Cleaning fixture, cleaning apparatus, and cleaning method for showerhead assemblies

Abstract

The disclosed invention pertains to a cleaning fixture for cleaning a shower head assembly. The cleaning fixture includes: a fixture body incorporating three or more cavities, each cavity being separated from adjacent cavities by partitions, and several channels associated with each cavity for fluid connection between the cavity and the upper surface of the fixture body.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates generally to a cleaning fixture for cleaning a spray head assembly, which can be used in a steam distribution assembly. [Previous Technology]

[0002] Vapor phase reactors, such as Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD), Plasma-enhanced CVD (PECVD), Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD), and the like, can be used in a variety of applications, including depositing and etching materials on substrate surfaces. For example, vapor phase reactors can be used to deposit and / or etch multilayers on substrates to form semiconductor devices, flat panel display devices, photovoltaic devices, microelectromechanical systems (MEMS), and the like.

[0003] A typical gas-phase reactor system includes a reactor comprising: a reaction chamber, one or more precursor vapor sources fluidly coupled to the reaction chamber, one or more carrier or purging gas sources fluidly coupled to the reaction chamber, a vapor distribution system for delivering gases (e.g., (multiple) precursor vapors and / or (multiple) carrier or purging gases) to a substrate surface, and an exhaust source fluidly coupled to the reaction chamber. The system also typically includes a base for holding the substrate in position during the process. The base can be configured to move vertically to receive the substrate and / or can rotate during substrate handling.

[0004] The steam distribution system may include a spray head assembly for distributing steam(s) to the surface of a substrate. The spray head assembly is typically located above the substrate. During substrate treatment, the steam(s) flow downward toward the substrate from the spray head assembly and then radially outward on the substrate. [Summary of the Invention]

[0005] This invention is provided to introduce a series of concepts in a simplified form. These concepts will be further described in detail in the following exemplary embodiments disclosed herein. This invention is not intended to identify key or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to limit the scope of the claimed subject matter.

[0006] In some embodiments of this disclosure, a cleaning clamp configured for cleaning a spray head assembly is provided. The cleaning clamp may include: a clamp body configured to be mounted to a spray head assembly, the clamp body having an upper surface and a lower surface opposite the upper surface. The clamp body may include an inner cavity disposed in the lower surface of the clamp body, the inner cavity being fluidly connected to the upper surface of the clamp body via one or more inner channels. The clamp body may also include an outer cavity disposed in the lower surface of the clamp body, the outer cavity being fluidly connected to the upper surface of the clamp via one or more outer channels. Furthermore, the clamp body may include one or more relay cavities disposed in the lower surface of the clamp body and positioned between the inner cavity and the outer cavity, the one or more relay cavity systems being fluidly connected to the upper surface of the clamp via one or more relay channels. In some embodiments, the clamp body may also include two or more partitions that separate the one or more relay cavities from the inner cavity and the outer cavity.

[0007] In an additional embodiment of this disclosure, a cleaning clamp for cleaning a spray head assembly is provided, comprising a clamp body configured to be mounted to a spray head assembly. The clamp body may have an upper surface and a lower surface opposite the upper surface. The clamp body may also include three or more cavities disposed in the lower surface of the clamp body, each cavity being separated from an adjacent cavity by a partition, and including one or more channels associated with each cleaning cavity, the one or more channels being fluidly connected to each cavity to the upper surface of the clamp body.

[0008] Embodiments of this disclosure may also include a method for cleaning a spray head assembly. Such cleaning methods may include: providing a spray head plate having a desiccated material disposed on a surface of the spray head plate, the desiccated film having a non-uniform average thickness. Such cleaning methods may further include: mounting a cleaning clamp to the spray head plate, the cleaning clamp including a clamp body having an upper surface and a lower surface opposite the upper surface, the clamp body including three or more cavities disposed in the lower surface of the clamp body, each cavity being separated from an adjacent cavity by a partition, and including one or more channels associated with each cavity, the one or more channels fluidly connecting each cavity to the upper surface of the clamp body, and including at least three independent conduits, each independent conduit connected to the one or more channels associated with each cavity. These cleaning methods may also include: providing a reservoir configured to store a cleaning chemical; using a mounting clamp to install the cleaning fixture and the spray head plate into the reservoir; and using a flow controller to regulate the flow of a cleaning chemical through the three or more cavities, the flow controller being configured to independently control the flow of the cleaning chemical through each of the three or more cavities. These cleaning methods may also include: asymmetrically removing the unwanted material disposed on the surface of the spray head plate.

[0009] For the purpose of summarizing the invention and the advantages achieved over the prior art, certain objectives and advantages of the invention have been described above. It should be understood, of course, that all such objectives or advantages may not be achieved based on any particular embodiment of the invention. Therefore, by way of example, those skilled in the art will recognize that the invention may be practiced or implemented by achieving or optimizing one or a set of advantages as taught or suggested herein, without achieving other objectives or advantages as may be taught or suggested herein.

[0010] All such embodiments are intended to be covered within the scope of the invention disclosed herein. After the following detailed description of certain embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings, those skilled in the art will readily understand these and other embodiments, but the scope of the invention is not limited to any of the specific embodiments disclosed.

Implementation Method

[0012] Although certain embodiments and examples are disclosed below, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the present invention extends beyond the embodiments and / or uses specifically disclosed herein, as well as their obvious modifications and equivalents. Therefore, the scope of the disclosed invention should not be limited to the specific embodiments described below.

[0013] The illustrations presented herein are not intended to be actual views of any particular material, structure or device, but are merely idealized representations used to describe embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0014] In this specification, it should be understood that the terms "on" or "over" are used to describe relative positional relationships. Another element or layer may be directly on the mentioned layer, or another layer (relay layer) or element may be inserted between them, or a layer may be placed on the mentioned layer but not completely cover the surface of the mentioned layer. Therefore, unless the word "directly" is used separately, the terms "on" or "over" will be interpreted as relative concepts. Similarly, it should be understood that the terms "under," "underlying," or "below" will also be interpreted as relative concepts.

[0015] This disclosure includes a cleaning fixture for cleaning a spray head assembly. Furthermore, this disclosure includes a cleaning apparatus configured for cleaning the spray head plate of the spray head assembly. Moreover, this disclosure includes a method for cleaning a spray head assembly.

[0016] Semiconductor processing equipment may utilize reactor components including numerous holes or orifices. For example, semiconductor processing tools may utilize a spray head assembly to distribute gaseous reactants, carrier gases, rinsing gases, and other gases to a reaction chamber associated with the semiconductor processing equipment.

[0017] For example, FIG1 illustrates an example vapor distribution system employing a spray head assembly. Specifically, FIG1 illustrates an exemplary semiconductor processing apparatus 100 shown and described together with FIG8B of U.S. Patent Publication No. 20170350011, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference for all purposes. Manifold 102 is part of the overall semiconductor processing apparatus 100. Manifold 102 may include a cavity 104 that injects vapor downward toward a dispersion device containing a spray head assembly 106. It should be understood that manifold 102 may include multiple connected blocks, as illustrated, or may include a unitary body. Manifold 102 may be connected upstream of reaction chamber 108. Specifically, the outlet of cavity 104 may communicate with a vapor dispersion mechanism, such as, for example, spray head assembly 106.

[0018] The spray head assembly 106 includes a spray head plate 110, which defines a spray head aeration section 112 or chamber above the spray head plate 110. The spray head assembly 106 communicates vapor from the manifold 102 to a reaction space 114 below the spray head assembly 106. The reaction chamber 108 includes a substrate support 116 configured to support a substrate 118 (e.g., a semiconductor wafer) within the reaction space 114. The reaction chamber 108 also includes an exhaust opening 120 connected to a vacuum source 126. Although shown as a single wafer, those skilled in the art will understand that the manifold 102 can also be connected to other types of reaction chambers (e.g., batch or furnace type, horizontal or cross-flow reactors, cluster reactors, etc.) using other types of injectors.

[0019] Manifold 102 can inject multiple reactants (such as a first gaseous reactant and a second gaseous reactant), which can be injected simultaneously to induce mixing or sequentially to circulate between reactants. During some processes, rinsing gas can be injected from orifice 104 into spray head assembly 106 to rinse the first gaseous reactant so that it does not contaminate or mix with the subsequently injected second gaseous reactant. Similarly, after the deposition of the second gaseous reactant and before the deposition of another reactant (e.g., the first gaseous reactant or a different reactant vapor), an additional rinsing step occurs, in which inert gas is delivered down through inlet 122 to spray head assembly 106 and reaction chamber 108. While the embodiments disclosed herein are described in conjunction with the semiconductor processing apparatus 100 of FIG. 1, particularly the spray head assembly 106, it should be understood that embodiments of the cleaning fixture described herein can be used with any suitable assembly comprising a plurality of holes or orifices, which can be mounted in any suitable type of semiconductor processing apparatus or system.

[0020] The semiconductor processing apparatus 100 may also include at least one controller 124, which includes a processor(s) and memory containing programs for controlling various components of the semiconductor processing apparatus 100. Although schematically shown connected to the reaction chamber 108, those skilled in the art will understand that the controller 124 is in communication with various components of the reactor, such as vapor control valves, heating systems, gate valves, robotic wafer carriers, etc., to perform deposition processes. Operationally, the controller 124 may be configured to load a substrate 118 (such as a semiconductor wafer) onto a substrate support 116 and to close, flush, and typically evacuate the reaction chamber 108 in preparation for deposition processes, particularly atomic layer deposition (ALD). The controller 124 may be further configured to control the sequence of depositions. For example, the controller 124 may send control commands to the reactant(s) valve(s) to open the reactant(s) valve(s) and supply reactant vapor to the manifold 102. The controller 124 can also send control commands to the inert gas valve(s) to open the valve(s) and supply inert flushing gas to the manifold 102. The controller 124 can be configured to also control other aspects of the process.

[0021] The semiconductor processing apparatus 100 of FIG1 may include a deposition apparatus configured to deposit one or more films onto a substrate 118 disposed within a reaction chamber 108. During such exemplary deposition processes, unwanted materials may form on one or more surfaces of a spray head plate 110. Over extended time periods and / or multiple film / thick film deposition periods, these unwanted materials on the surfaces of the spray head plate 110 may affect the performance of the semiconductor processing apparatus 100. For example, unwanted materials may cause unwanted particles and debris in the reaction chamber, which may lead to, for example, a loss of device yield. Furthermore, the spray head plate 110 includes a plurality of orifices configured to distribute vapor into the reaction space, and as the thickness of the unwanted material increases, the size of these spray head plate orifices may decrease, which may eventually lead to, for example, blockage of one or more of these orifices.

[0022] Due to the undesirable effects of unwanted materials on the surface of the spray head plate, the spray head assembly can be periodically disassembled, and the spray head plate removed from the semiconductor processing equipment. Once removed, the spray head plate can undergo routine maintenance to remove unwanted materials, thereby restoring the spray head plate to full functionality and increasing its service life. For example, the spray head plate can be removed from the semiconductor processing equipment and placed in a reservoir containing cleaning chemicals selected to remove unwanted materials without damaging or significantly damaging the spray head plate. However, this cleaning procedure typically removes unwanted materials at a uniform rate. For example, the spray head plate can be immersed in a liquid etchant, which will uniformly etch the unwanted materials. However, the unwanted materials on the surface of the spray head plate may have a non-uniform thickness, i.e., the average thickness of the unwanted materials may vary at different locations on the spray head plate. In cases where the unwanted material has a non-uniform thickness, uniform removal of the unwanted material may result in over-etching, which is detrimental to the spray head plate. Removing the thicker portion of the desired material may cause undesirable damage to the spray head plate. However, insufficient etching, removing only the thinner portion of the unwanted material, may result in areas of unwanted material remaining on the spray head plate. Therefore, there is a need for cleaning fixtures, cleaning equipment, and cleaning methods for asymmetric removal of unwanted material disposed on the surface of the spray head plate, thereby extending the service life of both the spray head assembly and the associated semiconductor processing equipment.

[0023] Therefore, certain embodiments of this disclosure may include a cleaning fixture configured for cleaning a spray head assembly. The cleaning fixture includes a fixture body configured to be mounted to the spray head assembly, the fixture body having an upper surface and a lower surface relative to the upper surface. In some embodiments, the fixture body may include an inner cavity disposed in the lower surface of the fixture body, the inner cavity being fluidly connected to the upper surface of the fixture body via one or more inner channels. Furthermore, in some embodiments, the fixture body may include an outer cavity disposed in the lower surface of the fixture body, the outer cavity being fluidly connected to the upper surface of the fixture via one or more outer channels. In some embodiments, the fixture body may also include one or more relay cavities disposed in the lower surface of the fixture body and positioned between the inner cavity and the outer cavity, the one or more relay cavities being fluidly connected to the upper surface of the fixture via one or more relay channels. Furthermore, in some embodiments, the fixture body may include two or more partitions separating the one or more relay cavities from the inner cavity and the outer cavity.

[0024] In some embodiments of this disclosure, a cleaning fixture may be mounted to a spray head assembly, and particularly to a spray head plate comprising a plurality of holes. The cleaning fixture may include a plurality of cavities disposed in a lower surface of the cleaning fixture body, each cavity being in fluid communication with a flow controller. The cleaning fixture with the spray head plate mounted may be placed in a reservoir containing cleaning chemicals, wherein the cleaning chemicals may contact one of the plurality of surfaces of the spray head plate.

[0025] In some embodiments, a flow controller may be employed to draw cleaning chemicals through a plurality of orifices with regulated flow, wherein the regulation of flow may include (but is not limited to) the duration of flow of the cleaning chemicals and / or the flow rate of the cleaning chemicals. In some embodiments, the flow controller may be configured to regulate the flow of cleaning chemicals differently through a first region and a second region of the plurality of orifices. As a non-limiting example, the flow controller may allow the cleaning chemicals to flow through the first region of the plurality of orifices for a longer duration than through the second region of the plurality of orifices. Therefore, the cleaning chemicals will contact different regions of the plurality of orifices for different durations, thereby removing different amounts of unwanted material from the surface of the spray head plate. In other words, unwanted material having a non-uniform average thickness on the surface of the spray head plate can be asymmetrically removed from the spray head plate using the embodiments disclosed herein.

[0026] More specifically, FIG2A illustrates a cross-sectional view of an embodiment of a cleaning fixture 200 for cleaning a spray head assembly, such as, for example, the spray head assembly 106 of FIG1, and FIG2B illustrates a simplified plan view of a cleaning fixture according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0027] FIG2A illustrates an illustrative cleaning fixture 200, which may include a fixture body 202 (which may include, for example, a cylindrical block), the fixture body 202 having an inner cavity 204 and an outer cavity 206, and one or more intermediate cavities 208A, 208B positioned between the inner cavity 204 and the outer cavity 206. The fixture body 202 may have an upper surface 210 and a lower surface 212 relative to the upper surface 210. The inner cavity 204, the outer cavity 206 and the one or more intermediate cavities 208A, 208B may be dissimilar cavities that are not fluidly connected.

[0028] For example, as shown in FIG2A, the inner cavity 204 may be separated from one or more relay cavities 205A, 205B by an inner partition 212. The inner partition 212 may include a portion of the clamp body 202, for example, a protrusion extending downward from the clamp body between the inner cavity and the adjacent relay cavity. Furthermore, the inner cavity 204, the one or more relay cavities 208A, 208B and the outer cavity 206 may be exposed at (or open to) the lower surface 212 of the clamp body 202.

[0029] In the embodiments of Figures 2A and 2B, one or more relay cavities 208A, 208B may at least partially surround the inner cavity 204. For example, one or more relay cavities 208A, 208B may at least partially surround the inner cavity 204. In some embodiments, one or more relay cavities 208A, 208B may include an annular cavity surrounding (e.g., completely surrounding) the inner cavity 204. In other embodiments, one or more relay cavities may only partially surround the inner cavity 204.

[0030] Furthermore, in some embodiments, the outer cavity 206 may at least partially surround one or more relay cavities 208A, 208B. For example, the outer cavity 206 may at least partially surround one or more relay cavities 208A, 208B. For instance, the outer cavity 206 may include an annular cavity surrounding (e.g., completely surrounding) one or more relay cavities 206A, 206B. In other embodiments, the outer cavity 206 may only partially surround one or more relay cavities 208A, 208B.

[0031] As shown in FIG2A, the outer cavity 206 can be separated from one or more relay cavities 208A, 208B by an outer partition 214. The outer partition 214 may include a portion of the clamp body 202, for example, a protrusion extending downward from the clamp body between the outer cavity 206 and adjacent relay cavities 208A, 208B. Additionally, one or more relay partitions can separate one or more relay cavities from each other, such as, for example, the relay partition 216 of FIG2A.

[0032] In some embodiments, one or more inner channels 220 may be fluidly connected to the inner cavity 204. As shown in FIG2A, the inner channel 220 may extend upward from the inner cavity 204 to the upper surface 210 of the clamp body 202. Although a single inner channel 220 is illustrated in the exemplary cleaning clamp 200 of FIG2A to FIG2B, any suitable number of inner channels 220 may be present.

[0033] (Multiple) inner channels 220 may be sized and configured to allow cleaning chemicals to flow through the inner cavity 204. The size of the inner channels may depend on the size and dimensions of the spray head assembly to be cleaned.

[0034] In some embodiments, one or more relay channels may be fluidly connected to each of one or more relay cavities 208A, 208B. As shown in FIG2A, relay channels 222A, 222B may extend upward from relay cavities 208A, 208B to the upper surface 210 of the fixture body 202. Although FIG2B illustrates two relay channels associated with each relay cavity, any suitable number of relay channels may be fluidly connected to each of the relay cavities.

[0035] One or more relay channels 222A, 222B may be of a certain size and configuration to allow cleaning chemicals to flow through relay chambers 208A, 2080B. The size of the relay channel may depend on the size and dimensions of the spray head assembly to be cleaned.

[0036] In some embodiments, one or more external channels 224 may be connected to the external cavity 206. For example, as shown in FIG2A, one or more external channels 224 may extend upward from the external cavity 206 to the upper surface 210 of the clamp body 202. Although two external channels 224 are shown in FIG2B, there may be more than two external channels. Alternatively, only one external channel may be connected to the external cavity 204.

[0037] Depending on the required cleaning volume of the inner bore of the spray head plate and the exhaust port of the spray head plate, the main lateral dimensions of the inner channel, intermediate channel and outer channel can be adjusted relative to each other (to be described in further detail with reference to Figure 3).

[0038] In some embodiments, the inner cavity 204 may include a cylindrical cavity (e.g., as illustrated in FIG2B, having an elliptical or circular outline as seen from the bottom plan view). One or more relay channels 208A, 208B may include an annulus surrounding the inner cavity (e.g., a circular or elliptical racetrack shape). Furthermore, the outer cavity 206 may include an annular shape surrounding both the relay cavity and the inner cavity (e.g., a circular or elliptical racetrack shape).

[0039] In some embodiments, the inner cavity 204 and one or more relay cavities 208A, 208B may be divided into multiple separate cavities connected to multiple separate inner holes of the spray head plate. Furthermore, the outer cavity 206 may be divided into multiple separate cavities connected to multiple separate exhaust ports disposed in the spray head plate.

[0040] In some embodiments, the cleaning clamp 202 may be made of a softer material than the spray head assembly. For example, the cleaning clamp body 202 may be made of a material comprising multiple polymers or multiple plastics, such as, for example, polypropylene or polyoxymethylene. In other embodiments, the clamp body 202 may be made of a material comprising multiple metals or multiple metal alloys, such as, for example, stainless steel or aluminum. A softer material allows the cleaning clamp 200 to avoid damaging the spray head assembly when the clamp and the spray head assembly are assembled together. In some embodiments, the cleaning clamp may be made of one or more etch-resistant materials, meaning resistant to attack from corrosive cleaning chemicals. For example, in some embodiments, the cleaning chemicals used to remove unwanted materials from the surface of the spray head plate may be corrosive, and in such embodiments, the cleaning clamp 200 may be made of one or more etch-resistant materials (such as, for example, polyoxymethylene). In such embodiments, at least the portion of the cleaning clamp that is in direct contact with the corrosive cleaning chemicals should be made of a corrosion-resistant material.

[0041] FIG2B illustrates a simplified plan view of the cleaning fixture 200 of FIG2A, and shares component symbols with FIG2A, and the descriptions of the shared component symbols apply to FIG2B. For ease of illustration, the inner cavity 204, relay cavities 208A, 208B and outer cavity 206 are shown in FIG2B by dashed lines. As shown in FIG2B, the inner channel 220, relay channels 222A, 222B and outer channel 224 may have a rounded (e.g., circular) cross-sectional shape. The cleaning fixture 200 may also include openings 226, which can be used to secure the spray head assembly to the cleaning fixture 200 by means of connectors or screws (as shown in FIG3). The exemplary cleaning fixture 200 shown in FIG2A and FIG2B can be connected to the spray head plate of the spray head assembly as shown and described with reference to FIG3.

[0042] Figure 3 illustrates the cleaning clamp 200 of Figures 2A and 2B mounted on the spray head plate 300 of the spray head assembly. Details of the cleaning clamp 200 have been described in conjunction with Figures 2A and 2B and will not be repeated. One or more inner channels 220 are connected to inner conduits 302, which are configured to allow a cleaning chemical to flow through the inner cavity 204 and one or more inner channels 220. One or more relay channels 222A, 222B associated with each of the relay cavities 208A, 208B are connected to one or more relay conduits 304A, 304B, which are configured to allow a cleaning chemical to flow through the relay cavities 208A, 208B and one or more relay channels 222A, 222B. One or more external channels 224 are connected to external conduit 306, which are configured to flow a cleaning chemical into external cavity 206 and one or more external channels 224.

[0043] In some embodiments, the inner catheter 302, one or more relay catheters 304A, 304B and the outer catheter 306 are independent and isolated from each other.

[0044] The spray head plate 300 includes both a plurality of inner holes 310 and a plurality of vents 312. The vents 312 are positioned to surround the inner holes 310 and radially outward from the center of the spray head plate 300. The inner holes 310 may be substantially cylindrical openings, or they may have open inlets and / or outlets. The inner holes 310 may have any suitable profile. Similarly, the vents 312 may be substantially cylindrical openings, or they may have open inlets and / or outlets. The vents 312 may have any suitable profile. In some embodiments, each of the plurality of inner holes 310 is substantially smaller than each of the vents 312. For example, when the inner holes 310 and vents 312 are substantially cylindrical openings, the diameter of the vents 312 may be larger than the diameter of the inner holes 306.

[0045] Furthermore, when the inner bore 312 has an open inlet and / or outlet and the exhaust port 312 has an open inlet and / or outlet, each of the inner bore 310 and each of the exhaust ports 312 may include a cylindrical intermediate portion. The cylindrical intermediate portion of the exhaust port 312 may be larger than the cylindrical intermediate portion of the inner bore 310. When the spray head plate 302 and the spray head assembly are used in a semiconductor processing apparatus, gases (e.g., reactants and / or inert gases) can be conveyed to the reaction chamber through the inner bore 310. Gases can be removed or discharged from the reaction chamber through the exhaust port 312.

[0046] In some embodiments of this disclosure, the cleaning clamp 200 may be mounted to the spray head plate 300 such that the inner bore 310 is in fluid communication with the inner cavity 204 and one or more relay cavities 208A, 208B. In some embodiments, the vent 304 is in fluid communication with the outer cavity 204. As illustrated in FIG3, the cleaning clamp 200 may be mounted to the spray head 302 by one or more connectors 314 (e.g., one or more screws, bolts, or other suitable fasteners). The cleaning clamp 200 may be mounted to the spray head plate 300 by other fasteners such as clamps. By providing separate and independent fluid flow to different areas of the inner bore 310 of the spray head plate (via the inner cavity 204 and one or more intermediate cavities 208A, 208B) and separate and independent fluid flow to the exhaust port 314 (via the outer cavity 206), the spray head plate 300 can be cleaned asymmetrically with cleaning chemicals. In other words, one or more different chemical cleaning processes can be applied to different areas of the spray head plate 300 that are in fluid communication with the various cavities 204, 206 and 208A-B of the cleaning fixture 200.

[0047] In some embodiments of this disclosure, one or more washers may be positioned between the cleaning clamp 200 and the spray head plate 300. An inner washer 316 may be positioned between the cleaning clamp 200 and the spray head plate 300 and surrounds the inner cavity 204 in a direction parallel to the extension direction of the cleaning clamp. When the cleaning clamp 200 is mounted to the spray head plate 300, the inner washer 316 prevents cleaning chemicals flowing through the inner cavity 204 from entering the relay cavity, the outer cavity, and one or more vents.

[0048] Furthermore, the outer gasket 318 can be positioned between the cleaning clamp 200 and the spray head plate 300, and surrounds the relay cavities 208A and 208B in a direction parallel to the extension direction of the cleaning clamp. When the cleaning clamp 200 is installed onto the spray head plate 300, the outer gasket 318 seals the cleaning chemicals to prevent them from leaving the spray head plate 300 and the cleaning clamp 200.

[0049] Further relay washers 320A and 320B can be placed between the cleaning fixture 200 and the spray head plate 300 to isolate the relay cavities from each other, and also to isolate one or more relay cavities from the inner cavity 204 and the outer cavity 206.

[0050] Figure 4 illustrates an exemplary cleaning device 400 for cleaning a spray head assembly. The cleaning device 400 includes a cleaning clamp 200 mounted on the spray head plate 300 of Figure 3. Features of Figure 3 are not repeated here. In some embodiments, a reservoir 402 is positioned below the cleaning clamp 200, which is mounted on the spray head plate 300. The reservoir 402 may be secured to the cleaning clamp 200 and the spray head plate 300 mounted thereon by one or more clamps 404. The reservoir 402 may also be secured to the cleaning clamp 200 and / or the spray head plate 300 by screws or bolts, or the cleaning clamp 200 mounted to the spray head plate 300 may be loosely positioned above the reservoir 400 (e.g., when using non-hazardous cleaning chemicals).

[0051] In some embodiments of this disclosure, the storage device 402 may be configured to store cleaning chemicals 410. In some embodiments, the cleaning chemicals may comprise cleaning liquids, such as liquid acids (e.g., nitric acid or hydrofluoric acid).

[0052] In some embodiments, the cleaning chemicals may comprise cleaning gases, such as etchant gases (e.g., hydrochloric acid vapor, nitrogen trifluoride (NF3), chlorine trifluoride (ClF3), or molecular fluorine (F2)). In one particular embodiment of this disclosure, the cleaning chemical 410 may comprise water vapor (e.g., water vapor generated by heating deionized water). When using cleaning gases such as water vapor or etchant gases, exemplary cleaning equipment 400 and, in particular, storage unit 402 may include additional features (not shown) for the safe collection and storage of waste cleaning gases.

[0053] In some embodiments, the cleaning chemicals may comprise cleaning plasma (i.e., excited gases (e.g., NF3) including excited species, free radicals, and ions). When using cleaning plasma, exemplary device 400 and, in particular, storage device 402 may include additional features (not shown) to securely collect and store waste reactants and byproducts generated from the reaction between the plasma and undesirable materials.

[0054] In some embodiments, the cleaning chemical 410 may be selected such that unwanted materials disposed on the spray head plate 300 are at least substantially removed without significantly etching the spray head plate itself; that is, the cleaning chemical selectively removes unwanted materials relative to the spray head plate. In certain embodiments, the reservoir 402 may also include additional components (not shown) for generating the cleaning chemical, such as, for example, a heating system for generating water vapor from deionized water, or a plasma generator (e.g., a remote plasma generator) for generating cleaning plasma.

[0055] In some embodiments, the cleaning device 400 may further include a flow controller 412 configured to regulate the flow of cleaning chemicals through an inner cavity, one or more relay cavities, and an outer cavity. In some embodiments, the flow controller 412 may be configured to independently regulate the flow of cleaning chemicals through each of the inner cavity 204, one or more relay cavities 208A, 208B, and the outer cavity 206. In some embodiments, the flow controller 412 may be configured to independently control the flow rate of cleaning chemicals through each of the inner cavity 204, one or more relay cavities 208A, 208B, and the outer cavity 206. In some embodiments, the flow controller may be configured to independently control the duration of the flow of cleaning chemicals through each of the inner cavity 204, one or more relay cavities 208A, 208B, and the outer cavity 206.

[0056] The area of ​​the cleaning device 400 enclosed by the dashed box 414 is illustrated and described with reference to Figures 5A and 5B, providing a simplified exemplary embodiment of the flow controller 414 and the configuration of associated conduits (e.g., internal, intermediate, and external conduits as illustrated and described with reference to Figure 3), which are fluidly connected to the flow controller 412. It should be noted that the exemplary embodiment of the configuration of the flow controller and associated conduits is shown in a simplified form, and additional conduits, valves, flow controllers, flow sensors, storage devices, etc., may be used in addition to the components illustrated in Figures 5A and 5B.

[0057] FIG5A illustrates an illustrative flow controller 412A and associated conduits 302, 304A, 304B and 306. In some embodiments, a common vacuum source may be connected to an inner conduit, one or more relay conduits and an outer conduit; and at least one flow regulator may be connected to at least one of the inner conduit, one or more relay conduits and an outer conduit. As illustrated in FIG5A, a common vacuum source 500 (such as a vacuum pump) may, for example, be fluidly connected to the inner conduit 302, one or more relay conduits 304A, 304B and the outer conduit 306. In addition, the flow controller 412 may include one or more flow regulators 502, 504A, 504B, 506, such as one or more flow valves, which may be connected to at least one of the inner conduit 302, relay conduits 304A, 304B and the outer conduit 306.

[0058] The exemplary flow controller 412A can independently regulate at least one of the flow rate and / or flow time of cleaning chemicals through the inner conduit 302, one or more relay conduits 304A, 304B and the outer conduit 306 by using a vacuum source 500 and flow regulators 502, 504A, 504B and 506, thereby resulting in asymmetric removal of undesirable materials disposed on the spray head plate.

[0059] FIG5B illustrates an illustrative flow controller 412B and associated conduits 302, 304A, 304B and 306. In some embodiments, at least one vacuum source may be connected to each of the inner conduit, one or more relay conduits, and the outer conduit. As illustrated in FIG5B, multiple vacuum sources (four in this example) are used, with a single independent vacuum source fluidly connected to each of the inner conduit 302 (via vacuum source 502), one or more relay conduits 304A, 304B (via vacuum sources 504A and 504B), and the outer conduit 306 (via vacuum source 506).

[0060] The exemplary flow controller 412B can independently adjust at least one of the flow rate and / or flow time of cleaning chemicals through the inner conduit 302, one or more relay conduits 304A, 304B and the outer conduit 306 by using independently controlled vacuum sources 500A, 500B, 500C and 500D, thereby resulting in asymmetric removal of undesirable materials disposed on the spray head plate.

[0061] As part of this disclosure, alternative flow controller configurations and their associated conduits, (multiple) storage devices and auxiliary components are conceivable and can be employed.

[0062] For example, FIG5C illustrates an exemplary flow controller 412C and associated conduits 302, 304A, 304B and 306. In this exemplary embodiment, container 508 is configured to store cleaning chemicals, such as, for example, liquid etchants or vapor etchants. Container 508 may also include additional components (not shown) for generating cleaning chemicals, such as, for example, a heating system for generating water vapor from deionized water, or a plasma generator (e.g., a remote plasma generator) for generating cleaning plasma.

[0063] Pump 510 may be fluidly connected to container 508 and is used to transfer cleaning chemicals stored in container 509 to cleaning fixture via conduit 514 (between container 508 and pump 510), and inner conduit 302, relay conduits 304A, 304B and outer conduit 306 (between pump 510 and cleaning fixture). Although Figure 5C illustrates an exemplary flow controller 412C with a single common pump 510 and a single container 508, it is also envisioned that multiple pumps and / or multiple containers can be used to achieve alternative / additional cleaning functionality, i.e., multiple cleaning chemicals, independent pumping control of cleaning chemicals, etc.

[0064] As illustrated in the previous examples, the exemplary flow controller 412C may also include one or more flow regulators 502, 504A, 504B, 506 (e.g., flow valves), which are connected to conduits for regulating the flow of cleaning chemicals from container 508 to cleaning fixtures. An additional flow regulator 512 may be added to conduit 514 that fluidly connects container 502 to pump 504.

[0065] The exemplary flow controller 412C can independently regulate at least one of the flow rate and / or flow time of cleaning chemicals from container 508 through inner conduit 302, one or more relay conduits 304A, 304B and outer conduit 306 by using pump 502 and flow regulators 502, 504A, 504B and 506, thereby resulting in asymmetric removal of unwanted material disposed on the spray head plate. In the embodiments described herein, reservoir 402 or an additional container (not shown) may also be used to store rinsing chemicals that can be used to rinse the cleaning fixture and spray head assembly after cleaning is completed, thereby removing any residual cleaning chemicals or cleaning byproducts. For example, reservoir 402 (or additional container) can be refilled with deionized water that can rinse through the cleaning fixture and the spray head plate mounted thereon (e.g., by employing one or more vacuum sources or one or more pumps).

[0066] Embodiments of this disclosure may also include a method for cleaning a spray head assembly. In some embodiments, the method of cleaning a spray head assembly may include: providing a spray head plate having a non-desired material disposed on a surface of the spray head plate, the non-desired material having a non-uniform average thickness. The cleaning method may further include: mounting a cleaning clamp to the spray head plate, the cleaning clamp including a clamp body having an upper surface and a lower surface relative to the upper surface. In some embodiments, the cleaning method may further include a clamp body including three or more cavities disposed in the lower surface of the clamp body, each cavity being separated from adjacent cavities by partitions, and one or more channels associated with each cavity, the one or more channels fluidly connecting each cavity to the upper surface of the clamp body, and at least three independent conduits, each independent conduit connected to one or more channels associated with each cavity. The method of cleaning the spray head assembly may further include: providing a reservoir configured to store cleaning chemicals, and using mounting clamps to install cleaning fixtures and a spray head plate into the reservoir. The method of cleaning the spray head assembly may further include: regulating the flow of cleaning chemicals through three or more chambers using a flow controller configured to independently control the flow of cleaning chemicals through each of the three or more chambers; and asymmetrically removing unwanted materials disposed on the surface of the spray head plate.

[0067] The exemplary embodiments disclosed above do not limit the scope of the invention, as these embodiments are merely examples of various embodiments of the invention, which is defined by the claims listed below and their legal equivalents. Any equivalent embodiments are intended to fall within the scope of the invention. In fact, various modifications to this disclosure (such as alternative combinations of the described elements) will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the description, in addition to those shown and described herein. Such modifications and embodiments are also intended to fall within the scope of the appended claims. [Simplified Explanation of the Diagram]

[0011] Although this specification specifically points out and explicitly claims what constitutes an embodiment of the invention in its summary, the advantages of the embodiments of the present disclosure can be more readily determined from the description of certain examples of the embodiments disclosed when understood in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: FIG1 illustrates a simplified cross-sectional schematic diagram of an exemplary steam distribution system; FIG2A illustrates a simplified cross-sectional schematic diagram of a cleaning fixture according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; FIG2B illustrates a simplified plan view schematic diagram of a cleaning fixture according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; FIG3 illustrates a cross-sectional schematic diagram of a cleaning device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; FIG4 illustrates a cross-sectional schematic diagram of a cleaning device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; and FIG5A illustrates a simplified diagram of an exemplary flow controller and associated conduit used in a cleaning spray head assembly according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; FIG5B illustrates an additional simplified diagram of an exemplary flow controller and associated conduit used in a cleaning spray head assembly according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; and FIG5C illustrates an additional simplified diagram of an exemplary flow controller and associated conduit used in a cleaning spray head assembly according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. It will be understood that the elements in the drawings are shown for simplicity and clarity and are not necessarily drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements in the drawings may be enlarged relative to other elements to help improve the understanding of the illustrated embodiments of this disclosure.

Claims

1. A cleaning clamp configured for cleaning a spray head assembly, comprising: a clamp body configured to be mounted to the spray head assembly, the clamp body having an upper surface and a lower surface opposite the upper surface, the clamp body comprising: an inner cavity opening to the lower surface of the clamp body, the inner cavity being fluidly connected to the upper surface of the clamp body via one or more inner channels; an outer cavity opening to the lower surface of the clamp body, the outer cavity being fluidly connected to the upper surface of the clamp body via one or more outer channels; one or more relay cavities opening to the lower surface of the clamp body and positioned between the inner cavity and the outer cavity, the one or more relay cavities being fluidly connected to the upper surface of the clamp body via one or more relay channels; and two or more partitions separating the one or more relay cavities from the inner cavity and the outer cavity. The two or more partitions extend to the lower surface, and the one or more relay cavities surround the inner cavity.

2. The cleaning fixture as claimed in claim 1, wherein the one or more relay cavities include an annular ring at least partially surrounding one of the inner cavities, and the one or more relay cavity systems are separated from the inner cavity by an inner partition.

3. The cleaning fixture as claimed in claim 1, wherein the outer cavity includes an annular ring at least partially surrounding one or more relay cavities, and the outer cavity system is separated from the one or more relay cavities by an outer partition.

4. The cleaning fixture as claimed in claim 1, wherein the fixture system is made of at least one of a polymer, a plastic, a metal, or a metal alloy.

5. The cleaning clamp as claimed in claim 1, further comprising: an inner conduit connected to the one or more inner channels; one or more relay conduits connected to the one or more relay channels; and an outer conduit connected to the one or more outer channels; wherein the inner conduit, the one or more relay conduits, and the outer conduit are independent of each other.

6. A cleaning device comprising: the cleaning fixture as described in claim 5; a spray head plate including a plurality of inner spray head holes and one or more spray head exhaust ports, wherein the cleaning fixture is mounted to the spray head plate via a connector such that the one or more inner channels and the one or more relay channels are in fluid communication with the inner spray head holes, and the one or more outer channels are in fluid communication with the one or more spray head exhaust ports; a storage container configured to store a cleaning chemical; and a mounting clamp configured to mount the cleaning fixture and the spray head plate to the storage container.

7. The cleaning apparatus as claimed in claim 6, further comprising: a flow controller configured to regulate the flow of the cleaning chemical through the inner cavity, the one or more relay cavities, and the outer cavity.

8. The cleaning equipment as claimed in claim 7, wherein the flow controller is configured to independently regulate the flow of the cleaning chemical through each of the inner cavity, the one or more relay cavities, and the outer cavity.

9. The cleaning apparatus as claimed in claim 8, wherein the flow controller is configured to independently control the flow rate of the cleaning chemical through each of the inner cavity, the one or more relay cavities, and the outer cavity.

10. The cleaning apparatus as claimed in claim 8, wherein the flow controller is configured to independently control the duration of the flow of the cleaning chemicals through each of the inner cavity, the one or more relay cavities, and the outer cavity.

11. The cleaning device as claimed in claim 7, wherein the flow controller comprises: a single common vacuum source connected to the inner conduit, the one or more relay conduits, and the outer conduit; and at least one flow regulator connected to at least one of the inner conduit, the one or more relay conduits, and the outer conduit.

12. The cleaning device as claimed in claim 7, wherein the flow controller includes at least one vacuum source connected to each of the inner conduit, the one or more relay conduits, and the outer conduit.

13. The cleaning equipment as claimed in claim 6, wherein the cleaning chemical comprises a liquid etchant.

14. The cleaning equipment as claimed in claim 6, wherein the spray head plate comprises a metal or a metal alloy.

15. The cleaning apparatus as claimed in claim 14, further comprising a non-desired material disposed on one surface of the spray head plate, the non-desired material having a non-uniform average thickness and comprising a material different from the metal or metal alloy of the spray head plate.

16. A cleaning clamp for cleaning a spray head assembly, comprising: a clamp body configured to be mounted to the spray head assembly, the clamp body having an upper surface and a lower surface opposite the upper surface, the clamp body including: three or more cavities opening into the lower surface of the clamp body, each of the three or more cavities being separated from an adjacent cavity by a partition; and one or more channels associated with each of the three or more cavities, the one or more channels fluidly connecting each of the three or more cavities to the upper surface of the clamp body, wherein at least one of the three or more cavities surrounds the other of the three or more cavities, and wherein the partition extends to the lower surface.

17. The cleaning clamp as claimed in claim 16, further comprising at least three independent conduits, each of the at least three independent conduits being connected to one or more channels associated with each of the three or more cavities.

18. A cleaning apparatus comprising: the cleaning clamp as described in claim 17; a spray head plate including a plurality of inner spray head holes and one or more spray head vents, wherein the cleaning clamp is mounted to the spray head plate via a connector such that three or more cavities disposed in the lower surface of the clamp body are in fluid communication with the inner spray head holes and the one or more spray head vents; a reservoir configured to store a cleaning chemical; a mounting clamp configured to mount the cleaning clamp and the spray head plate to the reservoir; and a flow controller configured to independently regulate the flow of the cleaning chemical through the three or more cavities such that an unwanted film disposed on one surface of the spray head plate is asymmetrically removed from the spray head plate.

19. A method of cleaning a spray head assembly, comprising: providing a spray head plate having a desirable material disposed on a surface of the spray head plate, the desirable material having a non-uniform average thickness; mounting a cleaning clamp to the spray head assembly, the cleaning clamp including a clamp body having an upper surface and a lower surface opposite the upper surface, the clamp body including: three or more cavities disposed in the lower surface of the clamp body, each of the three or more cavities being separated from an adjacent cavity by a partition; one or more channels associated with each of the three or more cavities, the one or more channels being fluidly connected to each of the cavities to the upper surface of the clamp body; and at least three independent conduits, each of the at least three independent conduits being connected to the one or more channels associated with each of the three or more cavities; providing a reservoir configured for storing a cleaning chemical; and using a mounting clamp to mount the cleaning clamp and the spray head plate to the reservoir; A flow controller is used to regulate the flow of a cleaning chemical through three or more chambers. The flow controller is configured to independently control the flow of the cleaning chemical through each of the three or more chambers and to asymmetrically remove unwanted material disposed on the surface of the spray head plate.

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