Hitachi, Ltd.

Shigeru Kakuta

Kazue Takahashi

Kazuo Nojiri

Hiroyuki Kitsunai

Nobuo Tsumaki

Providing a dry cleaning method capable of removing deposition films which adhere to the inner walls of a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus-that is, removing dust production sources therefrom. To this end, the dry cleaning process is supplemented by a step of removing either ion sputtered matter or products of the internal member materials of the apparatus or chemical compounds of such apparatus internal member materials and of an etching gas, in addition to a step of removing etching reaction products. It thus becomes possible to eliminate dust generation due to pealing off of deposition films with an increase in the number of wafers being processed, which in turn increases the manufacturing yield and working efficiency of the manufacturing apparatus.

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Yokohama, Japan

Shigeru Kakuta