IP Library Granted Patent US 8,501,527
Granted Patent B2
US 8,501,527 · App. 13/689,345 · Granted Aug 6, 2013

Deposition chamber cleaning system and method

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,501,527
App. No.
13/689,345
Granted
Aug 6, 2013
Kind
B2
Abstract

An in-situ method of cleaning a vacuum deposition chamber can include flowing at least one reactive gas into the chamber.

Claims (26)

1. A method of cleaning a deposition chamber comprising:

pulsing a reactive gas comprising a hydrogen halide into a deposition chamber containing a metal chalcogenide formed on a deposition chamber surface to form a purgable material; and

purging the purgable material from the deposition chamber.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the purgable material includes a vapor or a particulate.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the hydrogen halide comprises hydrogen chloride.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein purging the purgable material from the deposition chamber comprises pulsing an inert gas into the deposition chamber to flush the purgable material out of the chamber.

5. The method of claim 2 , further comprising heating the deposition chamber to maintain the purgable vapor material as a vapor.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising introducing a chemically reactive plasma into the deposition chamber to react with metal chalcogenide.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising pulsing a second reactive gas into the deposition chamber after pulsing the reactive gas into the deposition chamber.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the second reactive gas comprises an acid, oxygen, fluorine, or tetrafluoromethane.

9. The method of claim 4 , wherein the inert gas comprises helium or nitrogen.

10. A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, comprising:

transporting a substrate into a deposition chamber;

forming a buffer layer adjacent to the substrate, wherein forming the buffer layer comprises pulsing at least one metal precursor and pulsing at least one chalcogen precursor into the chamber;

transporting the substrate with the deposited buffer layer out of the chamber; and

pulsing a reactive gas comprising a hydrogen halide into the deposition chamber to react with a metal chalcogenide formed on a deposition chamber surface to form a purgable material; and

purging the purgable material from the deposition chamber.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the purgable material comprises a vapor or a particulate.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the hydrogen halide comprises hydrogen chloride.

13. The method of claim 10 , wherein purging the purgable material from the deposition chamber comprises pulsing an inert gas into the deposition chamber to flush the purgable material out of the chamber.

14. The method of claim 11 , further comprising heating the deposition chamber to maintain the purgable vapor material as a vapor.

15. The method of claim 10 , further comprising pulsing a second reactive gas into the deposition chamber after pulsing the reactive gas, wherein the second reactive gas comprises a material selected from the group consisting of an acid, oxygen, fluorine, and tetrafluoromethane.

16. The method of claim 10 , wherein the inert gas comprises a material selected from the group consisting of helium and nitrogen.

17. The method of claim 10 , further comprising heating the substrate before pulsing a precursor.

18. The method of claim 10 , further comprising forming a chemically reactive plasma in the deposition chamber to react with the metal chalcogenide.

19. The method of claim 10 , wherein the semiconductor device comprises a photovoltaic device.

Assignments (7)
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Feb 13, 2026
From: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A.
To: FIRST SOLAR, INC.
Reel/Frame 074858/0364 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jul 10, 2023
From: FIRST SOLAR, INC.
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
Reel/Frame 064237/0462 →
TERMINATION AND RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENT RIGHTS Recorded Nov 15, 2021
From: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A.
To: FIRST SOLAR, INC.
Reel/Frame 058132/0566 →
TERMINATION AND RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENT RIGHTS Recorded Nov 15, 2021
From: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A.
To: FIRST SOLAR, INC.
Reel/Frame 058132/0261 →
PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Jul 12, 2017
From: FIRST SOLAR, INC.
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
Reel/Frame 043177/0581 →
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE PATENT APPLICATION 13/895113 ERRONEOUSLY ASSIGNED BY FIRST SOLAR, INC. TO JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A. ON JULY 19, 2013 PREVIOUSLY RECORDED ON REEL 030832 FRAME 0088. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE CORRECT PATENT APPLICATION TO BE ASSIGNED IS 13/633664. Recorded Sep 19, 2014
From: FIRST SOLAR, INC.
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A.
Reel/Frame 033779/0081 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Jul 19, 2013
From: FIRST SOLAR, INC.
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A.
Reel/Frame 030832/0088 →