Vacuum processing apparatus, vacuum processing method, and method for cleaning the vacuum processing apparatus

• US 5,616,208 A
• Filed: 06/07/1994
• Issued: 04/01/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 09/17/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
• Original Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
• Inventors: Lee, Hideki
• Primary Examiner(s): Breneman, R. Bruce
• Assistant Examiner(s): MCDONALD, RODNEY GLENN
• Application Number:
  US08/255,950
• Time in Patent Office: 1,029 Days
• Field of Search: 118/715, 118/719, 118/723 MW, 118/723 ME, 118/723 MR, 118/723 MA, 118/723 E, 118/723 ER, 118/723 I, 118/723 IR, 156/345, 156/626.1, 156/646.1, 204/298.25, 204/298.26, 204/298.31, 204/298.32, 204/298.33, 204/298.35, 134/1.1, 134/1.2, 134/1.3, 216/59, 216/63, 216/67
• US Class Current: 156/345.24
• CPC Class Codes: B08B 7/00 Cleaning by methods not provided for in a single other subclass or a single group in this subclass
• CPC Class Codes: B08B 7/0042 by laser
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/564 Means for minimising impurities in the coating chamber such as dust, moisture, residual gases
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/4405 Cleaning of reactor or parts inside the reactor by using reactive gases
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/3244 Gas supply means
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32862 In situ cleaning of vessels and/or internal parts
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67017 Apparatus for fluid treatment H01L21/67126, H01L21/6715 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67167 surrounding a central transfer chamber
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/6719 characterized by the construction of the processing chambers, e.g. modular processing chambers
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67766 Mechanical parts of transfer devices robots in general in B25J
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 438/905 Cleaning of reaction chamber

Abstract

A vacuum processing apparatus includes a plurality of vacuum processing chambers for processing a target object using a process gas, a vacuum convey chamber, connected to the plurality of vacuum processing chambers, for loading/unloading the target object into/from the processing chambers, an opening/closing means opened/closed to cause the plurality of vacuum processing chambers to communicate with the vacuum convey chamber, and a cleaning gas supply means for supplying a cleaning gas containing ClF₃ into at least one of the vacuum convey chamber and the plurality of vacuum processing chambers. The cleaning gas is supplied-into the plurality of vacuum processing chambers and the vacuum convey chamber communicating with each other by opening the opening/closing means to clean the plurality of vacuum processing chambers and the vacuum convey chamber.

Claims

1. A processing apparatus comprising:

a plurality of vacuum processing chambers for processing a target object using a process gas;

a vacuum convey chamber, connected to said plurality of vacuum processing chambers, for loading and unloading the target object into and from said vacuum processing chambers;

opening means for opening an interior of said apparatus to atmospheric air;

cleaning gas supply means for supplying a cleaning gas containing ClF₃ into said processing chambers and said convey chamber;

exhaust means for exhausting the cleaning gas;

concentration detection means for detecting Cl and F concentrations in the gas after completion of cleaning using the cleaning gas; and

control means for outputting an opening command to said opening means when a detection value of said concentration detection means is smaller than a set value.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a preliminary vacuum chamber connected to said vacuum convey chamber;

an object storage chamber for storing the target object; and

a second convey chamber, arranged between said preliminary vacuum chamber and said object storage chamber, for conveying the target object between said preliminary vacuum chamber and said object storage chamber.

3. A method for cleaning a vacuum processing apparatus comprising:

a plurality of vacuum processing chambers for processing a target object using a process gas; and

a vacuum convey chamber, connected to said plurality of vacuum processing chambers, for loading and unloading the target object into and from said processing chambers, said method comprising the steps of;

supplying a cleaning gas containing ClF₃ into said plurality of vacuum processing chambers and said vacuum convey chamber to clean said plurality of vacuum processing chambers and said vacuum convey chamber;

evacuating said vacuum processing chambers and said vacuum convey chamber upon completion of cleaning; and

intermittently supplying an inert gas into said plurality of vacuum processing chambers and said vacuum convey chamber and stopping the supply while the evacuation is performed.

4. A vacuum processing apparatus comprising:

a vacuum processing chamber for processing a target object using a process gas;

cleaning gas supply means for supplying a cleaning gas into said vacuum processing chamber; and

replacement command means, prestoring an amount of wear or damage of a component part of said processing chamber caused by the cleaning gas, for commanding replacement of said component part on the basis of a value of the amount of wear and a number of cleaning cycles.

5. A vacuum processing apparatus comprising:

a plurality of vacuum processing chambers for processing a target object using a process gas;

a vacuum convey chamber, connected to said plurality of vacuum processing chambers, for loading and unloading the target object into and from said vacuum processing chambers;

cleaning gas supply means for supplying a cleaning gas into said plurality of vacuum processing chambers and said vacuum convey chamber; and

replacement command means, prestoring an amount of wear or damage of a component part of said processing chamber caused by the cleaning gas, for commanding replacement of said component part on the basis of a value of the amount of wear and a number of cleaning cycles.

6. A vacuum processing method using a vacuum processing apparatus for processing a target object using a process gas, comprising the steps of:

processing the target object using said vacuum processing apparatus;

cleaning said vacuum processing apparatus with a cleaning gas; and

recognizing a number of cleaning cycles for replacement of a component part on the basis of the amount of wear or damage of the component part of said processing apparatus caused by the cleaning gas.

7. A method according to claim 6, wherein said cleaning gas contains ClF₃.