Method and apparatus for treating article to be treated

• US 7,208,428 B2
• Filed: 12/04/2001
• Issued: 04/24/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/05/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
• Original Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
• Inventors: Hayashi, Teruyuki, Saito, Misako, Umezawa, Kota, Furusawa, Yoshikazu, Hishiya, Shingo, Sato, Syoichi
• Primary Examiner(s): SARKAR, ASOK K
• Application Number:
  US10/433,423
• Publication Number:
  US 20040219793A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,967 Days
• Field of Search: 257/E21.224, 257/E21.226, 438/795
• US Class Current: 438/795
• CPC Class Codes: C30B 33/00 After-treatment of single crystals or homogeneous polycrystalline material with defined structure C30B31/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02046 Dry cleaning only H01L21/02085 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02238 silicon in uncombined form, i.e. pure silicon
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02255 formation by thermal treatment H01L21/02252 takes precedence; after treatment of an insulating film H01L21/3105 and subgroups
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02301 in-situ cleaning
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02312 treatment by exposure to a gas or vapour
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/31138 by dry-etching
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/31662 of silicon in uncombined form
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67109 mainly by convection

Abstract

A thermal treatment apparatus 1 includes a reaction tube 2 for containing wafers 10 contaminated with organic substances having a heater 12 capable of heating the reaction tube; a first gas supply pipe 13 for carrying oxygen gas into the reaction tube 2; and a second gas supply pipe 14 for carrying hydrogen gas into the reaction tube 2. Oxygen gas and hydrogen gas are supplied through the first gas supply pipe 13 and the second gas supply pipe 14, respectively, into the reaction tube 2, and the heater 12 heats the reaction tube 2 at a temperature capable of activating oxygen gas and hydrogen gas. A combustion reaction occurs in the reaction tube 2 and thereby the organic substances adhering to the wafers 10 are oxidized, decomposed and removed.

Claims

1. A method of processing an object, to be processed, comprising the steps of:

loading the object contaminated with an organic substance into a reaction chamber; and

heating the reaction chamber at a predetermined temperature and supplying a processing gas into the reaction chamber while maintaining the reaction chamber at a reduced pressure, thereby removing the organic substance from the object;

wherein the processing gas contains an oxidizing gas and a reducing gas, and the predetermined temperature at which the reaction chamber is heated is high enough to activate the oxidizing gas and the reducing gas, and

wherein said method is performed without producing an electric field, a magnetic field or an electromagnetic field in the reaction chamber.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the oxidizing gas contains at least one of O₂, N₂O and NO, and the reducing gas contains at least one of H₂, NH₃ and CH₄.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined temperature at which the reaction chamber is heated is 350°

C. or above.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the reduced pressure in the reaction chamber is in the range of 133 to 399 Pa.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the loading step loads a plurality of objects each contaminated with the organic substance into the reaction chamber.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein:

the processing gas consists of O₂ gas as the oxidizing gas and H₂ gas as the reduction gas, active oxygen radicals and active hydroxyl radicals are generated through reaction of the O₂ gas and the H₂ gas, and said radicals decompose the organic substances on the object to remove said organic substances.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the predetermined temperature at which the reaction chamber is heated is 350°

C. or above, and the reduced pressure in the reaction chamber is in the range of 133 to 399 Pa.