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:
Mar. 06, 2001
Filed:
Dec. 15, 1998
Frank D. Poag, Plano, TX (US);
Richard L. Guldi, Dallas, TX (US);
Texas Instruments Incorporated, Dallas, TX (US);
Abstract
A method for processing substrates such as semiconductor wafers (,) includes providing a chamber (,) having a production nozzle (,) and two cleaning nozzles (,). During production intervals, a level of particles carried by gases exiting the chamber are measured by an in-situ particle monitor (,). If an abnormally high particle level is detected, a cleaning procedure is carried out during a nonproduction interval which exists between production intervals in a production mode. During this cleaning, the chamber is maintained at a low pressure by a vacuum pump (,), and a cleaning gas (GAS,) is supplied through valves (,) and mass flow controllers (,) to respective nozzles. The valves are controlled so as to pulse or modulate the flow of the cleaning gas to the nozzles.