Plasma cleaning apparatus and semiconductor process equipment with the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11643722-B2
Application number	US-202017133988-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 24, 2020
Priority date	Dec 27, 2019
Publication date	May 9, 2023
Grant date	May 9, 2023

Abstract

A plasma cleaning apparatus includes a metal chamber, a gate assembly, a dielectric, and a high voltage electrode.The metal chamber is connected to a vacuum tube connecting the process chamber and the vacuum pump, and is provided with a first opening. The gate assembly includes a gate support fixed to the metal chamber around the first opening and having a second opening, and a gate coupled to the gate support and having a first position closing the second opening and a second position opening the second opening switchable with each other. The dielectric is coupled to the outside of the gate support around the second opening, and the high voltage electrode is positioned on an outer surface of the dielectric.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A plasma cleaning apparatus comprising:
a metal chamber connected between a vacuum tube of a process chamber and a vacuum pump and having a first opening formed on one surface of the metal chamber;
a gate assembly including a gate support fixed to the outside of the metal chamber around the first opening, the gate support having a second opening, and a gate coupled to the gate support and having a first position closing the second opening and a second position opening the second opening, the first position and the second position are switchable with each other;
a dielectric coupled to the outside of the gate support around the second opening; and
a high voltage electrode positioned on an outer surface of the dielectric,
the gate assembly includes a gate plate positioned inside the gate support,
the gate plate is grounded so that the gate plate functions as a ground electrode at the second position,
wherein when the gate is at the second position, a driving voltage is applied to the high voltage electrode such that plasma cleaning is performed.

2. The plasma cleaning apparatus of claim 1 , wherein
the gate support is a plate-shaped member,
the second opening is positioned at a center of the plate-shaped member, and
a plurality of transfer rods fixed to the gate plate and penetrating the gate support, and an actuator coupled to at least one of the plurality of transfer rods.

3. The plasma cleaning apparatus of claim 2 , wherein
the gate plate is larger than the second opening,
the plurality of transfer rods maintain a sealed state of the gate plate with respect to the gate support in the first position.

4. The plasma cleaning apparatus of claim 3 , wherein
the dielectric includes a tubular first dielectric fixed to the gate support, and a plate-shaped second dielectric blocking an end portion of the first dielectric, and
the high voltage electrode is a tubular member surrounding the first dielectric.

5. Semiconductor process equipment including the plasma cleaning apparatus according to claim 1 , the semiconductor process equipment comprising:
a process chamber for a deposition process to proceed; and
a vacuum pump connected to the process chamber by a vacuum tube and exhausting the inside of the process chamber,
wherein the plasma cleaning apparatus is connected to the vacuum tube, and decomposes cleaning gas into plasma to clean an undecomposed precursor and a process by-product accumulated in the vacuum tube and the vacuum pump.

Assignees

• Korea Inst Mach & Materials

Inventors

• Hur Min
• Kang Woo Seok
• Kim Dae-Woong
• Lee Jinyoung

Classifications

• H10P72/0402

  Apparatus for fluid treatment (H10P72/0441, H10P72/0448 take precedence) · CPC title

• H10P72/0406

  for cleaning followed by drying, rinsing, stripping, blasting or the like · CPC title

• C23C16/4412 Primary

  Details relating to the exhausts, e.g. pumps, filters, scrubbers, particle traps · CPC title

• H01J37/32862 Primary

  In situ cleaning of vessels and/or internal parts · CPC title

• B08B7/00 Primary

  Cleaning by methods not provided for in a single other subclass or a single group in this subclass · CPC title