Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Comp. Ltd.

Chih-Yuan Yao

Yu-Yu Chen

Hsiang-Lung Tsou

Keng-Chu Lin

Yu-Yun Peng

Chun-Hao Hsu

Chia-I Shen

Cheng-Hsiung Liu

A particle removal method includes loading a particle attracting member with a coating layer into a processing chamber of a processing apparatus. The processing chamber is configured to perform a lithography exposure process on a semiconductor wafer. The method also includes fixing the particle attracting member on a reticle holder in the processing chamber in a cleaning cycle, attracting particles in the processing chamber by the coating layer of the particle attracting member due to a potential difference between the particles and the coating layer, and loading the particle attracting member with the coating layer and the attracted particles out of the processing chamber, after the cleaning cycle. The method also includes loading the semiconductor wafer into the processing chamber, and performing the lithography exposure process on the semiconductor wafer in the processing chamber using a reticle fixed on the reticle holder after the cleaning cycle.

Particle removal method

A semiconductor manufacturing system includes a semiconductor processing apparatus. The semiconductor processing apparatus includes a processing chamber configured to perform a semiconductor process on a semiconductor wafer, and a transferring module configured to transfer the semiconductor wafer into and out of the processing chamber. The semiconductor manufacturing system also includes a particle attracting member. The semiconductor manufacturing system also includes a monitoring device configured to control the transferring module to load the particle attracting member into the processing chamber in a cleaning cycle while the semiconductor wafer is not in the processing chamber, and control the transferring module to load the particle attracting member out of the processing chamber after the cleaning cycle. In the cleaning cycle, particles in the processing chamber are attracted to the surface of a coating layer of the particle attracting member due to the potential difference between the coating layer and the particles.

Semiconductor manufacturing system

A particle removal method includes loading a particle attracting member with a coating layer into a processing chamber of a processing apparatus. The method also includes fixing the particle attracting member on a holder in the processing chamber in a cleaning cycle. The method also includes attracting particles in the processing chamber by the coating layer of the particle attracting member due to a potential difference between the particles and the coating layer. The particles are attracted to the surface of the coating layer. The method further includes loading the particle attracting member with the coating layer and the attracted particles out of the processing chamber, after the cleaning cycle. In addition, the method includes loading a semiconductor wafer into the processing chamber, and performing a semiconductor process on the semiconductor wafer in the processing chamber. The semiconductor process is performed after the cleaning cycle.

Semiconductor manufacturing system and particle removal method

One or more pumping liners are provided for use in chemical vapor deposition (CVD). A pumping liner encircles a deposition chamber within which a wafer is placed and into which a precursor is introduced to form a thin film on a surface of the wafer. The pumping liner regulates a rate and uniformity at which a gas is removed from the deposition chamber, which in turn affects a duration or degree to which different portions of the wafer are exposed to the precursor. Controlling exposure of the wafer to the precursor promotes uniformity of the film formed on the wafer as well an ability to regulate the thickness of the film formed on the wafer. In an embodiment, a pumping liner has at least one of relatively small liner apertures, an increased number of liner apertures or a non-uniform distribution of liner apertures within a body of the pumping liner.

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Hsinchu, Taiwan

Chih-Yuan Yao