Applied Materials, Inc.

Mehran Moalem

Daniel O Clark

Colin John Dickinson

Shamouil Shamouilian

Tony Kaushal

Kartik Ramaswamy

Ashish Bhatnagar

Robbert M Vermeulen

Paul E Fisher

Jay J Jung

Kwok Manus Wong

Youssef A Loldj

Andreas Neuber

Phil Chandler

Joshua Putz

Embodiments disclosed herein include a processing tool for measuring neutral radical concentrations. In an embodiment, the processing tool comprises a processing chamber, and a neutral radical mass spectrometry (NRMS) analyzer fluidically coupled to the processing chamber. In an embodiment, the NRMS analyzer comprises a first chamber fluidically coupled to the processing chamber, where the first chamber comprises a modulator, and a second chamber fluidically coupled to the first chamber, where the second chamber is a residual gas analyzer or a mass spectrometer. In an embodiment, an unobstructed line of sight passes from the processing chamber to the second chamber.

Apparatus to detect and quantify radical concentration in semiconductor processing systems

Methods and apparatus for treating an exhaust gas in a foreline of a substrate processing system are provided herein. In some embodiments, a method for treating an exhaust gas in an exhaust conduit of a substrate processing system includes: flowing an exhaust gas from a process chamber into a plasma source via a foreline; injecting a reagent into the foreline; forming a plasma in the plasma source from the exhaust gas and the reagent; and injecting a cleaning gas into the foreline, wherein the cleaning gas and the reagent are different gases.

Apparatus for treating exhaust gas in a processing system

Methods and apparatus for treating an exhaust gas in a foreline of a substrate processing system are provided herein. In some embodiments, a method for treating an exhaust gas in an exhaust conduit of a substrate processing system includes: flowing an exhaust gas and a reagent gas into an exhaust conduit of a substrate processing system; injecting a non-reactive gas into the exhaust conduit to maintain a desired pressure in the exhaust conduit for conversion of the exhaust gas; and forming a plasma from the exhaust gas and reagent gas, subsequent to injecting the non-reactive gas, to convert the exhaust gas to abatable byproduct gases.

Methods for treating exhaust gas in a processing system

Methods and apparatus for treating an exhaust gas in a foreline of a substrate processing system are provided herein. In some embodiments, an apparatus for treating an exhaust gas in a foreline of a substrate processing system includes a plasma source coupled to a foreline of a process chamber, a reagent source coupled to the foreline upstream of the plasma source, and a foreline gas injection kit coupled to the foreline to controllably deliver a gas to the foreline, wherein the foreline injection kit includes a pressure regulator to set a foreline gas delivery pressure setpoint, and a first pressure gauge coupled to monitor a delivery pressure of the gas.

Methods and apparatus for treating exhaust gas in a processing system

A system for treating flammable effluent gas is provided. The system includes an exhaust conduit to carry the flammable effluent gas to an abatement unit, a control system coupled to the abatement unit to determine an operating parameter of the abatement unit, a bypass valve coupled to the exhaust conduit which is an operative responsive to the monitoring system, and a source of second gas to be mixed with the effluent gas diverted from the abatement unit when the bypass valve is operating in a bypass mode to provide a mixed gas having a flammability lower than the effluent gas. Methods of the invention as well as numerous other aspects are provided.

Systems and methods for treating flammable effluent gases from manufacturing processes

Methods and apparatus for controlling a processing system are provided herein. In some embodiments, a method of controlling a processing system may include operating a vacuum pump coupled to a process chamber at a first baseline pump idle speed selected to maintain the process chamber at a pressure equal to a first baseline pump idle pressure; monitoring the pressure in the process chamber while operating the vacuum pump at the first baseline pump idle speed; and determining whether the first baseline pump idle pressure can be maintained in the process chamber when the vacuum pump is operating at the first baseline pump idle speed.

Method and apparatus for controlling a processing system

Methods and apparatus for treating an exhaust gas in a foreline of a substrate processing system are provided herein. In some embodiments, an apparatus for treating an exhaust gas in a foreline of a substrate processing system includes a plasma source coupled to a foreline of a process chamber, a reagent source coupled to the foreline upstream of the plasma source, and a foreline gas injection kit coupled to the foreline to controllably deliver a gas to the foreline, wherein the foreline injection kit includes a pressure regulator to set a foreline gas delivery pressure setpoint, and a first pressure gauge coupled to monitor a delivery pressure of the gas upstream of the foreline.

An effluent abatement system that may be used to abate F gas content of effluent exhausted from a process chamber such as effluent from a CVD chamber cleaning process includes a catalytic reactor to reduce the content of F in the effluent The system may further include a prescrubber to add reactive gases to the effluent and/or to treat the effluent prior to treatment in the catalytic reactor Alternatively reactive gases can be added to the effluent by a gas source

Abatement of fluorine gas from effluent

A plasma tube comprising a vacuum sealing ceramic outer tube, a porous ceramic insert disposed on the inside wall of the outer tube, and a source of high frequency radiation, for example, an RF coil wrapped around the tube, to excite gas flowing through the bore of the insert into a plasma. The invention is particularly useful as an exhaust scrubber for oxidizing exhaust gases from a semiconductor processing chamber. A catalyst may be embedded in the porous insert to promote the scrubbing reaction. The invention may also be used in an applicator of a remote plasma source.

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Cupertino, CA, United States of America

Mehran Moalem