Patent ID: 6149729
Filing Date: 2000-11-21
Classification: C23C

Abstract:
A film forming apparatus comprising:a chamber having a vacuum port to house a processing substrate;a film forming device for supplying a film formation gas into said chamber to perform film formation processing for said processing substrate;a cleaning device for supplying a cleaning gas into said chamber to clean an interior of said chamber;a vacuum device for exhausting gas from said chamber,said vacuum device having a main vacuum line connected to the vacuum port of said chamber, a high-vacuum pump arranged on an upstream side of said main vacuum line, a coarse control vacuum pump arranged on a downstream side of said main vacuum line, a gas bypass line which is connected to said main vacuum line so as to bypass said high-vacuum pump and which has a first connection portion connected between the vacuum port and said high-vacuum pump and a second connection portion connected between said high-vacuum pump and said coarse control vacuum pump, a trap arranged on said bypass line for capturing the gas, a heater, arranged between the first connection portion and said trap, for heating gas flowing from the first connection portion to said trap, and a switching device for selectively opening/closing said main vacuum line and said bypass line to allow the gas in said chamber to flow through one of said lines:a removing portion provided on the bypass line, in which the trap is provided, so that the trap is removable from the bypass line and said removing portion;a device for supplying a nitrogen gas or an inert gas in said removing portion; anda device provided on the bypass line for preventing the nitrogen gas or inert gas from entering into said trap through said removing portion.