H01J37/32844

Method and apparatus for gas abatement

Embodiments disclosed herein include a plasma source, an abatement system and a vacuum processing system for abating compounds produced in semiconductor processes. In one embodiment, a plasma source includes a dielectric tube and a coil antenna surrounding the tube. The coil antenna includes a plurality of turns, and at least one turn is shorted. Selectively shorting one or more turns of the coil antenna helps reduce the inductance of the coil antenna, allowing higher power to be supplied to the coil antenna that covers more processing volume. Higher power supplied to the coil antenna and larger processing volume lead to an improved DRE.

MAINTENANCE FOR REMOTE PLASMA SOURCES

A system and method for optimizing maintenance of a remote plasma source comprises recording data from a remote plasma source. The data comprises measurements of one or more operating characteristics of the remote plasma source over a period of time and a plurality of indications of system fault event. The method may include receiving the data; analyzing the data; and determining, based on correlations between the measurements of the one or more operating characteristics and the plurality of system fault events, a threshold of an operating point. The operating point may comprise the measurements of the one or more operating characteristics at a particular time. The threshold signifies a pending system fault event is probable to a defined degree of confidence within a specified window of time. The system provides a notification to perform preventative maintenance on the remote plasma source.

Ethylene disposal apparatus and ethylene disposal method using same

The present invention relates to an ethylene disposal apparatus comprising: a plasma discharge part having an inlet and an outlet and being filled with an adsorbent; and an electrode part for generating plasma inside the plasma discharge part, wherein the adsorbent has a catalyst supported thereon. The present invention relates to an ethylene disposal method using the ethylene disposal apparatus, the method comprising the steps of: (a) injecting ethylene-containing gas into a plasma discharge part filled with the adsorbent; (b) applying voltage to the electrode part and generating plasma in the plasma discharge part, thereby degrading the injected ethylene; and (c) cooling the plasma discharge part.

HEAT EXCHANGER WITH MULTISTAGED COOLING
20200191488 · 2020-06-18 ·

Embodiments described herein relate to a heat exchanger for abating compounds produced in semiconductor processes. When hot effluent flows into the heat exchanger, a coolant can be flowed to walls of a fluid heat exchanging surface within the heat exchanger. The heat exchanging surface can include a plurality of channel regions which creates a multi stage cross flow path for the hot effluent to flow down the heat exchanger. This flow path forces the hot effluent to hit the cold walls of the fluid heat exchanging surface, significantly cooling the effluent and preventing it from flowing directly into the vacuum pumps and causing heat damage. Embodiments described herein also relate to methods of forming a heat exchanger. The heat exchanger can be created by sequentially depositing layers of thermally conductive material on surfaces using 3-D printing, creating a much smaller footprint and reducing costs.

Plasma abatement technology utilizing water vapor and oxygen reagent
10685818 · 2020-06-16 · ·

Implementations of the present disclosure relate to systems and techniques for abating F-gases present in the effluent of semiconductor manufacturing processes. In one implementation, a water and oxygen delivery system for a plasma abatement system is provided. The water and oxygen delivery system comprises a housing that includes a floor and a plurality of sidewalls that define an enclosed region. The water and oxygen delivery system further comprises a cylindrical water tank positioned on the floor, wherein a longitudinal axis of the cylindrical water tank is parallel to a plane defined by the floor and a length of the water tank is 1.5 times or greater than the diameter of the cylindrical water tank. The water and oxygen delivery system further comprises a flow control system positioned within the housing above the cylindrical water tank.

ABATEMENT AND STRIP PROCESS CHAMBER IN A DUAL LOADLOCK CONFIGURATION

Embodiments of the present invention provide a dual load lock chamber capable of processing a substrate. In one embodiment, the dual load lock chamber includes a chamber body defining a first chamber volume and a second chamber volume isolated from one another. Each of the lower and second chamber volumes is selectively connectable to two processing environments through two openings configured for substrate transferring. The dual load lock chamber also includes a heated substrate support assembly disposed in the second chamber volume. The heated substrate support assembly is configured to support and heat a substrate thereon. The dual load lock chamber also includes a remote plasma source connected to the second chamber volume for supplying a plasma to the second chamber volume.

Plasma abatement solids avoidance by use of oxygen plasma cleaning cycle
10625312 · 2020-04-21 · ·

Embodiments disclosed herein include a plasma abatement process that takes effluent from a processing chamber and reacts the effluent with water vapor reagent within a plasma source placed in a foreline by injecting the water vapor reagent into the foreline or the plasma source. The materials present in the effluent as well as the water vapor reagent are energized by the plasma source, converting the materials into gas species such as HF that is readily scrubbed by typical water scrubbing abatement technology. An oxygen containing gas is periodically injected into the foreline or the plasma source relative to the water vapor injection to reduce or avoid the generation of solid particles. The abatement process has good destruction removal efficiency (DRE) with minimized solid particle generation.

Methods and Systems for Managing Byproduct Material Accumulation During Plasma-Based Semiconductor Wafer Fabrication Process

A wafer is supported on a wafer support structure such that a lower peripheral open region exists between a peripheral portion of a bottom surface of the wafer and an edge ring structure. The edge ring structure is configured to circumscribe both the wafer support structure and the wafer. A plasma is generated above a top surface of the wafer. The plasma causes accumulation of byproduct material within the lower peripheral open region. A byproduct volatizing gas is supplied to the lower peripheral open region to control the accumulation of the byproduct material within the lower peripheral open region during generation of the plasma. Use of the byproduct volatizing gas to control the accumulation of the byproduct material within the lower peripheral open region serves to prevent electrical arcing and particle contamination.

Substrate Processing Apparatus
20200083029 · 2020-03-12 ·

There is provided a substrate processing apparatus including: a chamber in which a target substrate is accommodated; a first gas supply part configured to supply a gas containing a first monomer, and a gas containing a second monomer, which forms a polymer through a polymerization reaction with the first monomer, into the chamber so as to form a film of the polymer on the target substrate; an exhaust device configured to exhaust a gas inside the chamber; a first exhaust pipe configured to connect the chamber and the exhaust device; and an energy supply device configured to supply an energy with respect to a gas flowing through the first exhaust pipe so as to cause an unreacted component of at least one of the first monomer and the second monomer contained in the gas exhausted from the chamber to be reduced in a molecular weight.

Method and Apparatus for Deposition Cleaning in a Pumping Line
20200075298 · 2020-03-05 ·

A vacuum pumping line plasma source is provided. The plasma source includes a body defining a generally cylindrical interior volume extending along a central longitudinal axis. The body has an input port for coupling to an input pumping line, an output port for coupling to an output pumping line, and an interior surface disposed about the generally cylindrical interior volume. The plasma source also includes a supply electrode disposed adjacent to a return electrode, and a barrier dielectric member, a least a portion of which is positioned between the supply electrode and the return electrode. The plasma source further includes a dielectric barrier discharge structure formed from the supply electrode, the return electrode, and the barrier dielectric member. The dielectric barrier discharge structure is adapted to generate a plasma in the generally cylindrical interior volume.