The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.

The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.

Date of Patent:
Jun. 01, 2021

Filed:

Nov. 11, 2019
Applicant:

Mks Instruments, Inc., Andover, MA (US);

Inventors:

Gordon Hill, Arlington, MA (US);

Scott Benedict, Nashua, NH (US);

Kevin Wenzel, Belmont, MA (US);

Assignee:

MKS Instruments, Inc., Andover, MA (US);

Attorney:
Primary Examiner:
Int. Cl.
CPC ...
H01J 37/32 (2006.01); F16K 1/22 (2006.01); F16K 3/06 (2006.01); F16K 15/02 (2006.01); F16K 51/02 (2006.01);
U.S. Cl.
CPC ...
H01J 37/32862 (2013.01); F16K 1/22 (2013.01); F16K 3/06 (2013.01); F16K 15/026 (2013.01); F16K 51/02 (2013.01); H01J 37/32348 (2013.01); H01J 37/32568 (2013.01); H01J 37/32844 (2013.01); H01J 37/32963 (2013.01); Y02C 20/30 (2013.01);
Abstract

A method is provided for cleaning a pumping line having a plurality of inline plasma sources coupled thereto. The method includes supplying a cleaning gas to the pumping line from a wafer processing chamber connected to the pumping line. The method also includes generating a localized plasma at one or more of the plurality of inline plasma sources using the cleaning gas flowing in the pumping line. Each localized plasma is adapted to clean at least a portion of the pumping line. The method further includes determining one or more impedances of the localized plasma at the one or more inline plasma sources and monitoring the one or more impendences to detect an endpoint of the cleaning.


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