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Heater Foamtec Logo Reflector
Heater Reflector
Vacuum Chamber PM Technique
Novellus INOVA NeXT Degas Chamber
OBJECTIVE:

TO EFFECTIVELY PM THE NOVELLUS INOVA NeXT DEGAS CHAMBER IN A TIMELY MANNER, WHILE HELPING TO IMPROVE TOOL PERFORMANCE AND REDUCING PARTICLE PROBLEMS ASSOCIATED WITH JUST WIPING CHAMBER WITH STANDARD FAB WIPERS
 
Vacuum Chamber: NOVELLUS INOVA NeXT DEGAS CHAMBER    
Vacuum Chamber Process Residue: PROCESS INDUCED RESIDUE
Vacuum Chamber Components: CHAMBER HEATER AND REFLECTOR
Old Procedure: Wipe down with standard fab wipers
Recovery time: Varies with particle issues
Interval: Varies based on process application
New Procedure: <1 hour using FWCC High Performance PM Technique
ABLE TO BRING CHAMBER BACK TO LIKE NEW CONDITION
Recovery time: IMPROVED RECOVERY TIME
WITH PARTICLE REDUCTION
Foamtec products
Vacuum Chamber Products:

NOVELLUS INOVA DEGAS PM KIT
 
 
Novellus INOVA NeXT Degas Chamber PM Procedure:
 
DEGAS CHAMBER HEATER CLEAN:
View “How to” instructional videos on http://foamtecintlwcc.com/video/
Step 1: Lightly dampen the HT5291K PolyCHECK® Inspection Wiper with IPA and wipe all the surface areas around the top of the Inova NeXT Degas Chamber to remove any airborne particles that have accumulated around the chamber (See Fig 1, 2 & 3)
Wiping down chamber. Accumulated particles.
Step 2: Stage the HT9423 CushionPAD onto a flat surface that will hold the Inova degas chamber top
 
Step 3: Using proper procedures and safety guidelines remove the chamber top from the Inova degas Chamber and place onto HT9423 CushionPAD for protection (See Fig 4)
Top removed
Fig 4: Degas Chamber with top removed
Step 4: In preparation for Degas clean, place a series of standard fab wipers along the outer edge of the Degas Heater for protection (See Fig 5 & 6)
 
Fab wipers on outer edge
Step 5: Lightly dampen the HT4754 UltraSOLV® Sponge with DI water (See Fig 7)
 
 
Lightly dampen Sponge
  
 
Fig 7:  Lightly dampening UltraSOLV® Sponge with DI water
  
 
 
Step 6: Take lightly dampened HT4754 UltraSOLV® Sponge and wipe down all areas throughout Degas Chamber (See Fig 8, 9 & 10)
 
Wiping chamber
 
Step 7: Lightly dampen the HT4580D ScrubPAD with DI water and proceed to scrub off deposition from the top of the Degas Heater (See Fig 11 &12)
 
Scrubbing top of heater
 
NOTE: DURING SCRUB OF DEGAS HEATER, ENSURE TO SCRUB ONLY THE AREAS BETWEEN SAPPHIRE BALLS (GROUNDING PINS) AND LIFT PINS (See Fig 13)
 
Scrub sapphire balls and lift pins
 
Step 8: Use lightly dampened UltraSOLV® Sponge to remove the deposition from the scrubbed areas on the Degas Heater (See Fig 14)
Wiping DeGas heater
Step 9: As Diamond ScrubPAD becomes filled with deposition, pull the ScrubPAD across the dampened UltraSOLV® Sponge to unload the ScrubPAD of deposition (See Fig 15, 16 & 17)
ScrubPAD loaded with deposition
Pull ScrubPAD across sponge
Unloaded ScrubPAD
Fig 15: ScrubPAD loaded with deposition
Fig 16: Pull ScrubPAD across UltraSOLV® Sponge
Fig 17: Unloaded ScrubPAD
Step 10: Unload UltraSOLV® Sponge of deposition by rinsing with DI water (See Fig 18 & 19)
Loaded UltraSOLV Sponge
UltraSOLV after rinse
Fig 18: Loaded-up UltraSOLV® Sponge
Fig 19: UltraSOLV® Sponge AFTER rinse
NOTE: ENSURE TO KEEP UltraSOLV® SPONGE ONLY SLIGHTLY DAMPENED WITH DI WATER               
 
Step 11: Continue to scrub the remaining areas of the Degas Heater ensuring to unload the Diamond ScrubPAD and UltraSOLV® Sponge as necessary
 
Step 12: When scrub is complete, dampen a single HT5790S MiraWIPE® with IPA and wipe off the entire Degas Heater
 
Step 13: Closely inspect the Degas Heater and, using the technique described above, re-scrub any areas where deposition was missed 
 
NOTE: ENSURE TO CONCENTRATE ALONG THE TOP EDGE OF THE DEGAS HEATER, AS THAT IS AN AREA MOST LIKELY FILLED WITH DEPOSITION (See Fig 20 & 21)
 
Depostion on outer edge
 
Step 14: When the entire surface of the Degas Heater has been completely cleaned of deposition, dampen an HT5790S MiraWIPE® with IPA and wipe down the entire Degas Heater (See Fig 22 & 23)
 
Dampening MiraWIPE. Wiping Heater.
 
IMPORTANT NOTE:
 
MUST USE HT5790S MiraWIPES® AND HT1511FC MiraSWABS® DURING WIPE PORTION OF PROCEDURE TO EFFECTIVELY REMOVE PARTICLE DEFECTS FROM NOVELLUS INOVA PVD PROCESS CHAMBER
 
Figure below shows how much more deposition the Foamtec International MiraWIPE® can remove from a critical surface compared to the standard fab wiper, making the MiraWIPE® FINAL WIPE PROCEDURE the most CRITICAL STEP of the PM procedure (See Fig 24a & 24b)
MiraWIPES are more effective
Fig 24a: Current fab wiper after completely wiping chamber
Fig 24b: Particles picked up using HT5790S MiraWIPES® after completely wiping with current fab wiper
Red Arrow
Red Arrow
 
MiraWIPES® are the KEY STEP for DEFECT REDUCTION and IMPROVED TOOL RECOVERY
Step 15: Take the HT1511FC MiraSWABS® and dampen with IPA, wipe out all the hard to reach areas and tight corners.  Concentrate on the sapphire balls and lift pins on top of the Degas Heater (See Fig 25, 26 & 27)
 
MiraSWABS. Cleaning sapphire balls. Cleaning out lift pins.
 
Step 16: After using MiraSWABS® to clean out the hard to reach areas along the Degas Heater, take another HT5790S MiraWIPE® dampened with IPA and wipe off Degas Heater to remove any particles that were lifted by the MiraSWABS®
 

DEGAS CHAMBER REFLECTOR CLEAN:
 
Step 17: Fold the HT5790S MiraWIPES® into ¼’s and dampen with IPA
 
Step 18: Using gentle pressure, wipe off the Degas Reflector in a back-to-front motion (See Fig 28)
 
Wiping in back to front motion
 
Step 19: Turn the MiraWIPE® over and refold as necessary to continue exposing a fresh area of the MiraWIPE® during the wiping of the reflector procedure
 
WARNING
 

ENSURE NOT TO USE THE SEALED EDGE OF THE WIPER ON THE MIRROR SURFACE OF THE REFLECTOR AS THIS MIGHT CAUSE SCRATCHES ON THE REFLECTOR
 
Step 20: Continue wiping the Degas Reflector using fresh HT5790S MiraWIPES® dampened with IPA until no more deposition is removed by the MiraWIPES® (See Fig 29)
 
Deposition removed
 
NOTE: DUE TO THE MICROFIBER CHARACTERISTICS OF THE MiraWIPE®, MORE DEPOSITION WILL BE REMOVED FROM THE REFLECTOR THAN BY A STANDARD FAB WIPER (See Fig 30a & 30b)
 
Comparison
 
Step 21: Using additional MiraWIPES® continue wiping all areas of the Degas Chamber top (See Fig 31)
 
Top of Degas Chamber
 
Step 22: Dampen the HT1585FX MiraSWAB® with IPA and reach under the Degas Reflector to wipe the surface behind the reflector (See Fig 32 & 33)
 
Wiping behind reflector
 
Step 23: Use the remaining MiraSWABS® to wipe out all the hard to reach areas, such as: o-ring grooves, view ports (See Fig 34 & 35)
 
Wiping o-ring grooves. Wiping view ports.
 
Step 24: Remove all standard wipers that were placed around Degas Heater (See Fig 36)
 
Removing fab wipers
 
Step 25: Using all remaining MiraWIPES® dampened with IPA and wipe out the entire Degas Chamber one final time, ensuring to reach back into the slit valve areas and underneath the Degas Heater as much as possible (See Fig 37, 38 & 39)
 
Wiping remaining areas
 
Step 26: Using the proper Novellus procedures and safety guidelines return Novellus INOVA NeXT DEGAS CHAMBER back to production