Conditioning chamber component

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10967407-B2
Application number	US-201815969626-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 2, 2018
Priority date	May 3, 2017
Publication date	Apr 6, 2021
Grant date	Apr 6, 2021

Abstract

An apparatus for conditioning a component of a processing chamber is provided. A tank for holding a megasonic conditioning solution is provided. A mount holds the component immersed in a megasonic conditioning solution, when the tank is filled with the megasonic conditioning solution. A megasonic conditioning solution inlet system delivers the megasonic conditioning solution to the tank. A megasonic transducer head comprises at least one megasonic transducer to provide megasonic energy to the megasonic conditioning solution, wherein the megasonic energy is delivered to the component via the megasonic conditioning solution. A megasonic conditioning solution drain system drains the megasonic conditioning solution from the tank at a location above where the component is held in the megasonic conditioning solution. An actuator moves the megasonic transducer head across the tank.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for conditioning a component of a processing chamber, comprising:
a tank for holding a megasonic conditioning solution;
a mount for holding the component immersed in a megasonic conditioning solution, when the tank is filled with the megasonic conditioning solution;
a megasonic conditioning solution inlet system for delivering the megasonic conditioning solution to the tank, wherein at least part of the megasonic conditioning solution inlet is under where the component is held in the megasonic conditioning solution;
a megasonic transducer head, comprising:
at least one megasonic transducer; and
housing positioned between the at least one megasonic transducer and the megasonic conditioning solution, where the megasonic transducer head has a length and wherein the at least one megasonic transducer provides megasonic energy to the megasonic conditioning solution through the housing, wherein the megasonic energy is delivered to the component via the megasonic conditioning solution, and wherein the housing encloses the at least one megasonic transducer;

a megasonic conditioning solution drain system for draining the megasonic conditioning solution from the tank at a location above where the component is held in the megasonic conditioning solution;
an actuator for moving the megasonic transducer head across the tank above where the component is held in the megasonic conditioning solution, wherein the actuator is on a first side of the tank;
a support track on a second side of the tank opposite from the first side of the tank;
a ball in contact with the support track; and
a socket housing in contact with the ball, wherein a first end of the length of the megasonic transducer head is connected to the actuator and a second end of the length of the megasonic transducer head is connected to the socket housing.

2. The apparatus, as recited in claim 1 , further comprising:
a pump for circulating the megasonic conditioning solution;
a degas membrane; and
at least one filter for filtering contaminants from the megasonic conditioning solution, wherein the pump, degas membrane, and at least one filter are in serial fluid connection between the megasonic conditioning solution drain system and the megasonic conditioning solution inlet system.

3. The apparatus, as recited in claim 2 , further comprising a heater for heating the megasonic conditioning solution in serial fluid connection with the pump.

4. The apparatus, as recited in claim 1 , wherein the megasonic conditioning solution drain system comprises:
a spillway configured to allow the megasonic conditioning solution to flow from the tank; and
a gutter for catching the megasonic conditioning solution flowing from the spillway.

5. The apparatus, as recited in claim 4 , wherein the spillway is formed by a weir.

6. The apparatus, as recited in claim 1 , wherein megasonic conditioning solution inlet system comprises at least one inlet for flowing the megasonic conditioning solution into the tank at a location under where the component is mounted in the tank.

7. The apparatus, as recited in claim 1 , wherein the tank comprises nonmetallic sides.

8. The apparatus, as recited in claim 1 , wherein the actuator moves the megasonic transducer head in a direction substantially perpendicular to the length of the megasonic transducer head.

9. The apparatus, as recited in claim 1 , wherein the housing comprises a quartz housing positioned between the at least one megasonic transducer and the megasonic conditioning solution.

10. The apparatus, as recited in claim 1 , further comprising at least one generator, wherein the at least one generator provides enough power to the megasonic transducer head, so that the megasonic transducer head provides at least 2 Watts/cm 2 of power to the megasonic conditioning solution.

11. The apparatus, as recited in claim 1 , wherein the length of the megasonic transducer head spans across a dimension of the tank.

Assignees

• Lam Res Corp

Inventors

• Yasseri Amir A
• Shih Hong
• Daugherty John
• Outka Duane
• Xu Lin
• Avoyan Armen
• La Croix Cliff
• Hundi Girish

Classifications

• H10P72/04

  Apparatus for manufacture or treatment · CPC title

• B08B3/048 Primary

  Overflow-type cleaning, e.g. tanks in which the liquid flows over the tank in which the articles are placed · CPC title

• B08B7/04 Primary

  by a combination of operations · CPC title

• B08B3/12 Primary

  by sonic or ultrasonic vibrations · CPC title

• B08B3/14

  Removing waste, e.g. labels, from cleaning liquid · CPC title