Methods and apparatus for reducing particle contamination during wafer transport
First Claim
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1. A method of reducing particulate contamination during transfer of a substrate, the method comprising the steps of:
- preheating a substrate in a preheater to a desired temperature;
transferring said preheated substrate from said preheater to a buffer region, said buffer region having a pressure that is between about two (2) Torr and about seven hundred and sixty (760) Torr; and
transferring said preheated substrate from said buffer region to a reaction chamber.
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Abstract
The present invention provides methods and apparatus for reducing particulate contamination during the processing of a substrate. In one embodiment, the method includes the step of preheating a substrate in a preheater to a desired temperature. The preheated substrate is transferred from the preheater to a buffer region having a pressure therein that is between about two (2) Torr and about seven hundred and sixty (760) Torr. The preheated substrate is transferred from the buffer region to a reaction chamber. Thermophoretic forces help repel particles away from the substrate surface during substrate transfer.
83 Citations
22 Claims
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1. A method of reducing particulate contamination during transfer of a substrate, the method comprising the steps of:
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preheating a substrate in a preheater to a desired temperature; transferring said preheated substrate from said preheater to a buffer region, said buffer region having a pressure that is between about two (2) Torr and about seven hundred and sixty (760) Torr; and transferring said preheated substrate from said buffer region to a reaction chamber. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A method of reducing particulate contamination during transfer of a substrate, comprising the steps of:
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preheating a substrate in a preheater to a desired temperature that is at least about 200 degrees Celsius; transferring said substrate from said preheater to a buffer region, said buffer region having a pressure that is between about two (2) Torr and about seven hundred and sixty (760) Torr; and transferring said substrate from said buffer region to a first reaction chamber. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21)
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22. A method of reducing particulate contamination during transfer of a substrate, comprising the steps of:
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preheating a substrate in a preheater to a desired temperature that is between about 200 degrees Celsius and about 700 degrees Celsius; transferring said preheated substrate to a buffer region, said buffer region having a pressure that is between about two (2) Torr and about seven hundred and sixty (760) Torr; and transferring said preheated substrate from said buffer region to a reaction chamber; wherein said transferring steps occur while maintaining said buffer region and said reaction chamber at conditions suitable to repel particles away from said substrate, said particles having a diameter that is between about 0.01 microns and about 1.00 microns.
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Specification