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.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Nov. 23, 1999
Filed:
Jan. 07, 1998
Gregory M Wilson, Chesterfield, MO (US);
Charles R Lottes, Ballwin, MO (US);
MEMC Electronic Materials, Inc., St. Peters, MO (US);
Abstract
A low pressure in situ wafer cleaning process and apparatus are disclosed wherein a low pressure external combustion reactor 2 in combination with a low pressure furnace 14 produces a stream of a combustion product through the combustion of a halogenated hydrocarbon and oxygen. The combustion product is contacted with semiconductor wafers in the low pressure furnace to remove Group I and II metals. After a sufficient time has passed for cleaning, the combustion reactor and furnace are purged with an inert gas to remove the combustion product. In a preferred embodiment, the halogenated hydrocarbon is trans-1,2-dichloroethylene and the combustion product is vaporous hydrochloric acid.