Tokyo Electron Limited

Tokyo Electron Kabushiki Kaisha

Yuichiro Fujikawa

Kazuichi Hayashi

Tatsuo Hatano

Seishi Murakami

Sumi Tanaka

Teruo Iwata

Takashi Horiuchi

Hideki Lee

Tomihiro Yonenaga

The trap apparatus of the present invention includes a case provided for a gas exhaust system used for a film forming equipment which carries out a film forming process on an object, a gas supply port, made in the case and connected to an exhaust pipe of the gas exhaust system, for introducing an exhaust gas flowing through the exhaust pipe, into the case, a gas exhaust port, made in the case and connected to an exhaust pipe of the gas exhaust system, for exhausting the exhaust gas flowing through an inner space of the case, to the exhaust pipe, a plurality of partition plates arranged in the case so as to partition the inner space of the case into a plurality of rooms between the gas supply port and the gas exhaust port, a gas distribution port provided in some of the partition plates such that the exhaust gas introduced into the case through the gas supply port, is allowed to flow through the rooms partitioned by the partition plates, in the order, and then exhausted from the gas exhaust port, a trap mechanism housed in each of the rooms, for trapping reaction byproducts contained in the exhaust gas introduced into the case through the gas supply port, and a temperature control mechanism for individually controlling the temperatures in the rooms partitioned by the partition plates.

Trap apparatus

A film forming apparatus includes a chamber in which a thin film is formed on a semiconductor wafer by supplying a process gas, the interior of which is then cleaned by a cleaning gas, while the gas in the chamber is exhausted by a vacuum system. The vacuum system includes a main vacuum line connected to a vacuum port of the chamber, a high-vacuum pump arranged on an upstream side of the main vacuum line, a coarse control vacuum pump arranged on a downstream side of the main vacuum line, a bypass line which is connected to the main vacuum line so as to bypass the high-vacuum pump and has a first connection portion connected between the vacuum port and the high-vacuum pump and a second connection portion connected between the high-vacuum pump and the coarse control vacuum pump, a trap arranged on the bypass line, heater arranged between the first connection portion and the trap for heating gas flowing from the first connection portion to the trap, and valves for selectively opening/closing the main vacuum line and the bypass line to allow the gas in the chamber to flow through one of the lines.

Film forming apparatus and method

The trap apparatus of the present invention includes a case provided for a gas exhaust system used for a film forming equipment which carries out a film forming process on an object, a gas supply port, made in the case and connected to an exhaust pipe of the gas exhaust system, for introducing an exhaust gas flowing through the exhaust pipe, into the case, a gas exhaust port, made in the case and connected to an exhaust pipe of the gas exhaust system, for exhausting the exhaust gas flowing through an inner space of the case, to the exhaust pipe, a plurality of partition plates arranged in the case so as to partition the inner space of the case into a plurality of rooms between the gas supply port and the gas exhaust port, a gas distribution port provided in some of the partition plates such that the exhaust gas introduced into the case through the gas supply port, is allowed to flow through the rooms partitioned by the partition plates, in the order, and then exhausted from the gas exhaust port, and a trap mechanism housed in each of the rooms, for trapping reaction byproducts contained in the exhaust gas introduced into the case through the gas supply port.

A trap body is removably attached in the housing inserted in that portion of the exhaust passage which is situated on the upstream side of a vacuum pump, and has cooling fins for cooling the tramp materials in the exhaust gas brought into contact with the cooling means, thereby liquefying the tramp materials. Therefore, the tramp materials, such as unaffected process gases, products of reaction, etc., contained in the exhaust gas flowing through the exhaust passage, are cooled and liquefied when they are touched by the trap body cooled by the cooling unit, and adhere to the surface of the trap body. Thus, the tramp materials in the exhaust gas can be removed lest they damage the vacuum pump on the downstream side or close up the exhaust passage.

Apparatus for removing tramp materials and method therefor

A shower head of a metal CVD apparatus has a raw gas passage and a reduction gas passage for independently and respectively supplying a raw gas and a reduction gas into a process chamber. The shower head includes upper, middle and lower blocks which are formed independently of each other. Each of the raw gas passage and the reduction gas passage is branched from the upper block to the lower block. A coolant passage is formed in the lower block near supply outlets of the raw gas and the reduction gas for cooling the supply outlets. A heater is arranged in the upper and middle blocks for heating the raw gas passage.

Shower head and film forming apparatus using the same

A processing chamber having a heating device for heating the interior thereof to a required temperature, and a holding device with at least three separate holding elements is disclosed. A processing gas feed port and processing gas passages are provided in a cap which is connected to a processing chamber and closes an opening in the upper surface of the processing chamber, and the processing gas feed port and the processing gas passages are connected by a connection pipe. The processing chamber is connected to processing gas sources and has processing gas introduction passages formed in a side wall thereof and communicated with the processing gas passages. Seal members are provided around open ends of either of the processing gas passages or the processing gas introduction passages in the surfaces of the processing chamber and the cap opposed to each other. Thus generation of particles can be precluded in the processing gas feed unit, and smooth supply of processing gases, improved yields and throughputs, and easy maintenance operation can be attained.

Growing community of inventors

Yamanashi-ken, Japan

Yuichiro Fujikawa