Claims
- 1. A process for cleaning semiconductor fabrication equipment parts comprising:
at least partially immersing a part into an organic solvent; removing said part from said organic solvent; inspecting said part for a presence of visible contaminants; at least partially re-immersing said part in said organic solvent if said inspection indicates the presence of visible contaminants; testing said part for a presence of non-visible contaminants; and at least partially re-immersing said part if said presence of non-visible contaminants is above an acceptable impurity level.
- 2. A process of claim 1 further comprising removing a polymer from said part after said part is removed from said organic solvent.
- 3. A process of claim 2 wherein said polymer removal is achieved by scraping said polymer off with a spatula.
- 4. A process of claim 1 further comprising immersing said part in a dilute acid mixture to remove a presence of metallic contamination.
- 5. A process of claim 4 wherein said metallic contamination removal is done in a separate dilute bath.
- 6. A process of claim 1 wherein said presence of non-visible contaminants is comprised of at least one of organic, metallic and particulate impurities.
- 7. A process of claim 6 wherein an acceptable impurity level for organic impurities is about less than about 1014 carbon atoms/cm2.
- 8. A process of claim 6 wherein an acceptable impurity level for particle impurities is about less than about 300,000 particles/cm2.
- 9. A process of claim 6 wherein an acceptable impurity level for metallic impurities is about less than about 1013 atoms/cm2.
- 13. A process of claim 1 wherein said organic solvent is heated in a temperature range from above room temperature to about 100° C.
- 11. A process of claim 1 wherein said organic solvent is heated in a temperature range from above room temperature to about 60° C.
- 12. A process of claim 1 wherein said organic solvent is at about room temperature.
- 13. A process of claim 1 wherein said organic solvent is comprised of at least one of pyrrole-based, amine-based, fluoro/ether-based, hydrocarbon ether-based and glycol ether acetate based solvents.
- 14. An apparatus for cleaning semiconductor fabrication equipment parts comprising:
a tank; an organic solvent disposed within said tank wherein said organic solvent is composed of at least one of pyrrole-based, amine-based, fluoro/ether-based, hydrocarbon ether-based and glycol ether acetate based solvents; and a heat source coupled to said tank whereby said organic solvent may be heated above room temperature.
- 15. An apparatus of claim 14 wherein said organic solvent is heated in a temperature range from above room temperature to about 100° C.
- 16. An apparatus of claim 14 wherein said organic solvent is heated in a temperature range from above room temperature to about 60° C.
- 17. A process for cleaning semiconductor fabrication equipment parts comprising:
placing a part to be cleaned into a chamber; heating a liquid organic solvent to produce a vapor phase organic solvent within said chamber which contacts said part to be cleaned; purging said enclosed chamber; and removing said part from said chamber.
- 18. A process of claim 17 further comprising:
inspecting said part for a presence of visible contaminants; and re-introducing said part to said organic solvent vapor if said inspection indicates said presence of visible contaminants.
- 19. A process of claim 18 further comprising:
testing said part for a presence of non-visible contaminants; and re-introducing said part to said organic solvent vapor if said presence of non-visible contaminants is above an acceptable impurity level.
- 20. A process of claim 17 further comprising removing a polymer from said part after said part is removed from said organic solvent.
- 21. A process of claim 20 wherein said polymer removal is achieved by scraping said polymer off with a spatula.
- 22. A process of claim 17 further comprising immersing said part in a dilute acid mixture to remove a presence of metallic contamination.
- 23. A process of claim 22 wherein said metallic contamination removal is done in a separate dilute bath.
- 24. A process of claim 19 wherein said presence of non-visible contaminants is comprised of at least one of organic, metallic and particulate impurities.
- 25. A process of claim 20 wherein an acceptable impurity level for organic impurities is about less than about 1014 carbon atoms/cm2.
- 26. A process of claim 20 wherein an acceptable impurity level for particle impurities is about less than about 300,000 particles/cm2.
- 19. A process of claim 20 wherein an acceptable impurity level for metallic impurities is about less than about 1013 atoms/cm2.
- 20. A process of claim 17, 18 or 19 wherein said organic solvent is heated in a temperature range from above room temperature to about 100° C.
- 21. A process of claim 17, 18 or 19 wherein said organic solvent is heated in a temperature range from above room temperature to about 60° C.
- 22. A process of claim 17, 18 or 19 wherein said organic solvent is at about room temperature.
- 23. A process of claim 17, 18 or 19 wherein said organic solvent is comprised of at least one of pyrrole-based, amine-based, fluoro/ether-based, hydrocarbon ether-based and glycol ether acetate based solvents.
- 24. An apparatus for cleaning semiconductor fabrication equipment parts comprising:
a container defining a chamber; a grate disposed within said chamber to hold a part to be cleaned; a purge inlet in fluid communication with said chamber; an exhaust outlet in fluid communication with said container; a liquid organic solvent source; and a heat source thermally coupled to said liquid organic solvent source to create a vapor organic solvent within said chamber.
- 25. An apparatus of claim 24 where in said container and said grate are made out of at least one of quartz and fluoropolymers.
- 26. An apparatus of claim 24 wherein said liquid organic solvent is heated in a temperature range from above room temperature to about 100° C.
- 27. An apparatus of claim 26 wherein said liquid organic solvent is heated in a temperature range from above room temperature to about 60° C.
- 28. A process for cleaning semiconductor fabrication equipment parts comprising:
providing a fluid organic solvent including at least one of pyrrole-based, amine-based, fluoro/ether-based, hydrocarbon ether-based and glycol ether acetate based solvents; and contacting said fluid organic solvent with a surface of a workpiece to be cleaned.
- 29. A process of claim 28 wherein said fluid organic solvent has a low water content when an anodized aluminum metal part is cleaned.
- 30. A process of claim 28 wherein said fluid organic solvent is a vapor phase or a liquid phase.
- 31. A process of claim 28 or 30 wherein said fluid organic solvent is heated in said temperature range from above room temperature to about 100° C.
- 32. A process of claim 28 or 30 wherein said fluid organic solvent is heated in said temperature range from above room temperature to about 60° C.
- 33. A process of claim 28 or 30 wherein said fluid organic solvent is at about room temperature.
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims the benefit of provisional application U.S. Ser. No. 60/229,615 (Atty. Docket No. 60081-300600 (CMTRP006+), filed on Aug. 31, 2000, entitled “Cleaning of Semiconductor Process Equipment Chamber Parts Using Organic Solvents”, incorporated herein by reference and is a continuation-in-part of U.S. Patent application entitled “System and Method for Cleaning Semiconductor Fabrication Equipment Parts”(Atty. Docket No. 60081-300502), filed on Aug. 10, 2001, incorporated herein by reference.
Provisional Applications (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
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60229615 |
Aug 2000 |
US |