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. 13, 2001
Filed:
Feb. 16, 1996
Michael D. Kilgore, Santa Clara, CA (US);
Wilbert G. M. van den Hoek, Cupertino, CA (US);
Christopher J. Rau, Milpitas, CA (US);
Bart J. van Schravendijk, Sunnyvale, CA (US);
Jeffrey A. Tobin, Mountain View, CA (US);
Thomas W. Mountsier, San Jose, CA (US);
James C. Oswalt, Pleasanton, CA (US);
Novellus Systems, Inc., San Jose, CA (US);
Abstract
A plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition system includes a number of process gas injection tubes and at least one dedicated clean gas injection tube. A plasma is used to periodically clean the interior surfaces of the deposition chamber. The cleaning is made more rapid and effective by introducing the clean gas through the dedicated clean gas injection tube. In this manner the clean gas can be introduced at a relatively high flow rate without detracting from the cleaning of the interior surfaces of the process gas injection tubes. As a separate aspect of this invention, a high-frequency signal is applied to both terminals of the coil during the cleaning process. This produces a plasma, mainly by capacitive coupling, which has a shape and uniformity that are well-suited to cleaning the surfaces of the deposition chamber.