JPS6055611A - Cleaning method for inside of vacuum chamber - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To remove dust generated in a vacuum chamber simply and quickly by jetting a stream of cleaning fluid using a nozzle provided in the vacuum chamber to clean the inside of the vacuum chamber. CONSTITUTION:Nozzles 4 turnably provided at corners in a vacuum chamber 1 having an evaporation source 2 in the lower part and a drive device 3 for a substrate in the upper part is supplied with cleaning fluid from a cleaning fluid circulation device 5 via a feed pipe 6. A cleaning fluid which jets into the inside of the vacuum chamber 1 washes off dust such as evaporated substances attached to inner wall surface 1a and the drive device 3 and returns to a tank 8 via a discharge pipe 14 in the lower part by the help of a discharge pump 12. Hereinafter, gas for drying is supplied to the nozzles 4 from a gas source 13 to dry the wet inside of the vacuum chamber 1. This allows the number of dust in the vacuum chamber to be largely reduced with comparative simplicity and a short time and without overhauls.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a method for cleaning vacuum chambers such as vacuum deposition chambers, sputtering chambers, chemical vapor deposition chambers, and the like.

Generally, this kind of vacuum chamber is used for deposition on a substrate.

Processes such as sputtering are applied to the manufacturing of other electronic devices, but as these devices are becoming more micro-sized such as ultra-LSIs, the amount of dust in the room has to be reduced to a high degree. It is necessary to prevent wire breakage of LSI circuits from occurring due to dust adhering to the substrate. Conventionally, the substrate fed into the vacuum chamber is cleaned in advance to prevent dust from adhering to it and bringing it into the chamber, so it is rare for dust to be brought in from the outside. Dust is generated due to the peeling off of evaporated substances and sputtered substances attached to the drive device, etc., or from the sliding parts of the substrate drive device, so overhaul the vacuum chamber and clean the dust or prevent the dust from flying up. In this way, a loose structure and means for exhausting the inside of the vacuum chamber over time are provided to prevent dust from adhering to the substrate during vapor deposition. However, such a means for preventing adhesion of dust is undesirable because it takes time and reduces substrate processing efficiency.

The purpose of the present invention is to easily and quickly eliminate the dust generated in such a vacuum chamber, and a nozzle is installed in a vacuum chamber such as a vacuum deposition chamber, and from this nozzle is used to remove cleaning liquid, gas-containing cleaning liquid, or cleaning liquid vapor. The vacuum chamber is characterized in that the interior of the vacuum chamber is cleaned by jetting out a cleaning fluid such as the following.

To explain the case where the present invention is applied to cleaning a vacuum deposition chamber, (1) in FIG.
; i+21 and - direction subtote drive device 11 (
31, (4) indicates a nozzle that is rotatably provided in the corner of the vacuum chamber (1), and a supply pipe (6) is connected to the nozzle (4) from the cleaning liquid circulation device (5). A cleaning fluid is supplied through the cleaning fluid. The cleaning liquid circulation device (5) includes, for example, a cleaning liquid tank (8) equipped with a heater (7), a delivery pump (
9), filter 00), fish reservoir (Ill, discharge pump 0)
In the cleaning liquid tank (8), a cleaning liquid with increased purity such as alcohol freon or trichlene is prepared using a distiller 0υ in the cleaning liquid tank (8). Filter 0 by delivery pump (9)
I to the supply pipe (6). In this case, the vacuum chamber (1
) The cleaning liquid sprayed out into the tank (8
). After that, drying gas is supplied from the gas source a3 to the nozzle (4) to dry the inside of the vacuum chamber (1). As shown in the second figure, the cleaning liquid circulation device (5) is equipped with a boiler and purification device (161) equipped with a heater in parallel with the filter 0, and the cleaning liquid from the tank (8) is sent to this and generated. The steam may be mixed with the cleaning liquid in the supply pipe (6).Also, it is better if the cleaning liquid is jetted from the nozzle (4) while heating the steam with a heater Q81 provided in the manner of jetting after the cleaning liquid is jetted. It is possible to clean the inside of the vacuum chamber [11] even more cleanly, and it can be dried quickly.As shown in the figure, the used cleaning solution can be disposed of from the discharge pipe α4 to the drain tank (L'0). It may be done as follows.

Figure 4 shows the carrier cage with the substrate attached, the preparation chamber Qυ divided by pulp (25), and the cathode electrode (22).
1 sputtering chamber (c) and extraction chamber (24J
Each chamber (2υ@
In this case, a nozzle (41) is provided above each chamber, and the cleaning liquid, steam-containing cleaning liquid, cleaning liquid vapor, and drying gas are supplied from the cleaning liquid circulation device (5). In this case as well, the cleaning liquid circulation device (5
) instead of connecting the drain pipe Q41 to the drain tank O as shown in Figure 5.
It may also be constructed in a non-circulating manner in which the waste is discarded in D. Q! il indicates the exhaust port of the cryopump. Incidentally, when 7 Leon alcohol or a mixture thereof is used as the cleaning liquid, a cooler is provided for vapor liquefaction.

In the present invention, a nozzle is provided in a vacuum chamber in which moisture is prohibited from entering due to a decrease in the degree of vacuum, and cleaning fluid is jetted from the nozzle to discharge dust adhering to the inner wall of the vacuum chamber, substrate drive device, etc. This makes it possible to significantly reduce the amount of dust in the vacuum chamber without overhauling it in a relatively simple and short time, greatly reducing the rate of defective substrates, and improving processing efficiency. There is an effect.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a diagram of an embodiment of the invention, and FIGS. 2 to 5 are diagrams of other embodiments of the invention. Ill...Vacuum chamber (4)...2 people outside the nozzle

Claims (1)

[Claims] A nozzle is provided in a vacuum chamber such as a vacuum deposition chamber, and cleaning liquid 1. A vacuum chamber cleaning method characterized by ejecting a cleaning fluid such as a cleaning liquid mixed with gas or the vapor of the cleaning liquid to eliminate dust in the vacuum chamber.