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EP0453780A2 Expired / Lapsed EP ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Apparatus for contamination control in processing apparatus containing voltage driven electrode

Assignee: International Business Machines Corp
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Filing: 1991-03-23
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2011-03-23
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Abstract

Abstract A process chamber (56) having voltage driven electrodes (31), e.g. plasma chamber, can be made self cleaning of particle contamination by appropriate design of the workpiece (44) or electrode (31) surface to provide protuberances, grooves or tapers thereon which result in a predetermined pattern in the electrostatic potential (46) within the process chamber (56) which can trap particulate contaminations (52, 58) in preselected regions within the plasma chamber (56). These particles can then be channeled out of the process chamber through a pump port.

Inventors

  • 👤 Jerome J. Cuomo
  • 👤 Michael V. Garzioso
  • 👤 Charles R. Guarnieri
  • 👤 Kurt L. Haller

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction EP
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-10-30 16:05
CPC Classifications
H; H01; H01J; H01J37/00; H01J37/32; H01J37/32431; H01J37/32532; H01J37/32541; C; C23; C23C; C23C14/00; C23C14/22; C23C14/56; C23C14/564; H01J2237/00; H01J2237/02; H01J2237/022; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S156/00; Y10S156/916

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 17
Claim 1
Independent Claim 48 words
An apparatus comprising: a process chamber (56, 60, 96) having at least one voltage driven electrode (31, 62, 84, 100, 106); and means for providing an electrostatic potential (46, 68) capable of directing particles (52, 58, 80, 84) generated within said chamber (56, 60, 96) to predetermined locations.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 24 words
The apparatus of claim 1, further including means (94) for extracting said particles (52, 58, 80, 84) from said process chamber (56, 60, 96).
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 36 words
The apparatus of claim 1 or 2, wherein said means for providing an electrostatic potential (46, 48) is a predetermined topographic pattern at the surface of said at least one electrode (31, 62, 84, 100, 106).
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 21 words
The apparatus of claim 3, wherein said predetermined topographic pattern is a pattern of raised regions at said least one electrode.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 14 words
The apparatus of claim 4, wherein raised region is a circular ring (66, 90).
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 12 words
The apparatus of claim 5, wherein said ring is a dielectric material.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 11 words
The apparatus of claim 4, wherein said ring is a semiconductor.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 12 words
The apparatus of claim 5, wherein said ring is an electric conductor.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 22 words
The apparatus of claim 3, wherein said predetermined topographic pattern is a pattern of recessed regions in said at least one electrode.
Claim 10
Independent Claim 31 words
The apparatus of anyone of the claims 2 to 9, wherein said means for extracting said particles is a port in said process chamber out from which said particles are drawn.
Claim 11
Independent Claim 53 words
The apparatus of anyone of the claims 1 to 10, wherein said chamber contains a plurality of electrodes; there being a workpiece on at least one of said electrodes; said means for providing an electrostatic potential being a predetermined irregular surface pattern on at least one of said electrodes and/or on said workpiece.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim 21 words
The apparatus of claim 11, wherein said irregular surface pattern is a plurality of recessed or raised regions on said workpiece.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim 14 words
The apparatus of claim 11 or 12, wherein said workpiece is a semiconductor wafer.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim 16 words
The apparatus of claim 11 or 12, wherein said workpiece is a semiconductor chip packaging substrate.
Claim 15
Independent Claim 25 words
The apparatus of anyone of the claims 3 to 14, wherein at least a part of said irregular surface pattern is filled with a material.
Claim 16
Independent Claim 80 words
An apparatus for processing a workpiece comprising: a process chamber having a plurality of electrodes, at least one being a voltage driven electrode; said workpiece being disposed on one of said electrodes; means for directing particles generated within said chamber to predetermined locations within said chamber not over said workpiece; means for extracting said particles from said process chamber; said means for directing said particles being a predetermined topographic pattern on at least one of said electrodes and said workpiece.
Claim 17
Independent Claim 40 words
The apparatus of anyone of the claims 1 to 10, wherein said process chamber is selected from the group of a plasma chamber, a reactive ion chamber, an RF induction chamber an electron cyclotron resonance chamber and a magnetron reactor.

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