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. 26, 2013
Filed:
Jan. 16, 2009
Zhiyuan Fang, West Linn, OR (US);
Pramod Subramonium, Beaverton, OR (US);
Jon Henri, West Linn, OR (US);
Keith Fox, Portland, OR (US);
Zhiyuan Fang, West Linn, OR (US);
Pramod Subramonium, Beaverton, OR (US);
Jon Henri, West Linn, OR (US);
Keith Fox, Portland, OR (US);
Novellus Systems, Inc., Fremont, CA (US);
Abstract
Improved methods and apparatuses for removing residue from the interior surfaces of the deposition reactor are provided. The methods involve increasing availability of cleaning reagent radicals inside the deposition chamber by generating cleaning reagent radicals in a remote plasma generator and then further delivering in-situ plasma energy while the cleaning reagent mixture is introduced into the deposition chamber. Certain embodiments involve a multi-stage process including a stage in which the cleaning reagent mixture is introduced at a high pressure (e.g., about 0.6 Torr or more) and a stage the cleaning reagent mixture is introduced at a low pressure (e.g., about 0.6 Torr or less).