Patent ID: 6517913
Filing Date: 2003-02-11
Classification: B01D,B01J,C23C,H01J,H05H,Y02C,Y02P

Abstract:
In a processing chamber in which silicon nitride, silicon oxide, silicon oxynitride or silicon carbide films are deposited by chemical vapor deposition onto a substrate and a clean step employing a perfluorocompound (PFC) gas is employed to etch away unwanted deposition material from said chamber, a method of reducing PFC emissions from said processing chamber, said method comprising:pumping PFC gases exhausted from said processing chamber through a vessel defining a fluid conduit having an inlet and an outlet; supplying a PFC oxidizing agent in said fluid conduit; collecting and trapping silicon containing residue and/or particles exhausted from said processing chamber upon the surface of electrodes positioned within said fluid conduit during deposition of either said silicon oxide, silicon nitride, silicon oxynitride or silicon carbide film; and forming a plasma during said clean step from said PFC gases in said fluid conduit so that constituents from said plasma react with said supplied PFC oxidizing agent to react said PFC gases with said PFC oxidizing agent to form non-PFC gaseous products and byproducts.