| 摘要 |
The silicon surface of a wafer is cleaned at room temperature in a separate pre-clean chamber prior to epitaxial deposition. Fluorine atoms generated, for example, from NF3 gas, enter the pre-clean chamber, contact the silicon surface, and etch away native oxide, contaminated silicon, and other damage incurred from prior wafer processes. The cleaned wafer is then transferred in an oxygen-free environment to a deposition chamber, for epitaxial deposition. By cleaning at reduced temperatures, autodoping, slip, and other stress-related problems are alleviated. By using a separate chamber for cleaning, system throughput is increased when compared to prior systems using conventional cleaning methods.
|
