Plasma etcher with heated ash chamber base

Abstract

A semiconductor manufacturing apparatus is described. That apparatus includes an ash chamber that has an ash chamber base, and a heating unit that is coupled to the ash chamber base. The heating unit applies heat to the ash chamber base to reduce deposition of residues onto ash chamber base surfaces, which could cause surface particle defects in a semiconductor device.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A semiconductor manufacturing apparatus comprising: 
 an ash chamber that has an ash chamber base; and    a heating unit, coupled to the ash chamber base, for applying heat to the ash chamber base to reduce deposition of residues onto ash chamber base surfaces, which could cause surface particle defects in a semiconductor device.    
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1  further comprising an etch chamber.  
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 1  further comprising a conduit for circulating a fluid between the ash chamber base and the heating unit.  
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 3  wherein the fluid is water.  
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 4  wherein the heating unit includes a heating element that can heat the fluid to a temperature that is greater than about 50° C.  
     
     
         6 . A semiconductor manufacturing apparatus comprising: 
 a plasma etcher that includes an etch chamber and an ash chamber, the ash chamber having an ash chamber base; and    a heating unit, coupled to the ash chamber base, for applying heat to the ash chamber base to reduce deposition of residues onto ash chamber base surfaces, which could cause surface particle defects in a semiconductor device.    
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 6  further comprising a conduit for circulating a fluid between the ash chamber base and the heating unit.  
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 7  wherein the heating unit includes a heating element that can heat the fluid to a temperature that is greater than about 50° C.  
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 8  wherein the fluid is water.  
     
     
         10 . A method of reducing residue deposition onto ash chamber base surfaces comprising: 
 circulating a fluid from a heating unit to the ash chamber base; and    heating the fluid up to a sufficient temperature to reduce residue deposition onto the ash chamber base surfaces.    
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10  wherein the fluid is water and the water is heated to a temperature of at least about 50° C.  
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11  wherein the fluid is maintained at a selected temperature that is between about 50° C. and about 70° C.  
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12  wherein the fluid temperature is maintained within about 1° C. of the selected temperature.  
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13  further comprising circulating a second fluid through the heating unit to cool the water as it is returned from the ash chamber base.  
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14  wherein the residues comprise byproducts of a plasma that is generated to remove photoresist from the surface of a wafer that contains partially made semiconductor devices.