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:
Oct. 24, 2000
Filed:
Nov. 12, 1997
Xue-Yu Qian, Milpitas, CA (US);
Zhi-Wen Sun, San Jose, CA (US);
Weinan Jiang, San Jose, CA (US);
Arthur Y Chen, Fremont, CA (US);
Gerald Zheyao Yin, Cupertino, CA (US);
Ming-Hsun Yang, Taipei, TW;
Ming-Hsun Kuo, Keelung, TW;
David S Mui, San Jose, CA (US);
Jeffrey Chinn, Foster City, CA (US);
Shaoher X Pan, San Jose, CA (US);
Xikun Wang, Sunnyvale, CA (US);
Applied Materials, Inc., Santa Clara, CA (US);
Abstract
A process for etching a substrate 25 in an etching chamber 30, and simultaneously cleaning a thin, non-homogeneous, etch residue deposited on the surfaces of the walls 45 and components of the etching chamber 30. In the etching step, process gas comprising etchant gas is used to etch a substrate 25 in the etching chamber 30 thereby depositing etch residue inside the chamber 30. Cleaning gas is added to the process gas for a sufficient time and in a volumetric flow ratio that is sufficiently high, to react with and remove substantially all the etch residue deposited by the process gas. The present method advantageously cleans the etch residue in the chamber 30, during the etching process, and without use of separate cleaning, conditioning, and seasoning process steps.