US 12,394,608 B2
Cleaning system for removing deposits from pump in an exhaust of a substrate processing system
Krishna Birru, Fremont, CA (US); Gang Liu, Fremont, CA (US); Leonard Kho, San Francisco, CA (US); Anand Chandrashekar, Fremont, CA (US); and Gishun Hsu, Fremont, CA (US)
Assigned to LAM RESEARCH CORPORATION, Fremont, CA (US)
Appl. No. 17/252,221
Filed by LAM RESEARCH CORPORATION, Fremont, CA (US)
PCT Filed Jun. 14, 2019, PCT No. PCT/US2019/037330
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Dec. 14, 2020,
PCT Pub. No. WO2019/241718, PCT Pub. Date Dec. 19, 2019.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/685,532, filed on Jun. 15, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2021/0257194 A1, Aug. 19, 2021
Int. Cl. H01J 37/32 (2006.01); H01L 21/67 (2006.01)
CPC H01J 37/32862 (2013.01) [H01J 37/32357 (2013.01); H01J 37/32834 (2013.01); H01L 21/67017 (2013.01)] 17 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An exhaust system for a substrate processing system, comprising:
a radical generator arranged external to and downstream from a processing chamber, the radical generator configured to receive a gas mixture including halogen species and to generate halogen radicals;
a mixing bowl separate from the radical generator and connected to the radical generator to receive the halogen radicals from the radical generator, the mixing bowl being a passive component comprising an inlet configured to receive exhaust from the processing chamber and including a structure within the mixing bowl to collect process deposits from the exhaust, the structure providing additional volume and surface area to increase formation of deposits on internal surfaces of the mixing bowl, the mixing bowl configured to convert the process deposits into gas phase using the halogen radicals received from the radical generator;
a first pump connected to an outlet of the mixing bowl, the first pump configured to pump the process deposits in the gas phase from the mixing bowl, the first pump receiving the halogen radicals from the outlet of the mixing bowl that clean the first pump; and
a first valve configured to selectively fluidly connect an outlet of the radical generator to the inlet of the mixing bowl;
wherein a second inlet of the mixing bowl is fluidly connected to the radical generator.