Methods and apparatus for reducing defects in pre-cleaning chambers

Abstract

The apparatus and method utilize unique processing fittings to protect the processing space of the processing chamber. The processing fittings include: a shield with a frame configured to insert into the shield; and a foil pad made of a metallic material, which is attached to the frame at defined points. These defined attachment points are spaced apart to create a certain amount of flexibility based on the ductility of the metallic material. The amount of flexibility ranges from approximately 2.5 to approximately 4.5.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The implementation of this principle generally involves wafer-level packaging of semiconductor structures. Background Technology

[0002] Processing chambers can be configured to perform pre-cleaning processes. For example, such pre-cleaning chambers can remove native oxides from the metal contact pads of a substrate before physical vapor deposition (PVD) to deposit one or more barrier layers (e.g., titanium (Ti), copper (Cu), etc.) on the substrate and before removing other materials. Typically, pre-cleaning chambers use ion bombardment (initiated by RF plasma) to remove native oxides from the metal contact pads and other materials by etching. Pre-cleaning reduces the contact resistance between metal contacts on the substrate, enhancing the performance and power consumption of integrated circuits on the substrate and improving adhesion. To perform plasma cleaning, integrated circuits are placed in a plasma chamber, and a pump removes most of the air from the chamber. Electromagnetic energy (e.g., radio frequency) is applied to an injected gas (such as argon) to excite the injected gas into a plasma state. The plasma releases ions that bombard the surface of the substrate to remove contaminants and / or materials from the substrate. Atoms or molecules of contaminants and / or substrate material are etched from the substrate and, for the most part, pumped out of the chamber. However, some contaminants and / or etched material may redeposit on the chamber surfaces. Processing accessories are typically used to reduce or prevent the deposition of contaminants and / or etched material on the chamber surfaces. Resputtering of deposited material on processing accessories is a key factor in determining when to perform regular maintenance on the pre-cleaned chamber. Deposit buildup may limit the number of wafers in the pre-cleaned chamber to 2,000 or fewer before regular maintenance is required.

[0003] Therefore, the inventors have provided an implementation method for increasing the number of wafers between the required cleaning times in the pre-cleaning chamber. Summary of the Invention

[0004] Methods and apparatus for increasing the number of wafer run numbers between cleaning intervals are provided herein.

[0005] In some embodiments, an apparatus for protecting the processing space of a processing chamber may include: a frame configured to be insertable into a processing accessory shield; and a foil pad made of a metallic material, the foil pad being attachable to the frame at specific points, wherein the specific points are spaced apart to produce a certain amount of flexibility based on the ductility of the metallic material, and wherein the amount of flexibility is approximately 2.5 to approximately 4.5 per GPa.

[0006] Such a device may further include: wherein the flexibility is further based on the internal stress of the material to be deposited onto the foil pad; the frame is formed of aluminum, copper, titanium, or stainless steel; the foil pad is made of aluminum, copper, titanium, nickel, or gold; the foil pad is aluminum and the defined points are spaced approximately 30 mm apart; the foil pad is rectangular or circular in shape; the frame is attachable to the processing accessory shield by screw-type fasteners; a diffuser to which the foil pad is attached at the bottom; the diffuser has a removable cap at the bottom to which the foil pad is attached; the frame is approximately 3 mm thick; and / or the foil pad is attachable to the frame using a fiber laser with pulsed capability.

[0007] In some embodiments, an apparatus for processing semiconductor structures may include: a pre-cleaning chamber having a chamber body with a processing space; a processing accessory surrounding at least a portion of the processing space; a frame inserted into the processing accessory; and a foil pad made of a metallic material, the foil pad being attached to the frame at defined points, wherein the defined points are spaced apart to produce a certain amount of flexibility based on the ductility of the metallic material, and wherein the amount of flexibility is from about 2.5 to about 4.5.

[0008] Such an apparatus may further include: a flexibility based on the internal stress level of the material to be deposited onto the foil pad; a frame formed of aluminum, copper, titanium, or stainless steel; a foil pad made of aluminum, copper, titanium, nickel, or gold; the foil pad being aluminum and the defined points being spaced approximately 30 mm apart; and / or the frame being attachable to the processing fitting via screw-type fasteners.

[0009] In some embodiments, a method of protecting a treatment accessory may include the steps of: forming a frame that is attachable to at least a portion of the treatment accessory for pre-cleaning a chamber; attaching the frame to an inner surface of the treatment accessory; and attaching foil pads to the inner surface of the frame at spaced-apart defined points to achieve a certain amount of flexibility based on the ductility of the material forming the foil pads, the flexibility being in the range of about 2.5 to about 4.5 per GPa.

[0010] The method may further include: the flexibility amount being based on the internal stress level of the material to be deposited on the foil pad, and / or the material to be deposited on the foil pad being silicon nitride, silicon oxide, or a polymer.

[0011] Other and further implementation methods are disclosed below. Attached Figure Description

[0012] The embodiments of this principle, which are briefly summarized above and discussed in more detail below, can be understood by referring to the illustrative embodiments depicted in the accompanying drawings. However, the drawings only show typical embodiments of this principle and are therefore not intended to be considered as limiting the scope, as other equivalent embodiments of this principle are permissible.

[0013] Figure 1 Cross-sectional views of processing chambers according to some embodiments of this principle are depicted.

[0014] Figure 2 A cross-sectional view of an upper shield with recyclable processing accessories according to some embodiments of this principle is depicted.

[0015] Figure 3 Cross-sectional views of the upper shield and isometric sectional views of the frame are depicted according to some embodiments of this principle.

[0016] Figure 4 Cross-sectional isometric views of a frame mounted in an upper shield according to some embodiments of this principle are depicted.

[0017] Figure 5 Cross-sectional views of rectangular foil pads according to some embodiments of this principle are depicted.

[0018] Figure 6 Cross-sectional views of circular foil pads according to some embodiments of this principle are depicted.

[0019] Figure 7 An isometric view depicting a portion of the material of a foil pad according to some embodiments of this principle is shown.

[0020] Figure 8 A side view of a diffuser according to some embodiments of this principle is depicted.

[0021] Figure 9 This refers to a method of attaching a frame and foil padding to a processing accessory, based on some embodiments of this principle.

[0022] For ease of understanding, the same reference numerals are used where possible to denote common elements in the accompanying drawings. The drawings are not drawn to scale and have been simplified for clarity. Elements and features of one embodiment may be advantageously incorporated into other embodiments without further description. Detailed Implementation

[0023] The method and apparatus utilize recyclable processing accessories that significantly increase the number of wafers that can run before requiring periodic maintenance or cleaning. Recyclable processing accessories can be used in pre-cleaning chambers, but the principle can also be applied to other chambers. The recyclable processing accessory includes a recyclable frame that supports a foil pad attached to the frame in a manner that allows the foil pad to maintain specific flexibility, preventing contamination from deposited particles within the chamber. The flexibility of the foil pad allows re-sputtering deposition that occurs during cleaning to adhere to the foil pad and maintain adhesion even under high-stress deposition conditions. The flexibility of the foil pad remediates high stress within the deposit, allowing the deposit to remain attached to the foil pad instead of peeling off and contaminating the chamber. This enhanced bond between the deposit and the foil pad allows the recyclable processing accessory to be used for a significantly larger number of wafers—sometimes two to three times or more than the number of wafers in a chamber using conventional processing accessories—before replacement is required. In addition, the nonuniformity percentage (NU%) of the chamber was maintained throughout the extended lifespan of the processing accessory.

[0024] Pre-cleaning chambers that process materials such as silicon nitride, silicon oxide, polymers, and metals have short processing accessory lifespans. This principle's recyclable processing accessories more than double accessory lifespan while providing a turnaround time of less than three hours, compared to approximately three days or more for conventional processing accessories. The design of the foil liners and frame with varying patterns and spacing allows for rapid replacement or refurbishment of processing accessories, unlike traditional arc spraying or any other type of coating. Furthermore, recyclable processing accessories contribute to improved pre-cleaning chamber performance. Benefits of using recyclable processing accessories include more than a twofold improvement in pre-cleaning average wafer count (MWBC), reduced particle count, and extended accessory lifespan with less than 2% NU% offset. Recyclable processing accessories also offer lower processing accessory recycling costs, faster processing accessory turnaround times, and higher throughput.

[0025] Figure 1A cross-sectional view of a processing chamber (e.g., a plasma processing chamber) with processing accessories according to some embodiments is depicted. In some embodiments, the plasma processing chamber is a pre-cleaning processing chamber. However, other types of processing chambers configured for different processes may also be used with or modified to be used with embodiments of the recyclable processing accessories described herein. Chamber 100 is a vacuum chamber adapted to maintain a sub-atmospheric pressure within the internal space 120 during substrate processing. In some embodiments, chamber 100 may maintain a pressure of about 1 mTorr to about 10 mTorr. Chamber 100 includes a chamber body 106 covered by a cover 104 that surrounds a processing space 119 located in the upper half of the internal space 120. In some embodiments, chamber 100 includes an adapter 180 disposed between the chamber body 106 and the cover 104 and mounted on the sidewall of the chamber body 106. Chamber 100 includes processing fittings that confine various chamber components to prevent undesirable reactions between such components and etched materials and other contaminants. Chamber body 106, adapter 180, and cover 104 may be made of a metal such as aluminum. Chamber body 106 may be grounded via grounding member 115.

[0026] A substrate support 124 is disposed within the internal space 120 to support and hold a substrate 122 (such as a semiconductor wafer, or other such substrate that can be electrostatically held). The substrate support 124 typically includes a base 136 and a hollow support shaft 112 for supporting the base 136. The base 136 includes an electrostatic chuck 150. In some embodiments, the electrostatic chuck 150 includes a dielectric plate. The hollow support shaft 112 provides conduits to supply the electrostatic chuck 150 with, for example, backside gas, process gas, fluid, coolant, electricity, or the like. In some embodiments, the substrate support 124 includes an edge ring 187 disposed around the electrostatic chuck 150. In some embodiments, the edge ring 187 is made of alumina (Al2O3). A slit valve 184 may be coupled to the chamber body 106 to facilitate the transfer of the substrate 122 in and out of the internal space 120.

[0027] The processing accessory includes an upper shield 117 surrounding the substrate support 124. The upper shield 117 is mounted on the adapter 180 and can be configured to define a processing space 119. In some embodiments, the upper shield 117 is made of a metal (such as aluminum). The processing accessory may include a lower shield 105 surrounding the substrate support 124, which is coupled to a base 136. In some embodiments, the lower shield 105 is made of a metal (such as aluminum). A hollow support shaft 112 is coupled to a lifting mechanism 113 (such as an actuator or motor) that provides vertical movement of the electrostatic chuck 150 between an upper processing position and a lower conveying position. A bellows assembly 110 is disposed around the hollow support shaft 112 and coupled between the electrostatic chuck 150 and the bottom surface 126 of the chamber 100 to provide a flexible seal that allows vertical movement of the electrostatic chuck 150 while reducing or preventing vacuum loss from within the chamber 100. The bellows assembly 110 also includes a lower bellows flange 164 that contacts an O-ring 165 or other suitable sealing element that contacts a bottom surface 126 to help prevent loss of chamber vacuum.

[0028] The substrate lifting member 130 may include a lifting rod 109 mounted on a platform 108 connected to a shaft 111 coupled to a second lifting mechanism 132 for raising and lowering the substrate lifting member 130, such that the substrate 122 can be placed on or removed from the electrostatic chuck 150. The electrostatic chuck 150 may include a through-hole to receive the lifting rod 109. A bellows assembly 131 is coupled between the substrate lifting member 130 and the bottom surface 126 to provide a flexible seal that maintains a chamber vacuum during vertical movement of the substrate lifting member 130. A hollow support shaft 112 provides a conduit for coupling a back-side gas supply 141, a chucking power supply 140, and an RF power supply 190 to the electrostatic chuck 150. In some embodiments, the chucking power supply 140 provides DC power to the electrostatic chuck 150 via a conduit 154 to hold the substrate 122. In some embodiments, the RF energy supplied by the RF power supply 190 may have a frequency of about 10 MHz or higher. In some embodiments, the RF power supply 190 may have a frequency of about 13.56 MHz.

[0029] A back-side gas supply 141 is disposed outside the chamber body 106 and supplies gas to the electrostatic chuck 150. The electrostatic chuck 150 may include a gas passage 138 extending from the lower surface of the electrostatic chuck 150 to the upper surface 152 of the electrostatic chuck 150. The gas passage 138 is configured to supply a back-side gas (such as nitrogen (N), argon (Ar), or helium (He)) to the upper surface 152 of the electrostatic chuck 150 for use as a heat transfer medium. The gas passage 138 is in fluid communication with the back-side gas supply 141 via a gas conduit 142 to control the temperature and / or temperature distribution of the substrate 122 during use. For example, the back-side gas supply 141 may supply gas during use to cool the substrate 122. The chamber 100 is coupled to and in fluid communication with a vacuum system 114, which includes a throttle valve (not shown) and a pump (not shown) for venting the chamber 100. In some embodiments, the vacuum system 114 is coupled to a pump port located on the bottom surface 126 of the chamber body 106. The pressure within the chamber 100 can be regulated by adjusting a throttle valve and / or the vacuum pump. In some embodiments, the pump has a flow rate of approximately 1900 liters per second to approximately 3000 liters per second.

[0030] Chamber 100 is also coupled to and in fluid communication with a processing gas supplier 118, which supplies one or more processing gases to chamber 100 to process a substrate disposed within the chamber. In some embodiments, cover 104 includes a port through which gas from processing gas supplier 118 can be introduced into interior space 120. In some embodiments, processing gas supplier 118 provides argon (Ar) gas. In some embodiments, diffuser 182 is coupled to upper shield 117 to inject gas from processing gas supplier 118 from the center of upper shield 117 into processing space 119. For example, in operation, plasma 102 can be generated in interior space 120 to perform one or more processes. Plasma 102 can be generated by coupling electricity from a plasma power source (e.g., RF power source 190) to the processing gas via electrostatic chuck 150 to ignite the processing gas and generate plasma 102. RF power source 190 is also configured to attract ions from plasma toward substrate 122.

[0031] Controller 170 may be provided and coupled to various components of chamber 100 to control the operation of the chamber. Controller 170 includes a central processing unit (CPU) 172, memory 174, and support circuitry 176. Controller 170 may directly control chamber 100 or control chamber 100 via a computer (or controller) associated with a designated processing chamber and / or support system components. Controller 170 may be one type of general-purpose computer processor that can be used in an industrial environment to control various chambers and subprocessors. The memory (or computer-readable medium) 174 of controller 170 may be one or more readily available memories, either local or remote, such as random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), floppy disk, hard disk, optical storage media (e.g., optical disc or digital video disc), flash drive, or any other form of digital storage. Support circuitry 176 is coupled to CPU 172 to support the processor in a conventional manner. This circuitry includes cache memory, power supply, clock circuitry, input / output circuitry, and subsystems and similar circuitry. Methods for controlling chamber 100 and / or processing may be stored as software routines in memory 174, which may be executed or invoked in the manner described herein to control the operation of chamber 100. The software routines may also be stored and / or executed by a second CPU (not shown) located remotely from the hardware controlled by CPU 172.

[0032] Figure 2 A cross-sectional view 200 depicts an upper shield 217 having a recyclable processing accessory 202 according to some embodiments. The recyclable processing accessory 202 includes a metal foil pad attached in a defined manner to a frame, which is fastened to the upper shield 217. The foil pad may be made of various materials, such as gold, aluminum, copper, nickel, and / or titanium and similar materials. The material of the foil pad may be selected based on the type of material to be deposited on the foil pad during processing. The material of the foil pad may be selected based on the internal stress present in the deposited material. In some embodiments, the foil pad has a thickness of approximately 25 μm to approximately 225 μm. In some embodiments, the foil pad is welded to the frame using a pulsed laser and at defined points with defined intervals to allow a certain amount of flexibility in the foil pad based on the ductility of the metal material used to form the foil pad. In some embodiments, the foil pad is textured to promote adhesion of deposits to the foil pad. In some embodiments, the surface roughness has a value of approximately 5 Ra (average roughness in microinches) to approximately 20 Ra. Compared to traditional processing accessories, the recyclable processing accessory 202 can double the time between replacements while preventing peeling and reducing particulate contamination by more than 10 times.

[0033] Figure 3Cross-sectional view 300A of the upper shield 302 and isometric cross-sectional view 300B of the frame 308 are depicted according to some embodiments. The upper shield 302 includes a diffuser 304 (see, for example). Figure 1 The diffuser 182 is modified to have a series of attachment points 306 for the frame 308. In some embodiments, the attachment points 306 may include (but are not limited to) threaded holes for receiving screw-type fasteners and the like. The frame 308 may be formed of aluminum, copper, stainless steel and / or titanium and similar materials. The frame 308 is not exposed to plasma and may be formed of any material that can support the foil liner. In some embodiments, the frame 308 has a thickness 320 of about 2 mm to about 4 mm. In some embodiments, the frame 308 has a thickness of about 3 mm. In some embodiments, the frame 308 includes a through hole 310. The through hole 310 may be chamfered on the inner surface side 312 of the frame 308 to mate with the chamfered head of a screw-type fastener. The frame 308 may be inserted 314 into the upper shield 302, and the outer surface 318 of the frame 308 mates with the inner surface 316 of the upper shield 302. Figure 4 A cross-sectional view 400 depicts a frame 308 inserted into an upper shield 302 according to some embodiments. In some embodiments, the frame 308 is fastened to the upper shield 302 using a screw-type fastener 402 with a chamfered head, the chamfered head engaging with a chamfered through-hole in the frame 308 and with a thread in a threaded hole in the upper shield 302. The screw-type fastener 402 is countersinked into the frame 308 so as not to interfere with the attachment of the foil gasket.

[0034] Figure 5 A cross-sectional view 500 of a rectangular foil pad 502 according to some embodiments is depicted. The pre-cleaning chamber is similar to a plasma etching chamber, in which plasma is used to etch material away from the wafer. During the etching process, the material on the wafer is re-sputtered and redeposited onto a shield. Materials such as silicon nitride, silicon oxide, or polymers and similar materials have very high internal stress, almost twice that of other materials. The high internal stress of the material causes stress accumulation on the shield of the processed accessory, leading to the cracking of the redeposited material, which peels off from the shield and contaminates the environment. The method and apparatus of this principle alleviate the stress of the redeposited material, thereby reducing particulate contamination.

[0035] The inventors discovered that attaching the foil pad to the frame 308 using a uniform adhesive covering the entire surface of the foil pad prevented deformation (and stress relief) of the foil pad, and offered no improvement in terms of particulate contamination and treatment accessory lifespan compared to conventional treatment fittings. The inventors found that by attaching the foil pad at defined intervals at defined points instead, the foil pad maintained its flexibility and provided significantly superior deposition adhesion and stress relief, thereby substantially reducing particulate contamination. Due to the flexibility of the foil pad, stress buildup on the shielding is reduced, and the lifespan of the treatment fitting is significantly extended. The flexibility of the foil pad allows stress to be relieved through deformation and prevents redeposit breakage and peeling. The flexibility of the foil pad can be adjusted to reduce particle formation by attaching it at defined distances or spacings at different attachment points. Very high density spacing results in reduced foil pad flexibility and produces more falling particles. With lower density spacing, or in other words, fewer attachment points, fewer particles are formed because the foil pad can bend more.

[0036] Furthermore, the inventors discovered that using a short-pulse laser provides a method for spot welding foil pads to a frame without damaging the foil pads or frame. The very short pulse cycle prevents the laser from burning through the material and prevents the laser from potentially damaging the underlying shielding or processing accessories. The foil pads are then welded to the frame at various points with different spacings using the short-pulse laser. In some embodiments, a fiber laser is used to weld the foil pads to the frame. The inventors found that when very thin aluminum is used for the foil pads, a spacing or pitch pattern of approximately 30 mm or more results in a significant reduction in particulate contamination. If the spacing pattern is significantly less than 30 mm (e.g., approximately 15 mm) for a given thin aluminum foil pad, the reduction in particulate contamination is negligible. The inventors found that the ductility of the material used for the foil pads also directly affects the spacing pattern. Materials with higher ductility can have spacing less than 30 mm and still substantially reduce particulate contamination. Similarly, materials with lower ductility can have spacing greater than 30 mm to produce a substantial reduction in particulate contamination. Furthermore, the NU% drive does not exceed 2% throughout the accessory life.

[0037] For the sake of simplicity, the following examples will use foil pads constructed from thin aluminum material. Figure 5 The rectangular foil pad 502 shows a pattern of approximately 30 mm or more spacing between the solder points 504. The distance A 506 between rows of solder points 504 and the distance B 508 between columns of solder points 504 are both approximately 30 mm. Maintaining the distance between each solder point is very easy to achieve for rectangular or square foil pads. Figure 6A cross-sectional view 600 depicts a circular foil pad 602 according to some embodiments. In an example of the circular foil pad 602, the solder joints 608 are arranged in radial rays emanating from a center point 610. (As can be seen from...) Figure 6 It can be seen that the spacing (radial line spacing 606 and radial ray spacing 604) is more difficult to maintain at approximately 30 mm. The inventors have found that attempting to maintain the average spacing of the solder joints of the circular foil pad at 30 mm still significantly reduces particulate contamination.

[0038] Figure 7 An isometric view 700 depicts a portion 702 of the material of a foil pad according to some embodiments. The attachment point spacing, or weld spacing in some embodiments, is used to achieve a desired amount of flexibility for stress relief of the attached foil pad for re-deposited material. The desired spacing is related to the thickness 710 of the foil pad and the elastic modulus (ductility) of the material used for the foil pad.

[0039] Attachment point spacing (mm) ∝ membrane (mm) × elastic modulus (GPa) (Equation 1)

[0040] The spacing between attachment points can be expressed as:

[0041] L = f·t·E (Equation 2)

[0042] Where L is the distance between attachment points 704 (706, 708), t is the foil pad thickness 710, E is the elastic modulus of the foil pad material, and f is a proportionality constant. The proportionality constant f is considered a flexibility quantity, varying according to the stress of the resputtered material to be deposited on the foil pad. The flexibility quantity can be expressed as:

[0043] f = L / (t·E) (Equation 3)

[0044] For example, if copper foil pads are used for silicon nitride etching, a 30mm attachment point spacing achieves good particle performance (reducing particle contamination). In this example, the thickness of the attached copper foil pads can be 70μm, and the elastic modulus of copper is 117 GPa. Therefore, the flexibility f per GPa can be calculated as:

[0045] f = 30mm / (0.07mm × 117GPa) = 3.66 / GPa (Equation 4)

[0046] For different resputtered material stresses, the amount of flexibility (f) per GPa can vary between approximately 2.5 and approximately 4.5 to achieve substantial reduction in particulate contamination.

[0047] As a further example of attachment point spacing, if the foil pad is formed of aluminum with a thickness of 100 μm, an elastic modulus of 67 GPa, and a flexibility f = 3.66, then the attachment spacing can be defined as:

[0048] L (mm) = 3.66 × 0.1 × 67 = 24.5 mm (Equation 5)

[0049] In another example, if the foil pad is formed of pure nickel with a thickness of 50 μm and an elastic modulus of 170 GPa and a flexibility of 4.0, then the attachment point spacing can be defined as:

[0050] L (mm) = 4.0 × 0.05 × 170 = 34.0 mm (Equation 6)

[0051] The spacing between attachment points can range from approximately 10 mm to approximately 40 mm or more, depending on the properties of the material used for the foil liner and / or the desired amount of flexibility to alleviate the internal stress of a given type of deposited material. This ability to consider multiple parameters allows for considerable flexibility in the equipment and methods applying this principle to achieve excellent particle control within the processing chamber.

[0052] Figure 8 An isometric view 800 of a diffuser 802 according to some embodiments is depicted. Diffuser 802 (see...) Figure 1 The diffuser 182 exposes to the processing space 119 at its bottom outer surface 816. The diffuser 802 has a sidewall gas outlet 804, which is an important part of the processing in the pre-cleaning chamber. The inventors have designed a novel diffuser structure with a removable cap 808, which can be removably attached to the diffuser 802. In some embodiments, the cap 808 includes an internal thread 814 that mates with the external thread 806 of the diffuser 802. In some embodiments, the cap 808 can be friction-fitted or press-fitted onto the diffuser 802 and the like. The bottom outer surface 816 of the cap 808 has a foil pad 810 with weld points 812 attached at defined intervals. The cap 808 can be easily replaced with minimal downtime during processing accessory maintenance. The diffuser 802 is a very small part, and the foil pad 810 is attached in a manner that does not affect the sidewall gas outlet 804. When diffuser 802 is installed in chamber 100, a small circular gap is left around diffuser 802 to allow gas to enter processing space 119. If the gas is blocked, uniformity will be adversely affected. The foil pad 810 is attached such that the circular gap is not blocked, thereby allowing gas to flow freely into processing space 119.

[0053] In some implementations, when maintenance is required, the processing accessory, along with the frame and foil pad, can be removed. The foil pad is then removed from the frame, and in some cases, the frame can be removed from the processing accessory or shield. Because the processing accessory or shield is protected by the frame and foil pad, it requires little or no cleaning. In other cases, the frame can be left attached to the shield, while a new foil pad is attached to the frame in situ within the shield. Because the frame is reusable or recyclable, and deposits on the foil pad are removed along with the pad, this maintenance process can be completed in three hours or less compared to conventional processes that require more than three days. In some implementations, the frame and foil pad can be inserted into the shield as a single unit. The attachment points of the frame will allow the foil pad to remain undisturbed during installation or removal from the shield. A spare frame and foil pad unit can then be stored as a complete spare for quick replacement during maintenance.

[0054] Figure 9 This is a method 900 according to some embodiments of attaching a frame and foil pad to a processing accessory. In block 902, a frame is formed that can be attached to at least a portion of the processing accessory for pre-cleaning a chamber. The frame may be formed of a material such as aluminum, copper, and / or titanium and similar materials. In block 904, the frame is attached to the inner surface of the processing accessory. In some embodiments, the frame may be attached to the processing accessory using screw-type fasteners. In block 906, the foil pad is attached to the inner surface of the frame at spaced, defined points to achieve a certain amount of flexibility based on the ductility of the material forming the foil pad. Different types of materials have different levels of ductility, which directly affect the attachment point spacing to produce a certain amount of flexibility that will significantly reduce particulate contamination. The amount of flexibility can be calculated using Equation 3 above. In some embodiments, the amount of flexibility per GPa that achieves a substantial reduction in particulate contamination ranges from about 2.5 to about 4.5. In some embodiments, the type of material to be redeposited on the foil pad will be used to adjust the amount of flexibility to achieve excellent particulate control.

[0055] Implementations based on this principle can be carried out in hardware, firmware, software, or any combination thereof. Implementations can also be implemented as instructions stored using one or more computer-readable media, which can be read and executed by one or more processors. The computer-readable media may include any mechanism for storing or transmitting information in a machine-readable form (e.g., a computing platform or a “virtual machine” running on one or more computing platforms). For example, the computer-readable media may include any suitable form of volatile or non-volatile memory. In some implementations, the computer-readable media may include a non-transitory computer-readable medium.

[0056] Although the foregoing relates to implementation of this principle, other and further implementations of this principle may be designed without departing from the basic scope of the invention.

Claims

1. A device for protecting the processing space of a processing chamber, comprising: The frame is configured to be inserted into the processing accessory shield; as well as A foil pad, made of a metallic material, is spot-welded to the frame at multiple defined points and has a flexibility of 2.5 to 4.5 per GPa, wherein the flexibility is determined by f = L / (t·E), where f is the flexibility, L is the distance between the multiple defined points, t is the thickness of the foil pad, and E is the elastic modulus of the metallic material.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the amount of flexibility is further based on the internal stress of the material to be deposited onto the foil pad.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the frame is formed of aluminum, copper, titanium or stainless steel.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the foil pad is made of aluminum, copper, titanium, nickel or gold.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the foil pad is aluminum and the plurality of defined points are spaced 30 mm apart.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the foil pad is rectangular or circular in shape.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the frame is attachable to the processing accessory shield by means of screw-type fasteners.

8. The device of claim 1, further comprising: A diffuser having a foil pad attached to the lowest part.

9. The device of claim 8, wherein the diffuser has a removable cap in the lowermost portion, and the foil pad is attached to the removable cap.

10. The device of claim 1, wherein the thickness of the frame is 3 mm.

11. The device of claim 1, wherein the foil pad can be attached to the frame using a fiber laser with pulse functionality.

12. An apparatus for processing multiple semiconductor structures, comprising: A pre-cleaning chamber, having a chamber body with processing space; Processing accessories that surround at least a portion of the processing space; The frame is inserted into the processing accessory; as well as A foil pad, made of a metallic material, is spot-welded to the frame at multiple defined points and has a flexibility of 2.5 to 4.5 per GPa, wherein the flexibility is determined by f = L / (t·E), where f is the flexibility, L is the distance between the multiple defined points, t is the thickness of the foil pad, and E is the elastic modulus of the metallic material.

13. The device of claim 12, wherein the amount of flexibility is further based on the internal stress level of the material to be deposited onto the foil pad.

14. The device of claim 12, wherein the frame is formed of aluminum, copper, titanium or stainless steel.

15. The device of claim 12, wherein the foil pad is made of aluminum, copper, titanium, nickel or gold.

16. The device of claim 12, wherein the foil pad is aluminum and the plurality of defined points are spaced 30 mm apart.

17. The device of claim 12, wherein the frame is attachable to the processing accessory by means of screw-type fasteners.

18. A method for protecting and treating accessories, comprising the following steps: A frame is formed that can be attached to at least a portion of the treatment fittings used for pre-cleaning the chamber; The frame is attached to the inner surface of the processing accessory; as well as A foil pad made of metallic material is spot-welded to the inner surface of the frame at multiple defined points. The foil pad has a flexibility of 2.5 to 4.5 per GPa, wherein the flexibility is determined by f = L / (t·E), where f is the flexibility, L is the distance between the multiple defined points, t is the thickness of the foil pad, and E is the elastic modulus of the metallic material.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the amount of flexibility is further based on the internal stress level of the material to be deposited on the foil pad.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the material to be deposited on the foil pad is silicon nitride, silicon oxide, or a polymer.

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