초록 ▼

The invention provides a method for depositing a film on a surface of a semiconductor wafer while preventing formation of defects on the surface of the wafer. The method includes selecting a quartz wafer carrier for holding the semiconductor wafer during the depositing of the film, where the wafer c

The invention provides a method for depositing a film on a surface of a semiconductor wafer while preventing formation of defects on the surface of the wafer. The method includes selecting a quartz wafer carrier for holding the semiconductor wafer during the depositing of the film, where the wafer carrier has quartz rods with fire-polished slots for receiving an edge of the semiconductor wafer. The semiconductor wafer is placed into the quartz wafer carrier with the edge of the wafer disposed within the fire-polished slots, and the wafer carrier and wafer are loaded into a deposition chamber. Air is evacuated from the deposition chamber, the temperature in the chamber is raised to a deposition temperature, the pressure within the deposition chamber is adjusted to a deposition pressure, and process gases are introduced to the deposition chamber. By reaction of the process gases, the film is deposited on the surface of the wafer and on the wafer carrier. Using a wafer carrier having fire-polished slots provides increased adhesion of the deposited film to the wafer carrier. The increased adhesion prevents spalling of the film off of the wafer carrier which causes particles of the film to impact the wafer. Such particle impacts introduce defects to the wafer which would render the wafer unusable. Thus, using a fire-polished wafer carrier introduces significantly fewer defects to a wafer than does using a non-fire-polished wafer carrier. Therefore, the present invention reduces the number of rejected wafers, thereby saving production time and money.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A method for depositing a film on a surface of a semiconductor wafer while preventing formation of defects on the surface of the wafer, the method comprising:(a) selecting a quartz wafer carrier for holding the semiconductor wafer during the depositing of the film, the wafer carrier having quartz

1. A method for depositing a film on a surface of a semiconductor wafer while preventing formation of defects on the surface of the wafer, the method comprising:(a) selecting a quartz wafer carrier for holding the semiconductor wafer during the depositing of the film, the wafer carrier having quartz rods with fire-polished slots for receiving an edge of the semiconductor wafer, the slots extending into the quartz rods to a slot depth, the slots having surfaces that are fire-polished to a polished depth within the slots; (b) placing the semiconductor wafer into the quartz wafer carrier with the edge of the wafer disposed within the fire-polished slots; (c) loading the wafer carrier and the wafer into a deposition chamber; (d) evacuating air from the deposition chamber; (e) heating the wafer carrier and the wafer to a deposition temperature; (f) adjusting pressure within the deposition chamber to a deposition pressure; (g) introducing process gases to the deposition chamber; and (h) depositing the film on the surface of the wafer and on the wafer carrier by reaction of the process gases, where the fire-polished slots provide increased adhesion of the film to the wafer carrier, thereby preventing spalling of the film on the wafer carrier which cause particles of the film to impact the wafer and introduce defects.