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US 5,492,862 AGranted
Vacuum change neutralization method
AssigneeTokyo Electron Limited
InventorTakahiro Misumi
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A vacuum processing method including the steps of generating plasma of a charge neutralizing medium by plasma generating means in a vacuum process chamber, and supplying the charge neutralizing medium in the plasma state to an object during transportion in the vacuum process chamber, thereby neutralizing a charge on the object. With this method, the object can be smoothly transported in a vacuum atmosphere after treatment and adhesion of particles to the object is prevented.
Claims4
A vacuum processing method comprising the steps of:
- generating thermoelectrons by thermoelectron generating means, during and after a treatment of an object, in a vacuum process chamber to neutralize a charge on the object;
- extracting the generated thermoelectrons by a positive voltage causing them to collide with gas molecules in the vacuum process chamber, thereby generating ions and secondary electrons;
- and
- supplying the ions and secondary electrons into the vacuum process chamber to reneutralize a charge on the object during transportation of the object during a vacuum atmosphere.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.