HYRODGEN PARTIAL PRESSURE CONTROL IN A VACUUM PROCESS CHAMBER

• Main Authors: PONNEKANTI, Hari K, L'HEUREUX, James
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 30.01.2020
• Subjects: CHEMICAL SURFACE TREATMENT; CHEMISTRY; COATING BY VACUUM EVAPORATION, BY SPUTTERING, BY ION IMPLANTATIONOR BY CHEMICAL VAPOUR DEPOSITION, IN GENERAL; COATING BY VACUUM EVAPORATION, BY SPUTTERING, BY IONIMPLANTATION OR BY CHEMICAL VAPOUR DEPOSITION, IN GENERAL; COATING MATERIAL WITH METALLIC MATERIAL; COATING METALLIC MATERIAL; DIFFUSION TREATMENT OF METALLIC MATERIAL; INHIBITING CORROSION OF METALLIC MATERIAL OR INCRUSTATION INGENERAL; METALLURGY; SURFACE TREATMENT OF METALLIC MATERIAL BY DIFFUSION INTO THESURFACE, BY CHEMICAL CONVERSION OR SUBSTITUTION

Implementations described herein generally relate to methods for removing one or more processing by-products found in deposition systems, such as in vacuum forelines of vapor deposition systems. More specifically, implementations of the present disclosure relate to methods of reducing the buildup of hydrogen in systems. In one implementation, a method of processing a substrate in a deposition chamber is provided. The method comprises depositing a layer on the substrate, wherein hydrogen-containing by-products are produced in a vacuum foreline fluidly coupled with the deposition chamber during the depositing process. The method further comprises flowing an oxidizing agent gas into the vacuum foreline to react with at least a portion of the hydrogen-containing by-products in the foreline.