A processing chamber may include a gas distribution member, a metal ring member below the gas distribution member, and an isolating assembly coupled with the metal ring member and isolating the metal ring member from the gas distribution member. The isolating assembly may include an outer isolating member coupled with the metal ring member. The outer isolating member may at least in part define a chamber wall. The isolating assembly may further include an inner isolating member coupled with the outer isolating member. The inner isolating member may be disposed radially inward from the metal ring member about an central axis of the processing chamber. The inner isolating member may define a plurality of openings configured to provide fluid access into a radial gap between the metal ring member and the inner isolating member.

A sucker rod cleaning system includes an inductive heating device, a feed mechanism, a first support and a second support. An electromagnet of the inductive heating device includes a wire coil head that is configured to inductively heat a sucker rod positioned within a heating zone. The feed mechanism is configured to feed a sucker rod through the heating zone in a feed direction. The first support is positioned on an upstream side of the wire coil head, and is configured to support a portion of a sucker rod as it is fed through the heating zone by the feed mechanism. The second support is positioned on a downstream side of the wire coil head, and is configured to support a portion of a sucker rod as it is fed through the heating zone by the feed mechanism.

The present invention provides a method for cleaning a component for use in an ultra-high vacuum. The method may comprise the steps of placing the component to be cleaned in a vacuum furnace chamber; plasma cleaning the component at a temperature of greater than about 80° C.; and evacuating the chamber to a pressure of less than about 10E-5 mbar. Apparatus for performing such methods and kits comprising said components are also provided.

A processing method includes: disposing a workpiece in a processing container of a processing apparatus, and maintaining an inside of the processing container in a vacuum state; providing a cluster nozzle in the processing container; supplying a cluster generating gas to the cluster nozzle and adiabatically expanding the cluster generating gas in the cluster nozzle, thereby generating gas clusters; generating plasma in the cluster nozzle to ionize the gas clusters and injecting the ionized gas clusters onto the workpiece; supplying a reactive gas to the cluster nozzle and exposing the reactive gas to the plasma such that the reactive gas becomes monomer ions or radicals; and supplying the monomer ions or radicals to the processing container, thereby exerting a chemical reaction on a substance present on a surface of the workpiece.

A substrate cleaning method includes: providing a substrate including a low-k layer containing silicon to a substrate support; etching the low-k layer by a plasma generated from a first gas; separating the etched substrate from the substrate support; and removing a reaction product attached to the substrate in the etching by a plasma generated from a second gas. The second gas includes a first carbon-containing gas represented by C.sub.xH.sub.yF.sub.z (y≥0, x/z>¼).

A method for controlling cleaning of an inner surface of a chamber of a plasma processing apparatus is provided. The method comprises; processing a substrate using plasma generated in the chamber, the substrate being disposed on a substrate support in the chamber and in a region surrounded by an edge ring placed on the substrate support and to which a DC voltage is applied during the plasma generation; measuring a self-bias potential of the edge ring during the plasma generation in said processing the substrate; and controlling the cleaning of the inner surface of the chamber in response to the self-bias potential.

Exemplary methods of treating a chamber may include delivering a cleaning precursor to a remote plasma unit. The methods may include forming a plasma of the cleaning precursor. The methods may include delivering plasma effluents of the cleaning precursor to a processing region of a semiconductor processing chamber. The processing region may be defined by one or more chamber components. The one or more chamber components may include an oxide coating. The methods may include halting delivery of the plasma effluents. The methods may include treating the oxide coating with a hydrogen-containing material delivered to the processing region subsequent halting delivery of the plasma effluents.

A cleaning method removes a silicon oxide film by plasma from a member that is provided in a processing container of a plasma processing apparatus and having the silicon oxide film formed on its surface. The cleaning method includes: supplying a processing gas into the processing container; generating plasma of the processing gas that is supplied into the processing container; and applying bias power that draws ions in the plasma of the processing gas to the member. A ratio of a value of the bias power to a pressure in the processing container is 1.0 W/mTorr or less.

A system and method for removing both carbon-based contaminants and oxygen-based contaminants from a semiconductor substrate within a single process chamber is disclosed. The invention may comprise utilization of remote plasma units and multiple gas sources to perform the process within the single process chamber.

A chamber cleaning method in accordance with an exemplary embodiment includes a chamber stabilizing process for transporting a substrate, on which a thin film deposition process has been completed, out of a chamber and processing an inside of the chamber, wherein the chamber stabilizing process includes: a cleaning process for injecting a cleaning gas into the chamber and etching and cleaning byproducts generated by the thin film deposition; and a coating process for injecting a gas including at least one among aluminum (Al), zirconium (Zr) or hafnium (Hf) into the chamber, and generating a protective film on an inner wall of the chamber and at least one surface of components installed inside the chamber.