# US 10,121,682 B2 · Purging of porogen from UV cure chamber

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- Number: US 10,121,682 B2
- Document ID: US10121682B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/172,599
- Filed: 2016-06-03
- Published: 2016-09-29
- Granted: 2018-11-06
- Earliest claimed: 2005-04-26
- Assignees: Novellus Systems, Inc.
- Applicants: Novellus Systems, Inc.
- Inventors: Eugene Smargiassi; Stephen Yu-Hong Lau; George D. Kamian; Ming Xi
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10121682B2

## CPC

- H10P 72/0436: {mainly by radiation}
- H10P 14/6538: {by exposure to UV light}
- H10P 14/665: {Porous materials}
- H10P 70/00: Cleaning of wafers, substrates or parts of devices
- H10P 72/0402: {Apparatus for fluid treatment (H10P72/0441, H10P72/0448 take precedence)}
- H10P 72/0462: {characterised by the construction of the processing chambers, e.g. modular processing chambers}
- H10P 72/0468: {comprising a chamber adapted to a particular process}
- H10P: GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10

## Abstract

A purge ring for providing a gas to a wafer processing chamber includes an inlet ring wall defining a ring hole space. An outer perimeter of the inlet ring wall is elliptical. An outer perimeter of the ring hole space is circular. The inlet ring wall is a continuous structure surrounding the ring hole space. An inlet baffle formed within the inlet ring wall surrounds at least 180 degrees of the outer perimeter of the ring hole space. An inlet plenum arranged in a first end of the inlet ring wall provides the gas to the ring hole space through the inlet baffle. An exhaust channel is formed within the inlet ring wall in a second end of the inlet ring wall. An exhaust outlet hole arranged in the second end of the inlet ring wall exhausts the gas out of the ring hole space via the exhaust channel.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method for removing chemical species from a substrate, comprising:
arranging a purge ring in a chamber above (i) a pedestal and (ii) a purge space defined above the pedestal, the purge ring including
an inlet ring wall defining a ring hole space above the purge space, wherein the inlet ring wall corresponds to a continuous structure surrounding the ring hole space, and
an inlet baffle formed within the inlet ring wall and surrounding at least 180 degrees of an outer perimeter of the ring hole space;
supplying gas, received via a gas inlet hole, to an inlet plenum, wherein the inlet plenum is arranged in a first end of the inlet ring wall, the inlet plenum arranged to provide the gas to the ring hole space through the inlet baffle surrounding at least 180 degrees of the outer perimeter of the ring hole space;
conveying the gas from the inlet plenum into the ring hole space using the inlet baffle surrounding at least 180 degrees of the outer perimeter of the ring hole space;
exhausting the gas and other matter out of the ring hole space using an exhaust channel formed within a second end of the inlet ring wall and an exhaust outlet hole arranged in the second end of the inlet ring wall; and
inhibiting deposition of material evolved from the substrate during curing using the purge ring.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein supplying the gas to the inlet plenum includes supplying the gas to the inlet plenum in a first direction, conveying the gas from the inlet plenum into the ring hole space includes conveying the gas in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, and exhausting the gas and other matter out of the ring hole space includes exhausting the gas and other matter out of the exhaust outlet hole in the first direction.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the inlet baffle surrounds at least 270 degrees of the outer perimeter of the ring hole space.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein a width of the inlet plenum increases from the gas inlet hole to the inlet baffle.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein a width of the exhaust channel decreases from the ring hole space to the exhaust outlet hole.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the inlet baffle includes a continuous slit surrounding at least 180 degrees of the outer perimeter of the ring hole space.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the inlet baffle includes a slit that fluidly connects the inlet plenum to the ring hole space.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The method of claim 7, wherein the slit slants upward from the inlet plenum to the ring hole space.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the inlet baffle includes a plurality of slots surrounding at least 180 degrees of the outer perimeter of the ring hole space.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the purge ring further comprises:
a lower part including separate first and second recessed portions; and
an upper part including the gas inlet hole and the exhaust outlet hole,
wherein the upper part is arranged on top of the lower part, the first recessed portion and the upper part define the inlet plenum, and the second recessed portion and the upper part define the exhaust channel.