Hot Trap By-Product Removal in Semiconductor Deposition
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Solution Overview
Problem
The accumulation of by-products in semiconductor processing apparatus components leads to equipment failure and costly downtime, as existing solutions like fore-line traps and fluorine-based approaches are inefficient or impractical, especially in Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD) systems where high by-product volumes and hydrogen presence complicate the removal process.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a series of hot traps with multiple configurations, including parallel and series arrangements, and integrating a fluorine source to maintain fluorine radicals for continuous operation and efficient by-product removal, achieving over 99% trapping efficiency and enabling in-situ cleaning of traps without system shutdown.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a fore-line trap is used to trap by-products, then pump seizure and failure are prevented, but the trap becomes clogged and requires frequent cleaning or replacement
Solution Approach 1:
The trap performs self-cleaning by reacting accumulated by-products with fluorine radicals generated in-situ, eliminating the need for external cleaning operations and maintaining continuous operation without downtime
Solution Approach 2:
The trap temperature is elevated to approximately 200°C to enable the chemical reaction between by-products and fluorine radicals, transforming the trap from a passive collection device to an active self-cleaning system
2Object-generated harmful factors
If fluorine is introduced to react with by-products in the foreline, then non-chamber deposition is reduced, but hydrogen present in the process reacts preferentially with fluorine
Solution Approach 1:
Hydrogen is removed from the gas stream before fluorine is introduced to the trap, preventing preferential reaction and ensuring fluorine is available to react with by-products that cause non-chamber deposition
Solution Approach 2:
Hydrogen is extracted or removed from the process gas stream prior to fluorine introduction, isolating the hydrogen-fluorine reaction from the by-product treatment process
3Manufacturing precision
If sequential alternating pulses of precursors and purge gases are used in ALD, then uniform thin layer deposition is achieved, but by-products accumulate in apparatus components
Solution Approach 1:
The by-products that accumulate in the foreline trap are converted into a removable form through reaction with fluorine radicals, transforming the harmful accumulation into a self-cleaning process that maintains system performance
Solution Approach 2:
Fluorine radicals act as an intermediary substance that reacts with by-products in the trap, facilitating their removal without interfering with the main ALD deposition process in the reaction chamber
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This solution significantly reduces by-product accumulation, preventing pump seizure and system clogging, allowing for continuous operation and substantial cost savings by maintaining high trapping efficiency and facilitating easy trap cleaning, even in high by-product environments like ALD systems.
Implementation Method 1
a first precursor, typically a metal bonded to an atomic or molecular ligand to make a volatile molecule, that reacts with the substrate
Implementation Method 2
The net reaction must deposit the pure desired film and eliminate the 'extra' atoms that compose the molecular precursors
Implementation Method 3
integrating a fluorine source to maintain fluorine radicals for continuous operation and efficient by-product removal
Implementation Method 4
Implementing a series of hot traps with multiple configurations
Data Source
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AI summary
The present invention provides a system, apparatus and method for improving the efficiency of a semiconductor processing system, such as a deposition system by decreasing or substantially eliminating the accumulation of by-products in the apparatus components of the semiconductor processing system. The present invention further relates to improving the efficiency of a foreline trap associated with a semiconductor processing system, wherein the trap removes substantially all of the by-products from the exhaust gas from the processing chamber, m addition, the present invention provides a system, apparatus and method for efficiently clearing traps of accumulated by-products from exhaust gas of a semiconductor processing system.