Semiconductor wafer processor, semiconductor processor gas filtering system and semiconductor processing methods

A semiconductor wafer vapor processor comprising:

• a processing chamber in which a chemical reaction is conducted;
• a gas inlet line extending to the processing chamber and a gas outlet line extending from the processing chamber;
• and
• an electrostatic precipitator associated with at least one of the processing chamber, the gas inlet line or the gas outlet line.

A semiconductor wafer vapor processor comprising:

• a processing chamber in which a chemical reaction is conducted;
• a wafer holder within the processing chamber;
• and
• a particle filter comprising at least two chargeable elements positioned within the processing chamber and spaced from the wafer holder.

A semiconductor wafer vapor deposition reactor comprising:

• a reaction chamber in which a chemical reaction is conducted;
• a wafer holder within the reaction chamber;
• a gas emitter within the reaction chamber proximate the wafer holder, the gas emitter and wafer holder defining a deposition zone therebetween;
• and
• a particle filter within the reaction chamber external of the deposition zone.

A semiconductor wafer vapor deposition reactor comprising:

• a reaction chamber having internal walls within which a chemical reaction is conducted;
• a wafer holder within the reaction chamber;
• and
• at least one selectively chargeable particulate filter plate received within the reaction chamber, the plate being mounted to at least one of the internal chamber walls through an insulator which electrically isolates the plate from the walls.

A semiconductor processor gas filtering system comprising:

• a gas line;
• an electrostatic charge inducer operatively associated with the gas line to impart a charge to particulate flowing within the gas line;
• and
• a selectively chargeable electrically conductive filter associated with the gas line, the chargeable filter being electrically isolated from the gas line and capable of being effectively charged to capture particulate charged within the gas line by the electrostatic charge inducer.

A semiconductor wafer vapor processor comprising:

• a processing chamber having at least one internal wall within which a chemical reaction is conducted;
• a gas inlet line extending to the processing chamber and a gas outlet line extending from the processing chamber;
• a wafer holder within the processing chamber;
• a gas emitter within the processing chamber proximate the wafer holder, the gas emitter and wafer holder defining a deposition zone therebetween;
• a fluid flow path extending from the gas inlet line to the gas outlet line;
• a first electrostatic precipitator received within the processing chamber and supported by the internal wall upstream of the deposition zone;
• a second electrostatic precipitator received within the processing chamber and supported by the internal wall downstream of the deposition zone;
• a third electrostatic precipitator received within the processing chamber and supported by the internal wall downstream of the deposition zone and spaced from the second electrostatic precipitator;
• and
• a fourth electrostatic precipitator received within the processing chamber and supported proximate the gas outlet line.

A semiconductor wafer processing method comprising:

• positioning a semiconductor wafer within a processing chamber;
• with the wafer positioned therein, electrostatically filtering at least one of gas flowing to the chamber, gas flowing within the chamber, or gas flowing from the chamber to retain particles on a collector;
• following the step of electrostatically filtering, removing electrostatic charge from the collector and heating the collector to outgas the retained particles;
• and
• withdrawing the outgassed retained particles from the processing chamber.

A semiconductor wafer vapor processor, comprising:

• a processing chamber configured to contain a process gas during processing of a semiconductor wafer;
• a process gas inlet line entering the processing chamber and configured to deliver process gas into the processing chamber;
• a gas outlet line exiting the processing chamber and configured to exhaust the gas from the processing chamber;
• a wafer deposition zone interposed between the gas inlet line and the gas outlet line, a fluid flow path extending from the process gas inlet line to the wafer deposition zone along which process gas is delivered;
• and
• an active electrostatic precipitator disposed within the processing chamber, removed from the wafer deposition zone, and at a location removed from the fluid flow path so as to provide substantially uninterrupted flow of process gas along the fluid flow path to a wafer present in the wafer deposition zone, the active electrostatic precipitator further operative to remove particles entrained within the gas contained within the processing chamber.