Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Comp. Ltd.

Kuo-Hung Liao

Ching-Ling Lee

Huai-Tei Yang

Cheng-Yi Huang

Tsung-Chieh Tsai

Ching-Yu Huang

Hsing-Jui Lee

Chien-Jiun Wang

Yu-Sen Chu

Yen-Hsing Chen

Fu-Kuo Tseng

Suan-Jun Kuan

A truncated dummy plate which is suitable for promoting substantially uniform flow of process gases among all regions on the surface of a substrate to facilitate deposition of a film having uniform thickness on the substrate. The truncated dummy plate has a circular shape with a flat edge provided in the curved edge of the dummy plate. At least two, and preferably, about three or four of the dummy plates are positioned in the sites on a wafer boat which are in relatively close proximity to a gas outlet in a process furnace typically during a LPCVD process carried out in the furnace. The flat or truncated edges of the dummy plates are disposed on the gas inlet side of the process chamber, with the round edges of the dummy plates disposed on the gas outlet side of the process chamber.

Truncated dummy plate for process furnace

A wafer support for supporting and rotating a semiconductor wafer within a rapid thermal process chamber is formed of a single member of unitary construction. The unitary member includes a first, horizontal section for supporting the periphery of the wafer thereon, and a downwardly extending cylindrical section that is mounted for rotation within the chamber. The first and second sections are integrally formed to prevent radiant energy from passing there between and comprise materials that cause the support to act as a black body, yielding more uniform heating of the wafer. A recess formed in the horizontal section receives the outer edge of the wafer and prevents radiant heat from passing between the wafer and the support in those cases where the wafer is warped.

Semiconductor wafer support

A method for dry cleaning a wafer container such as a SMIF pod that is equipped with a bottom mounting plate covered with contaminating particles. In the method, the wafer containers are mounted in openings of the enclosure such that the bottom mounting plates with the contaminating particles are exposed to an air-tight cavity of the enclosure. A purge gas flow is then directed to the bottom of the plate to dislodge the contaminating particles which are then picked up by a vacuum conduit positioned juxtaposed to the purge gas conduit and connected to a factory vacuum source such that contaminating particles dislodged are immediately removed. The present invention novel method can be carried out without using wet bench cleaning while achieving desirable and efficient cleaning results.

Method for dry cleaning a wafer container

An apparatus and a method for oxidizing silicon substrates by either a wet oxidation or a dry oxidation process in the same oxidation chamber are provided. In the apparatus, an additional conduit is provided for evacuating any residual water vapor trapped in a conduit section between an external torch and the oxidation chamber such that residual water vapor does not flow into the oxidation chamber and cause problems for a dry oxidation process subsequently conducted. The present invention novel apparatus therefore allows thin silicon oxide films such as those used in gate oxides to be formed with high quality in the same oxidation chamber. The present invention novel apparatus further allows high quality tri-layered silicon oxide films to be formed in a dry-wet-dry oxidation process for achieving satisfactory deposition rates and high quality oxide films on the substrate. The present invention novel apparatus and method further allows the same oxidation chamber to be used in a dry oxidation process immediately following a wet oxidation process.

Apparatus and method for oxidizing silicon substrates

Growing community of inventors

Hsin-Chu, Taiwan

Kuo-Hung Liao