Method for decontamination of a chamber used in vacuum processes for deposition, etching and/or growth of high purity films, particularly applicable to semiconductor technology

Claim 2

Method for decontamination of a chamber used in vacuum processes for deposition, etching and/ or growth of high purity films, to be applied in particular to semiconduc­tor technology, which requires, after the introduction into the chamber of the products to be subjected to the process and before said process begins, the creation of a vacuum in said chamber until a certain minimum pres­sure value is reached (called hereinafter for simplicity "pumping") and then its decontamination by flowing in non-contaminating gas at a pressure suitably higher than the above minimum value (this operation called hereinaf­ter for simplicity "purging"), characterized in that the non-contaminating gas flows in intermittently, deconta­mination being realized by a series of purgings each of which is followed by a pumping.

Claim 3

Method as in claim 1 characterized in that each purging and each pumping operation in the above series is star­ted as soon as pressure inside the chamber has reached a certain minimum and respectively maximum value.

Claim 4

Plant for vacuum processes of deposition, etching or growth of high purity films to be applied particularly to semiconductor technology which includes first means capable, following introduction into the chamber of the products to be subjected to the process and before said process starts, of creating a vacuum in said chamber down to a certain minimum value of pressure (called her­einafter for simplicity "pumping") and also second means capable of subsequently decontaminating the chamber by a flow of non-contaminating gas at a value of pressure suitably higher compared with the minimum value referred to above (called hereinafter for simplicity "purging"), characterized in that said first and second means cause the flow of non-contaminating gas to be intermittent, decontamination being realized by a series of purgings each one followed by a pumping.

Claim 5

Plant for vacuum processes of deposition, etching or growth of high purity films to be applied particularly to semiconductor technology which includes first means capable, following introduction into the chamber of the products to be subjected to the process and before said process starts, of creating a vacuum in said chamber down to a certain minimum value of pressure (called her­einafter for simplicity "pumping") and also second means capable of subsequently decontaminating the chamber by a flow of non-contaminating gas at a value of pressure suitably higher compared with the minimum value referred to above (called hereinafter for simplicity "purging"), characterized in that said first and second means cause the flow of non-contaminating gas to be intermittent, decontamination being realized by a series of purgings each one followed by a pumping.

Claim 6

Plant as in claim 3 characterized in that said first and second means regulate the above mentioned series of pur­gings and subsequent pumpings in such a way that each purging and pumping operation begins as soon as pressure inside the chamber has reached a certain minimum and respectively maximum value.

Claim 7

Products obtained according to a manufacturing process the phases of which include deposition, etching or growth of high purity films and decontamination of the chamber used for this purpose by means of the method described in the preceding claim 1.