Twisted Etch Gas Injector for Process Chamber Cleaning
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Solution Overview
Problem
In semiconductor process chambers, material films deposited during deposition processes often adhere to inner walls and components, leading to contamination of substrates, and existing cleaning methods risk damaging these components.
Innovation Solution
A process chamber cleaning apparatus and method utilizing a gas injector that injects etch gas, such as ClF3, at a predetermined angle and temperature (150° C. to 250° C.) to remove material films from inner walls and components without disassembly, using a spiral, 2-way, or multi-hole nozzle configuration for uniform etching and sequential zone cleaning.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If existing cleaning methods are used to remove material films from process chamber components, then cleaning effectiveness is improved, but damage to inner walls and components occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the parameters of the cleaning process by using etch gas (such as CF4, CCl4, or C2F6) instead of traditional mechanical or chemical cleaning methods. The etch gas reacts selectively with deposited material films at controlled temperatures (150°C to 250°C) to remove them without damaging the underlying components. This parameter change enables effective cleaning while preserving component integrity.
Solution Approach 2:
The gas injector is designed to inject etch gas in a twisted direction at a predetermined angle (30° to 60°) relative to the central direction of the chamber. This creates localized etching zones that selectively remove material films from specific areas (inner walls and components) while leaving other areas unaffected. The twisted injection pattern ensures uniform distribution of etch gas across different zones, achieving local cleaning quality without overall damage.
2Manufacturing precision
If manual cleaning procedures are employed, then cleaning thoroughness is improved, but maintenance time and operational complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The cleaning system performs self-service by automatically injecting etch gas into the process chamber to remove material films from components. The gas injector and control system work autonomously to clean the chamber interior without requiring manual disassembly or intervention. This self-service mechanism maintains cleaning thoroughness while significantly reducing maintenance time and operational complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces manual mechanical cleaning operations with a gas-based chemical etching system. Instead of using tools, brushes, or disassembly procedures, the system uses etch gas (CF4, CCl4, or C2F6) to chemically remove material films. This substitution eliminates the need for manual labor while achieving thorough cleaning, thereby reducing maintenance time and operational complexity.
3Speed
If etch gas is injected directly toward the center of the chamber, then cleaning speed is improved, but uniformity of etching across zones deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The gas injector is designed with asymmetric injection characteristics, injecting etch gas in a twisted direction at a predetermined angle (30° to 60°) rather than directly toward the chamber center. This asymmetric injection pattern creates a distributed flow that reaches different zones of the chamber more uniformly. The twisted direction ensures that etch gas contacts material films on inner walls and components across multiple zones, achieving both cleaning speed and etching uniformity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a dimensional change in the gas injection approach by using a twisted injection direction in three-dimensional space. Instead of a single-point direct injection toward the center, the etch gas is injected along a twisted trajectory that spans multiple spatial dimensions, allowing the gas to reach different zones of the chamber more uniformly. This dimensional approach maintains cleaning speed while improving etching uniformity across zones.
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
Effectively removes material films from process chamber components without damaging them, enhancing Si/SiC selectivity and reducing maintenance time by automating the cleaning process, ensuring efficient and uniform etching across zones.
Implementation Method 1
heating a chamber housing using a heating unit to adjust an internal temperature of the chamber housing
Implementation Method 2
a first gas injector inside the chamber housing and connected to the gas supply, the first gas injector being configured to inject an etch gas, which is one of the process gases, into the chamber housing
Data Source
AI summary
Provided are a process chamber cleaning apparatus and method in which the inside of a process chamber may be cleaned without damaging to an inner wall or a component of the process chamber. The process chamber cleaning apparatus comprising: a chamber housing; a substrate support installed inside the chamber housing, supporting a plurality of semiconductor substrates; a gas supply providing process gases; a first gas injector installed inside the chamber housing, connected to the gas supply, injecting etch gas, which is one of the process gases, into the chamber housing; and a controller controlling operations of the gas supply and the first gas injector, wherein the first gas injector injects the etch gas in a direction twisted at a predetermined angle from a central direction of the chamber housing.