer side 336 slides along thechamber side 314. Alternatively, this embodiment may include thechamfers 15, in which case thecontainer side 336 would slide along thechamfers 15. When a portion of thecontainer side 336 reaches thepin 55, it presses thepin 55 downwardly against the biasing force. When therecess 342 reaches the lockingpin 55, the pressure pushing thepin 55 downwardly is released, allowing thepin 55 to move upwardly into therecess 342, thereby locking thecontainer 330 into place within thechamber 310. Thepin 55 may be pulled down manually, or by other means, to later unlock and release thecontainer 330 from thechamber side 314. Therecess 342 can be formed of a sufficient length to ensure that therecess 342 meets up with thepin 55. - Although the apparatus for locking the
container 330 to thechamber 310 is shown as a spring-loadedlocking pin 55 and arecess 342, it is to be understood that thecontainer 330 may be locked into position within thechamber 310 in a variety of different ways. Further, although the locking mechanism has been described in terms of theFIG. 9 embodiment, it is to be understood that the locking mechanism may be included in the embodiments shown in FIGS. 3,6,8, 11, and 12. - Next will be described the operation of the container 30 (
FIG. 3 ) within thechamber 10. The reticule 50 is placed within thecontainer 30, the latter of which is guided into place within thechamber 10 by thechamfers 15. Thegas conduit 60 and thevacuum conduit 70 each extend through thecontainer 30 and are sealed thereto with, respectively, the sealingmembers vacuum conduits conduits 60′, 70′, and sealed together with the sealingmembers space 80 within thecontainer 30 through thegas conduit 60. Pressure within thecontainer 30 may be equalized to the pressure in thespace 82 through a plurality ofpores 44 in aside 36 of thecontainer 30. TheRF supply 27 then drives theinductive coil 16. The amplitude of the RF signal from theRF supply 27 needs to be sufficiently high to interact and breakdown the gas, which acts as the plasma source material. Thus, the type of gas will have a bearing upon the amplitude of the RF signal necessary from theRF supply 27. The manner of creating a plasma, including the necessary gas compositions and RF voltages needed for desired processing conditions are well known in the art and are not described in detail herein. - As the plasma generated species react in the
space 80 with the materials on the reticule 50, the vacuum introduced to thecontainer 30 through thevacuum conduit 70 pulls volatile reaction products from thecontainer 30. The build up of non-volatile reaction products will occur on the interior walls of thecontainer 30. - By utilizing the
container 30, less defects are deposited on the work piece during the processing. Further, thechamber 10 is not exposed to as many contaminant particles during the processing. Thus, thechamber 10 need not be wet cleaned as frequently, thus eliminating many of the re-qualifications of thechamber 10. Thecontainer 30 itself, provided it is in a good condition to be utilized again after the processing, may be cleaned and/or refurbished and used again. Otherwise, thecontainer 30 may be discarded. -
FIG. 11 shows another preferred embodiment of the present invention. Achamber 100 and acontainer 130 are shown inFIG. 11 . Thechamber 100 is generally cylindrical and includes anupper section 101 having adome portion 102, and the generallycylindrical container 130 likewise includes adome portion 132 which fits within thedome portion 102. Theupper section 101 of thechamber 100 may be lowered onto and secured to alower section 103 after thecontainer 130 is placed inside thechamber 100. Aspace 180 is located within thedome portion 132 and in the upper reaches of the rectangular portion of thecontainer 130. Thespace 180 denotes an area within the container, likespace 80, within which plasma products are formed through a reaction between the RF signal from theRF supply 27, theinductive coil 16 and the gas, which is introduced through thegas conduits 60.Vacuum conduits 70 are positioned at a lower position of thechamber 130. As with previously discussed embodiments, theconduits conduits 60′, 70′, respectively, and be sealed with sealingmembers container 130 may be guided into thechamber 100 through a guiding mechanism, such as the previously describedchamfers 15, or any other suitable guiding mechanism. Thechamber 100 and thecontainer 130 may be supported horizontally or vertically, and a releasable locking mechanism, such as the lockingpin 55, may be utilized to lock thecontainer 130 into place within thechamber 100. - Another preferred embodiment of the present invention is shown in
FIG. 12 . Here, a dome-shapedprocessing chamber 200 is shown encasing a dome-shapedremovable container 230. Thechamber 200 is a microwave-generated plasma chamber. Alternatively, it may be an electron cyclotron resonance chamber. Thechamber 200 is grounded by a pair ofgrounding plates 90. - Unlike inductively coupled plasma chambers, such as
chambers chamber 200 does not utilize a coil in conjunction with an RF supply to produce plasma. Instead, themicrowaves 216, from amicrowave power source 218 shown schematically, provide power to generate plasma within a space 280 within thecontainer 230. Themicrowave power source 218 may be any suitable source, such as, for example, a magnetron. In this embodiment, thecontainer 230 is preferably formed of a dielectric material. Thechamber 200 includes atop portion 201 which is detachable from and securable to abottom portion 203. Thetop portion 201 is removed, allowing thecontainer 230 to be placed within thechamber 200. - Modifications can be made to the invention and equivalents substituted for described and illustrated structures without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. For example, although the
container 30 has been discussed in terms of diode processing reactors, or chambers, it is to be understood that thecontainer 30 may be used with triode reactors or any other form of chamber used to process semiconductor work pieces. Further, while certain methods of plasma generation have been discussed herein, such as inductively coupled plasma, electron cyclotron resonance, and microwave, other methods of plasma generation may be utilized in the invention, such as, for example, parallel plate etchers, diodes, magnetically enhanced reactive ion etching (MERIE), and surface wave plasma. Additionally, although two ports are shown for processing a plasma, more or less ports may be used depending on the type of processing which needs to be done. Further, althoughconduits container 30, it is to be understood that other apparatus may be used, such as, for example, a plate having a plurality of openings positioned on a wall of thecontainer 30 which is mated to a conduit. Accordingly, the scope of the present invention is not to be considered as limited by the specifics of the particular structure which have been described and illustrated, but is only limited by the scope of the appended claims.
Claims (10)
1-86. (canceled)
87. A system for processing a semiconductor workpiece, said system comprising:
an enclosed processing chamber having at least one wall, an access door to an interior space, a vacuum port through said wall and a gas port through said wall; and
a locking mechanism for locking a container within said interior space of said processing chamber.
88. The system of claim 87 , wherein said processing chamber has an inner surface having a guiding mechanism for guiding insertion of said container.
89. The system of claim 88 , wherein said guiding mechanism comprises a plurality of chamfers.
90. The system of claim 87 , wherein said processing chamber is adapted to conduct inductively coupled plasma reactions, said processing chamber further comprising an electrode structure for producing said plasma reactions.
91. The system of claim 90 , wherein said electrode structure comprises an inductive coil and a source of radio frequency energy.
92. A system for plasma processing a semiconductor workpiece, said system comprising:
a processing chamber having at least one wall an access door to an interior space of said processing chamber, an interior surface, a vacuum port and a gas port through said chamber wall;
a guiding mechanism for guiding insertion of a container;
a vacuum conduit; and
a gas conduit.
93. The system of claim 92 , wherein said processing chamber has a portion of a locking mechanism for locking said container to said processing chamber.
94. The system of claim 92 , wherein said processing chamber is adapted to provide inductively coupled plasma reactions, said processing chamber further comprising an electrode structure for producing said coupled plasma reactions.
95. The system of claim 92 , wherein said guiding mechanism comprises a plurality of chambers.
Priority Applications (1)
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US11/149,226 US20050230048A1 (en) | 1999-05-25 | 2005-06-10 | Liner for use in processing chamber |
Applications Claiming Priority (5)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
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US09/317,629 US6234219B1 (en) | 1999-05-25 | 1999-05-25 | Liner for use in processing chamber |
US09/765,381 US6374871B2 (en) | 1999-05-25 | 2001-01-22 | Liner for use in processing chamber |
US10/095,441 US6739360B2 (en) | 1999-05-25 | 2002-03-13 | Liner for use in processing chamber |
US10/851,076 US7114532B2 (en) | 1999-05-25 | 2004-05-24 | Liner for use in processing chamber |
US11/149,226 US20050230048A1 (en) | 1999-05-25 | 2005-06-10 | Liner for use in processing chamber |
Related Parent Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
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US10/851,076 Division US7114532B2 (en) | 1999-05-25 | 2004-05-24 | Liner for use in processing chamber |
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US20050230048A1 true US20050230048A1 (en) | 2005-10-20 |
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Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
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US09/317,629 Expired - Fee Related US6234219B1 (en) | 1999-05-25 | 1999-05-25 | Liner for use in processing chamber |
US09/765,381 Expired - Fee Related US6374871B2 (en) | 1999-05-25 | 2001-01-22 | Liner for use in processing chamber |
US10/095,441 Expired - Fee Related US6739360B2 (en) | 1999-05-25 | 2002-03-13 | Liner for use in processing chamber |
US10/851,076 Expired - Fee Related US7114532B2 (en) | 1999-05-25 | 2004-05-24 | Liner for use in processing chamber |
US11/149,226 Abandoned US20050230048A1 (en) | 1999-05-25 | 2005-06-10 | Liner for use in processing chamber |
Family Applications Before (4)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
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US09/317,629 Expired - Fee Related US6234219B1 (en) | 1999-05-25 | 1999-05-25 | Liner for use in processing chamber |
US09/765,381 Expired - Fee Related US6374871B2 (en) | 1999-05-25 | 2001-01-22 | Liner for use in processing chamber |
US10/095,441 Expired - Fee Related US6739360B2 (en) | 1999-05-25 | 2002-03-13 | Liner for use in processing chamber |
US10/851,076 Expired - Fee Related US7114532B2 (en) | 1999-05-25 | 2004-05-24 | Liner for use in processing chamber |
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US20060061979A1 (en) * | 2004-09-04 | 2006-03-23 | Applied Materials, Inc. | Substrate carrier having reduced height |
US20070116545A1 (en) * | 2005-11-21 | 2007-05-24 | Applied Materials, Inc. | Apparatus and methods for a substrate carrier having an inflatable seal |
US20070128878A1 (en) * | 2003-03-03 | 2007-06-07 | Manabu Izumi | Substrate processing apparatus and method for producing a semiconductor device |
US20070141280A1 (en) * | 2005-12-16 | 2007-06-21 | Applied Materials, Inc. | Substrate carrier having an interior lining |
US11532465B2 (en) * | 2018-02-21 | 2022-12-20 | Christof-Herbert Diener | Low-pressure plasma chamber, low-pressure plasma installation and method for producing a low-pressure plasma chamber |
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US6234219B1 (en) * | 1999-05-25 | 2001-05-22 | Micron Technology, Inc. | Liner for use in processing chamber |
US20020160620A1 (en) * | 2001-02-26 | 2002-10-31 | Rudolf Wagner | Method for producing coated workpieces, uses and installation for the method |
KR100810028B1 (en) * | 2001-08-28 | 2008-03-07 | 하이닉스 세미컨덕터 매뉴팩쳐링 아메리카 인코포레이티드 | Chamber shields for a plasma chamber |
US6749684B1 (en) | 2003-06-10 | 2004-06-15 | International Business Machines Corporation | Method for improving CVD film quality utilizing polysilicon getterer |
JP4331707B2 (en) * | 2004-12-16 | 2009-09-16 | 三星モバイルディスプレイ株式會社 | Alignment system, vertical tray transfer device, and vapor deposition device equipped with the same |
US11565232B2 (en) * | 2016-07-29 | 2023-01-31 | Pyrowave Inc. | Drum and door assembly for catalytic microwave depolymerization reactor |
USD838681S1 (en) * | 2017-04-28 | 2019-01-22 | Applied Materials, Inc. | Plasma chamber liner |
USD837754S1 (en) * | 2017-04-28 | 2019-01-08 | Applied Materials, Inc. | Plasma chamber liner |
USD842259S1 (en) * | 2017-04-28 | 2019-03-05 | Applied Materials, Inc. | Plasma chamber liner |
US11559927B2 (en) | 2018-03-01 | 2023-01-24 | Trexel, Inc. | Blowing agent introduction into hopper of polymer foam processing |
JP1638504S (en) * | 2018-12-06 | 2019-08-05 |
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Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
US20010002601A1 (en) | 2001-06-07 |
US20050011454A1 (en) | 2005-01-20 |
US7114532B2 (en) | 2006-10-03 |
US6374871B2 (en) | 2002-04-23 |
US20020096227A1 (en) | 2002-07-25 |
US6739360B2 (en) | 2004-05-25 |
US6234219B1 (en) | 2001-05-22 |
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