Lam Research Corporation

Adam Patrick Bateman

Travis R Taylor

Derek Witkowicki

Todd Anthony Lopes

Silvia Aguilar

Sankaranarayanan Ravi

A method for cleaning a load lock in a substrate processing system includes, in a first period, opening a first valve in fluid communication with a gas source to supply gas through a first vent into a gas volume of the load lock. The gas is supplied at a pressure and flow rate sufficient to disturb particles from surfaces of the load lock. The method includes, in a second period subsequent to the first period and with the first valve opened, opening a second valve in fluid communication with a pump and turning on the pump to flush the gas and particles from the gas volume of the load lock, and, in a third period subsequent to the second period, closing the first valve while continuing to pump the gas and the particles from the gas volume of the load lock via the second valve.

Autoclean for load locks in substrate processing systems

A chamber is formed to enclose a processing region. A passageway is configured to provide for entry of a substrate into the processing region and removal of the substrate from the processing region. A substrate support structure is disposed within the processing region and configured to support the substrate within the processing region. At least one gas input is configured to supply one or more gases to the processing region. At least one gas output is configured to exhaust gases from the processing region. A humidity control device is configured to control a relative humidity within the processing region. At least one heating device is disposed to provide temperature control of the substrate within the processing region. The processing region of the chamber is directly accessible from a substrate handling module configured to operate at atmospheric pressure.

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Fremont, CA, United States of America

Adam Patrick Bateman