INCREASED TOOL UTILIZATION/REDUCTION IN MWBC FOR UV CURING CHAMBER
First Claim
1. A system for curing a workpiece, comprising:
- a chamber housing;
a substrate support in the chamber housing for supporting a workpiece;
a radiation source operable to direct radiation onto a workpiece supported on the substrate support in order to cure the workpiece; and
a pump liner having a gas inlet plenum and a gas outlet plenum for receiving and exhausting a flow of purge gas, the pump liner having a plurality of injection slits operable to direct a substantially laminar flow of purge gas across a surface of the workpiece being cured by the radiation, the pump liner further having a plurality of receiving slits opposite the plurality of injection slits operable to receive the flow of gas directed across the wafer, the receiving slits being further operable to receive any species outgassed from the workpiece during the curing process.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A pump liner is used to direct a laminar flow of purge gas across a workpiece to remove contaminants or species outgassed or otherwise produced by the workpiece during processing. The pump liner can take the form of a ring having a plurality of injection ports, such as slits of a variety of shapes and/or sizes, opposite a plurality of receiving ports in order to provide the laminar flow. The flow of purge gas is sufficient to carry a contaminant or outgassed species from the processing chamber in order to prevent the collection of the contaminants on components of the chamber. The pump liner can be heated, via conduction and irradiation from a radiation source, for example, in order to prevent the condensation of species on the liner. The pump liner also can be anodized or otherwise processed in order to increase the emissivity of the liner.
412 Citations
25 Claims
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1. A system for curing a workpiece, comprising:
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a chamber housing; a substrate support in the chamber housing for supporting a workpiece; a radiation source operable to direct radiation onto a workpiece supported on the substrate support in order to cure the workpiece; and a pump liner having a gas inlet plenum and a gas outlet plenum for receiving and exhausting a flow of purge gas, the pump liner having a plurality of injection slits operable to direct a substantially laminar flow of purge gas across a surface of the workpiece being cured by the radiation, the pump liner further having a plurality of receiving slits opposite the plurality of injection slits operable to receive the flow of gas directed across the wafer, the receiving slits being further operable to receive any species outgassed from the workpiece during the curing process. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A pump liner fur directing a flow of purge gas across a workpiece in a processing chamber, comprising:
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a ring-shaped element having a central opening adapted to fit around a periphery of a workpiece, the ring-shaped element having an inlet plenum operable to receive a flow of purge gas into a first channel in the ring-shaped element and an exhaust plenum operable to direct the flow of purge gas out of a second channel in the ring-shaped element; a plurality of injection ports positioned near the central opening of the ring-shaped element and operable to direct the flow of purge gas, received by the inlet plenum, from the first channel and across a surface of the workpiece, the injection ports operable to direct a substantially laminar flow of the purge gas across the surface; and a plurality of receiving ports positioned near the central opening of the ring-shaped element, the receiving ports being substantially opposite the plurality of injection ports, and operable to receive the flow of purge gas directed across the surface of the workpiece, as well as any species outgassed by the workpiece carried by the flow, and direct the flow and outgassed species through the second channel and out of the ring-shaped element through the exhaust plenum. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A method for curing a workpiece, comprising:
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positioning a workpiece to be cured on a workpiece support in a processing chamber; directing radiation toward a surface of the workpiece on the workpiece support, the radiation selected to cure at least a layer of material on the surface; providing a flow of purge gas across the irradiated surface of the workpiece, the flow of purge gas emanating from a pump liner having a plurality of injection slits and a plurality of receiving slits for directing a substantially laminar flow of purge gas across the irradiated surface of the workpiece, the flow of purge gas sufficient to transport any species outgassed from the irradiated surface of the workpiece; and exhausting the flow of purge gas and the outgassed species after the flow passes across the irradiated surface and is received by the receiving slits of the pump liner. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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Specification