Atmospheric transfer chamber, processed object transfer method, program for performing the transfer method, and storage medium storing the program

• US 20060207971A1
• Filed: 03/16/2006
• Published: 09/21/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
• Original Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
• Inventors: Hirooka, Takaaki, Moriya, Tsuyoshi, Shimizu, Akitaka, Tanaka, Satoshi
• Application Number:
  US11/376,163
• Publication Number:
  US 20060207971A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 216/67
• CPC Class Codes: C23F 1/12 Gaseous compositions
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02071 the processing being a delineation, e.g. RIE, of conductive layers
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67017 Apparatus for fluid treatment H01L21/67126, H01L21/6715 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67109 mainly by convection
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67775 Docking arrangements

Abstract

An atmospheric transfer chamber, connected to an object processing chamber for processing a target object by using a plasma of a halogen-based gas, for transferring the target object therein, the atmospheric transfer chamber includes a dehumidifying unit for dehumidifying air in the atmospheric transfer chamber. The dehumidifying unit includes a desiccant filter, a cooling unit for cooling the air introduced into the atmospheric transfer chamber, and an air conditioner. The atmospheric transfer chamber is connected to a reaction product removal chamber for removing reaction products of a halogen-based gas attached to the target object, wherein halogen in reaction products attached to the target object is reduced.

Claims

1. An atmospheric transfer chamber, connected to an object processing chamber for processing a target object by using a plasma of a halogen-based gas, for transferring the target object therein, the atmospheric transfer chamber comprising:

a dehumidifying unit for dehumidifying air in the atmospheric transfer chamber.

2. The atmospheric transfer chamber of claim 1, wherein the dehumidifying unit includes a desiccant filter.

3. The atmospheric transfer chamber of claim 1, wherein the dehumidifying unit includes a cooling unit for cooling the air introduced into the atmospheric transfer chamber.

4. The atmospheric transfer chamber of claim 3, wherein the cooling unit has a Peltier element.

5. The atmospheric transfer chamber of claim 1, wherein the dehumidifying unit includes an air conditioner.

6. The atmospheric transfer chamber of claim 1, which is connected to a reaction product removal chamber for removing reaction products of a halogen-based gas attached to the target object,

wherein halogen in reaction products attached to the target object is reduced in the reaction product removal chamber.

7. The atmospheric transfer chamber of claim 6, wherein the reaction product removal chamber includes a high-temperature steam supply unit for supplying high-temperature steam into the chamber.

8. The atmospheric transfer chamber of claim 7, wherein the high-temperature steam supply unit sprays the high-temperature steam toward the target object loaded into the reaction product removal chamber, or the target object loaded into the reaction product removal chamber is exposed to the supplied high-temperature steam.

9. The atmospheric transfer chamber of claim 6, wherein the reaction product removal chamber includes a supercritical substance supply unit for supplying a supercritical substance into the chamber, and the supercritical substance contains a halogen reducing agent for reducing halogen in reaction products.

10. The atmospheric transfer chamber of claim 9, wherein the supercritical substance is formed of carbon dioxide, rare gas or water.

11. The atmospheric transfer chamber of claim 10, wherein the reducing agent is formed of water or oxygenated water.

12. The atmospheric transfer chamber of claim 1, comprising:

a container port for connecting the atmospheric transfer chamber with a container storing the target object; and

a dehumidified air supply unit for supplying dehumidified air toward the container port.

13. The atmospheric transfer chamber of claim 1, comprising an ion supply unit for supplying ions into the atmospheric transfer chamber.

14. The atmospheric transfer chamber of claim 1, comprising an air heating unit for heating air supplied into the atmospheric transfer chamber.

15. The atmospheric transfer chamber of claim 1, comprising a container mounting table for mounting thereon a container storing the target object,

wherein the container mounting table includes a container heating unit for heating the container.

16. An atmospheric transfer chamber, connected to an object processing chamber for processing a target object by using a plasma of a halogen-based gas, for transferring the target object therein, the atmospheric transfer chamber comprising:

an interior heating unit for heating an inside of the atmospheric transfer chamber.

17. A transfer method of a target object which is processed by using a plasma of a halogen-based gas, the method comprising the step of:

transferring the target object inside a dehumidified atmospheric transfer chamber.

18. A program executable on a computer for performing a transfer method of a target object which is processed by using a plasma of a halogen-based gas, comprising:

a transfer module for transferring the target object inside a dehumidified atmospheric transfer chamber.

19. A computer readable storage medium for storing therein a program executable on a computer for performing a transfer method of a target object which is processed by using a plasma of a halogen-based gas,

wherein the program includes a transfer module for transferring the target object inside a dehumidified atmospheric transfer chamber.

20. The storage medium of claim 19, wherein the program includes a load module for loading the target object into a reaction product removal chamber for removing reaction products of a halogen-based gas attached to the target object;

and a reduction module for reducing halogen in reaction products attached to the loaded target object.

21. The storage medium of claim 20, wherein the program includes a high-temperature steam supply module for supplying high-temperature steam into a reaction product removal chamber.

22. The storage medium of claim 20, wherein the program includes a supercritical substance supply module for supplying a supercritical substance into the reaction product removal chamber, and the supercritical substance contains a halogen reducing agent for reducing halogen in reaction products.

23. The storage medium of claim 19, wherein the program includes a determination module for determining whether the target object is to be transferred inside the atmospheric transfer chamber or not depending on a humidity of the atmospheric transfer chamber.