U.S. patent application number 09/740045 was filed with the patent office on 2001-12-13 for gate valve for an integrated temperature controlled exhaust and cold trap assembly.
This patent application is currently assigned to Applied Materials, Inc.. Invention is credited to Chen, James Jin-Long, Ellwanger, Russell C., Huston, Joel, Lei, Lawrence Chung-Lai, Rose, Ronald L., Umotoy, Salvador P..
Application Number | 20010050053 09/740045 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 23079654 |
Filed Date | 2001-12-13 |
United States Patent
Application |
20010050053 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Umotoy, Salvador P. ; et
al. |
December 13, 2001 |
Gate valve for an integrated temperature controlled exhaust and
cold trap assembly
Abstract
A temperature-controlled exhaust assembly with cold trap
capability. One embodiment of the exhaust assembly comprises a
multi-heater design which allows for independent multi-zone
closed-loop temperature control. Another embodiment comprises a
compact multi-valve uni-body design incorporating a single heater
for simplified closed-loop temperature control. The cold trap
incorporates a heater for temperature control at the inlet of the
trap to minimize undesirable deposits. One embodiment also
comprises a multi-stage cold trap and a particle trap. As a
removable unit, this cold trap provides additional safety in the
handling and disposal of the adsorbed condensables.
Inventors: |
Umotoy, Salvador P.;
(Antioch, CA) ; Lei, Lawrence Chung-Lai;
(Milpitas, CA) ; Ellwanger, Russell C.; (San Juan
Bautista, CA) ; Rose, Ronald L.; (Los Gatos, CA)
; Huston, Joel; (San Jose, CA) ; Chen, James
Jin-Long; (San Jose, CA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Patent Counsel
Applied Materials, Inc.
3050 Bowers Avenue
P.O. Box 450A
Santa Clara
CA
95052
US
|
Assignee: |
Applied Materials, Inc.
|
Family ID: |
23079654 |
Appl. No.: |
09/740045 |
Filed: |
December 19, 2000 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
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09740045 |
Dec 19, 2000 |
|
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09281998 |
Mar 29, 1999 |
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6206971 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
118/715 ;
251/356 |
Current CPC
Class: |
Y10S 55/15 20130101;
B01D 8/00 20130101; Y10S 55/30 20130101; C23C 16/4412 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
118/715 ;
251/356 |
International
Class: |
C23C 016/00; F16K
001/00 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. An exhaust assembly for a semiconductor processing chamber
comprising: a conduit for exhaust gases having at least one heater
and one temperature sensor attached thereto; and a cold trap
connected to said conduit comprising an inlet heated to a first
temperature and a surface cooled to a second temperature.
2. The exhaust assembly of claim 1, wherein said exhaust assembly
has a plurality of heaters and temperature sensors connected to a
closed-loop control unit to maintain said plurality of heaters at
predetermined temperatures.
3. The exhaust assembly of claim 1, wherein said cold trap further
comprises a heater and a temperature sensor disposed around an
inlet of said cold trap and said heater and temperature sensor are
connected to a closed-loop control unit to maintain said inlet at a
temperature within a range of about 150-200.degree. C.
4. The exhaust assembly of claim 1, wherein said conduit is
maintained at a temperature within a range of about 150-200.degree.
C.
5. The exhaust assembly of claim 1, wherein said cold trap
comprises: a plurality of interconnecting chambers; and a cooling
coil abutting at least one wall of a chamber.
6. The exhaust assembly of claim 1, wherein said cold trap
comprises a housing having an inlet opening, an outlet opening, and
a multi-stage adsorbing structure disposed inside said housing
between said inlet opening and said outlet opening.
7. The exhaust assembly of claim 6, wherein said multistage
adsorbing structure comprises: a plurality of baffle plates
disposed inside said housing so as to form a plurality of
compartments; and each of said plurality of compartments is defined
by a plurality of surfaces wherein a first surface has at least a
first aperture defined therein and a second surface has at least a
second aperture defined therein.
8. The exhaust assembly of claim 7, wherein each aperture of said
surfaces defining one of said compartments is disposed to be offset
from each of said apertures of other surfaces defining said one
compartment.
9. The exhaust assembly of claim 6, wherein said cold trap further
comprises: a first valve connected to said housing at said inlet
opening and a second valve connected to said housing at said outlet
opening; wherein said cold trap can be isolated from said conduit
of said exhaust assembly by closing said first and second valves;
and said isolated cold trap, said first and second valves form a
unitary sealed assembly removable from said conduit.
10. An exhaust assembly for a semiconductor wafer processing system
comprising: a unitary valve body; and a multi-stage trap assembly
connected to said unitary valve body having at least one isolating
valve located between said unitary valve body and said trap
assembly.
11. The exhaust assembly of claim 10, wherein said exhaust assembly
further comprises: a heater and a temperature sensor disposed in
said unitary valve body; and a closed-loop control unit connected
to said heater and said temperature sensor to maintain said conduit
at a predetermined temperature.
12. The exhaust assembly of claim 10, wherein said multi-stage trap
assembly comprises a housing having a first opening and a second
opening, a multi-stage cold trap and a particle trap.
13. An exhaust assembly for a semiconductor wafer processing
system, comprising: a unitary valve body; a multi-stage trap
assembly connected to said unitary valve body having at least one
isolating valve located between said unitary valve body and said
trap assembly, a housing having a first opening and a second
opening, a multi-stage cold trap and a particle trap; said
multi-stage cold trap further comprises a plurality of baffle
plates cooled to a predetermined temperature, said plurality of
baffle plates defining a plurality of compartments inside said
housing; wherein said first housing opening provides an entrance to
a first compartment; said second housing opening provides an exit
out of a second compartment; and each one of said remaining
compartments is connected to at least two adjacent compartments by
apertures defined in two baffle plates.
14. The exhaust assembly of claim 13, wherein said plurality of
baffle plates are cooled to said predetermined temperature by a
cooling coil in physical contact with said baffle plates, and said
predetermined temperature is maintained by flowing a heat transfer
medium through said cooling coil.
15. The exhaust assembly of claim 13, wherein each of said
apertures of baffle plates defining adjacent compartments is
disposed to be offset from each other.
16. The exhaust assembly of claim 10, wherein said multistage trap
assembly and said isolating valve are removable from said unitary
valve body as a unitary sealed assembly.
17. The exhaust assembly of claim 16, wherein said valve is a
compact gate valve comprising: a first plate having a first opening
and an inside surface which is sloped with respect to an outside
surface of said first plate; a second plate having a second opening
and an inside surface which is sloped with respect to an outside
surface of said second plate; a wedge-shaped gate disposed between
said first plate and said second plate; wherein said wedge-shaped
gate can be disposed in a sealing contact position against both
inside surfaces of said first and second plate to isolate said
first opening from said second opening.
Description
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application contains subject matter that is related to
commonly-assigned U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/211,998,
entitled "High Temperature Chemical Vapor Deposition Chamber",
filed on Dec. 14, 1998, which is herein incorporated by
reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE
[0002] 1. Field of the Invention
[0003] The invention relates to a temperature controlled exhaust
assembly for a semiconductor wafer processing system and, more
particularly, to an integrated exhaust assembly having temperature
control with cold trap capability.
[0004] 2. Description of the Background Art
[0005] In the development of wafer processing equipment for device
manufacture, the design of an exhaust system may be as important as
that for the process chamber. Many, if not most, of the processes
used in semiconductor device fabrication involve either corrosive
or toxic chemical precursors. Very often, the process reactions
lead to similarly toxic by-products, or leave undesirable deposits
on interior surfaces of the chamber and/or exhaust assembly.
Therefore, the design of an exhaust system should address
environmental concerns and safety considerations for operating
personnel, as well as the need for ease of maintenance of system
components.
[0006] Different types of traps are commercially available for use
in an exhaust line to trap a variety of chemicals. Examples include
molecular sieve traps which work by chemisorption and cold
temperature traps for trapping condensable materials. Off-the-shelf
cold traps typically involve only a single stage design, and may
not have sufficient trapping efficiency to meet certain processing
demands. One example of a process that exceeds the capabilities of
existing cold traps is the deposition of titanium nitride (TiN)
film from a reaction between titanium tetrachloride (TiCl.sub.4)
and ammonia (NH.sub.3). In addition to the reaction products
titanium nitride (TiN), nitrogen (N.sub.2) and hydrogen chloride
(HCl), other by-products such as adduct ammonia salts are formed.
It is found that existing single-stage cold traps cannot
effectively trap reaction byproducts under certain operating and
pumping conditions, resulting in the need for additional design
remedies.
[0007] Another level of complexity also arises because the nature
of the material deposit from the TiCl.sub.4/NH.sub.3 reaction is
temperature dependent. Therefore, TiN film deposition is often
performed at a temperature of preferably above 600.degree. C. In
designing a TiN deposition chamber using a high temperature
reaction, it is also desirable to maintain the exterior chamber
walls at a lower temperature to ensure the safety of operating
personnel. Such a high temperature chemical vapor deposition
chamber for TiN film deposition is described in a commonly-assigned
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/211,998, entitled "High
Temperature Chemical Vapor Deposition Chamber", filed on Dec. 14,
1998, and is herein incorporated by reference. This high
temperature chamber comprises a heated liner which is thermally
isolated from the chamber body such that the chamber exterior
remains at a temperature of about 60.degree. C. Since TiN film or
reaction by-products are also deposited on the interior surfaces of
the chamber, periodic chamber cleaning is needed to maintain
reliable process performance. It is known in the art that for the
TiCl.sub.4/NH.sub.3 based chemistry, a small amount of TiN film is
formed at a temperature between 150.degree. C. to 250.degree. C.
This film can readily be removed by a chlorine-based chamber
cleaning process. Below 150.degree. C., however, an adduct salt
powder deposit is formed, but it is resistant to the chlorine-based
cleaning process. It is thus highly desirable to maintain the
interior walls of the chamber and exhaust assembly at a temperature
between 150.degree. C. to 250.degree. C. to facilitate routine
chamber cleaning and system maintenance.
[0008] Therefore, a need exists in the art for a temperature
controlled exhaust system.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0009] The present invention is a temperature-controlled exhaust
assembly with cold trap capability, which can be used in
conjunction with a variety of process chambers for different
semiconductor wafer processing applications. Specifically, the
inventive exhaust assembly contains a conduit for exhaust gases
that has at least one attached heater and temperature sensor, and a
cold trap connected to the conduit. By maintaining the temperature
of the conduit within a range appropriate for the specific process,
deposit formation on the interior walls of the conduit can be
controlled to reduce the frequency of routine chamber maintenance.
A water-cooled cold trap is also provided to adsorb any
condensables from the exhaust gases prior to an exhaust pumping
system. The present invention has been used in conjunction with a
high temperature chemical vapor deposition chamber for TiN film
deposition using a TiCl.sub.4/NH.sub.3 chemistry. Since the nature
and property of the deposit from this reaction is temperature
dependent, it is important to carefully control the chamber
temperature in order to achieve optimal process and chamber
performance. For example, chamber maintenance is greatly
facilitated by maintaining the exhaust assembly within a
temperature range of about 150-250.degree. C., because the TiN
deposit formed on the interior surfaces of the exhaust assembly can
readily be removed by a chlorine-based chamber cleaning process. A
cold trap is also provided to adsorb condensables, such as hydrogen
chloride (HCl), or other reaction by-products from the exhaust
gases.
[0010] One embodiment of the invention comprises a multi-heater
design, which incorporates a total of six external heaters to heat
different portions of the exhaust assembly. Each heater also has an
associated temperature sensor to allow for independent closed-loop
feedback control by a controller. Furthermore, this embodiment
incorporates a single stage multi-loop coil cold trap as an
integral component of the exhaust assembly. The cold trap comprises
a single baffle plate located close to the entrance of the trap,
and a multi-loop cooling coil carrying cooling water at a
temperature of about 20-25.degree. C. Condensables from the exhaust
gases are adsorbed onto surfaces of the baffle plate and coil. When
used in conjunction with the TiN deposition chamber using
TiCl.sub.4/NH.sub.3 chemistry, the entire exhaust assembly is
maintained within the same temperature range of 150-200.degree. C.
While this particular application does not take full advantage of
the multi-heater design by using a variety of temperatures, it is
recognized that this embodiment can potentially provide process
control flexibility through independent multi-zone temperature
control.
[0011] Another embodiment comprises a compact integrated
multi-valve uni-body assembly with a single heater that controls
the temperature of the assembly. Several valves are mounted onto a
single aluminum body which also accommodates a thermoelectric
heater and a temperature sensor. For applications requiring
temperature control within a single range, this single-heater
design greatly simplifies the closed-loop temperature control
operation. The unique compact multi-valve uni-body design allows
for easy control within a temperature range of about
150-200.degree. C. when used in conjunction with the high
temperature TiN deposition chamber.
[0012] The valve body also provides vacuum ports for adapting to a
removable multi-stage trap assembly, which incorporates a
multi-stage cold trap and a particle trap. The cold trap provides
multi-stage adsorption through a series of cold baffle plates. The
baffle plates contain an arrangement of apertures that are offset
from each other. As such, the probability of collisions between gas
molecules and the baffle plate surfaces is increased, leading to
significant improvement in trapping efficiency for condensables
such as HCl, or other reaction by-products.
[0013] This embodiment provides added operational flexibility
because the multi-stage trap can readily be isolated and removed
from the rest of the exhaust assembly. By closing two compact
shut-off valves provided respectively at the inlet and outlet of
the trap, the adsorbed condensables can be safely contained within
the trap and transported to other locations for proper disposal.
With its flexible temperature control and compact design, the
exhaust and trap assembly can readily be retrofitted and adapted
for use with any vacuum chamber for a variety of process
applications.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0014] The teachings of the present invention can be readily
understood by considering the following detailed description in
conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:
[0015] FIG. 1a depicts a cross-sectional view of a first embodiment
of a closed-loop temperature controlled exhaust and cold trap
assembly;
[0016] FIG. 1b depicts a schematic diagram for closed-loop
temperature control;
[0017] FIG. 2 depicts a perspective view of a second embodiment of
the present invention, comprising an integrated temperature
controlled exhaust and a multi-stage cold trap;
[0018] FIG. 3a is an exploded perspective view of the multistage
cold trap shown in FIG. 2;
[0019] FIG. 3b is a side view of the multi-stage cold trap shown in
FIG. 2;
[0020] FIG. 4a is a front view of the first vertical baffle plate
shown in FIG. 3b;
[0021] FIG. 4b is a front view of the second vertical baffle plate
shown in FIG. 3b;
[0022] FIG. 5a is a top view of the first horizontal baffle plate
shown in FIG. 3b;
[0023] FIG. 5b is a top view of the second horizontal baffle plate
shown in FIG. 3b;
[0024] FIG. 5c is a top view of the bottom filter plate of the
shown in FIG. 3b;
[0025] FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of an alternative
arrangement of baffle plates inside a multi-stage trap; and
[0026] FIG. 7a is an exploded view of the shut-off valve for use
with the multi-stage cold trap of FIG. 3b; and
[0027] FIG. 7b is a cross-sectional view of the assembled shut-off
valve shown in FIG. 7a.
[0028] To facilitate understanding, identical reference numerals
have been used, where possible, to designate identical elements
that are common to the figures.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0029] Exhaust Assembly with Multi-Zone Heating
[0030] FIG. 1a depicts a cross-sectional view of one embodiment of
a temperature controlled exhaust assembly 100 and its associated
vacuum adapting components 110 that are used to connect it to a
process chamber (not shown). These vacuum adapting components 110
comprise: an adapter plate 101, a thermal insulator 102, an exhaust
tubing (conduit) 103, a band heater 105, a cover plate 104, a
20-torr Baratron 106, and a reducer 107. The annular adapter plate
101 mates directly to a side opening 192 of the process chamber
(not shown), and fits around the outside of an exhaust tubing 103
which extends partly into the side opening 192. A thermal insulator
102 is fitted adjacent to the adapter 101 on the side away from the
process chamber exterior wall 191. This thermal insulator 102
provides insulation between the heated exhaust assembly 100, which
is maintained at a temperature of, for example, about 150.degree.
C., and the process chamber exterior wall 191, which is maintained
at a temperature of about 60-65.degree. C. A stainless steel band
heater 105 circumscribes a substantial portion of the outside wall
of the exhaust tubing 103. An annular cover plate 104 fits over the
outside of the insulator 102, the band heater 105 and the remaining
exhaust tubing 103. In an alternative embodiment, a single flexible
heater (not shown) may also be used to heat both the exhaust tubing
103 and the reducer 107. An insulating jacket 109 made of silicone
material fits over the annular cover plate 104 and the reducer 107
to prevent possible injury to operating personnel. The reducer 107
connects, at its larger diameter opening 117, to the far end 113
(away from the process chamber) of the exhaust tubing 103, and at
its smaller diameter opening 127, to additional components of the
exhaust assembly 100. A 20-torr Baratron pressure gauge 106 is
connected through the side wall of the reducer 107 to monitor the
pressure within the exhaust assembly 100.
[0031] In this embodiment, the exhaust assembly 100 also comprises
a cold trap 150, in addition to several vacuum valves 120, 140, 160
and 170 for controlling the pumping operation. As such, the various
vacuum components (e.g., exhaust tubing 103, reducer 107, cold trap
150, and vacuum valves 120, 160, 170) collectively define a passage
way, or conduit, for the exhaust gases within the exhaust assembly
100. Multi-zone temperature control of the exhaust assembly 100 is
provided by numerous heaters at various locations of the exhaust
assembly 100. These flexible heaters are made of silicone
materials, and are wrapped around the exterior walls of the exhaust
assembly 100 underneath their respective insulating fabric
jackets--these heater/jacket combinations are designated as 125,
145, 155, 165, 175 in FIG. 1a. Thermocouple temperature sensors
(not shown in FIG. 1a) are also provided with these heaters, and
may be used for closed-loop feedback control of the heater
temperature via a control console 199 (see FIG. 1b) comprising a
controller 193.
[0032] FIG. 1b depicts schematically the control console 199
connected to a series of temperature sensors 197.sub.1, 197.sub.2,
. . . , 197.sub.5 (collectively sensors 197.sub.i) and the
associated heaters 198.sub.1, 198.sub.2, . . . , 198.sub.5
(collectively heater 198.sub.i). In this particular embodiment,
each heater 198.sub.i is also connected to a power supply 195 via a
thermostatic switch 196.sub.i. The heaters 198.sub.i and
temperature sensors 197.sub.i, for example, are disposed around the
various valves and vacuum components of the exhaust assembly 100 as
discussed below. As shown in FIG. 1b, all the heaters 198.sub.i are
maintained at the same temperature setting by connecting them in
series to the control console 199. The control console 199
comprises, for example, a Watlow 965 PID controller 193 and several
adjustable temperature interlocks 194. For the current TiN chamber
application, a single point temperature control for the entire
exhaust assembly 100 is found to be adequate. For example,
effective closed-loop temperature control is achieved by monitoring
the temperature sensor 197.sub.2 located around the manual valve
120. As a safety precaution, other sensors 197.sub.1, 197.sub.3,
197.sub.4 and 197.sub.5 are provided with heaters 198.sub.1,
198.sub.2, 198.sub.4 and 198.sub.5 (corresponding to heaters 105,
125, 155 and 165 in FIG. 1a) and are used in conjunction with the
temperature interlocks 194 for "over temperature" control. The
design flexibility in the present invention is further illustrated
in the embodiment shown in FIG. 1b, where over-temperature
protection for the heaters 198.sub.2 (corresponding to heater 125
for the valve 120) and 198.sub.3 (corresponding to heater 145 for
the valve 140) are effectively provided by a single sensor
197.sub.3. Such "shared" protection is possible due to the
proximity of the heaters 125 and 145 to one another. By modifying
connections to the control console 199, the heaters 198 can also be
individually connected to additional power supplies 195 (not shown)
to allow for independent temperature control at different
temperature settings. The heaters, temperature sensors and control
console 199 are customized for the current application and are
available as Applied Materials part number 1410-01304, or Nor-Cal
part number NC-000001-2.
[0033] When used in conjunction with the high temperature TiN
deposition chamber using TiCl.sub.4/NH.sub.3 chemistry, the exhaust
assembly 100, with the exception of the cold trap 150, is
maintained at a temperature of approximately 150-200.degree. C. so
as to reduce undesirable deposits from coating the interior of the
exhaust assembly 100. This embodiment is especially well suited to
other applications which may require separate temperature control
for different parts of the exhaust assembly 100. For example, a
heater 125 (such as 198.sub.2 in FIG. 1b) is used to heat an angle
valve 120, which serves as an inlet valve for the exhaust assembly
100. The angle valve 120 is provided with three vacuum ports, 121,
122 and 123. The valve 120 is connected to a process chamber (not
shown) via the reducer 107 at the inlet port 121, and is connected
at the outlet port 122 to a cold trap 150, which is provided with
its own heater 155, e.g., 198.sub.4 of FIG. 1b. With suitable
modifications, the angle valve 120 and the cold trap 150 can be
independently temperature-controlled, if desired.
[0034] The vacuum port 123 at the side of the angle valve 120 is
connected to the port 141 of a manual valve 140. The manual valve
140, which is fitted with a separate heater 145, such as 198.sub.3
of FIG. 1b, may be used to connect, via a port 142, to other vacuum
accessories or process diagnostic equipment such as a leak detector
or a residual gas analyzer (RGA).
[0035] The cold trap 150 is connected at its inlet 151 to the valve
120, and at its outlet 152 to an isolation valve 160. The cold trap
150 houses a baffle plate 159 and a multi-loop cooling coil 156.
Both the housing 150 and the baffle plate 159 are made of stainless
steel with nickel plating, although other materials are also
acceptable provided that they are chemically compatible with the
process gases used. The baffle plate 159 is mounted close to the
inlet 151 of the cold trap 150, and is suspended from the top 150T
of the cold trap 150 by stainless steel spacers 157, which are
either screwed in or brazed to the baffle plate 159. The cooling
coil 156, which is suspended inside the cold trap 150, is brazed to
the bottom 150B of the cold trap 150. The cooling coil 156 has an
inlet 156i and an outlet 156o. A circulating heat transfer fluid,
such as cooling water, enters the cold trap 150 via the inlet 156i
and leaves via the outlet 156o. The multi-loop coil 156 provides a
large cold surface area for trapping condensables from the exhaust
gases. For example, an inlet water temperature of about
20-25.degree. C. may be used for trapping condensables generated
from a TiCl.sub.4/NH.sub.3 based TiN deposition process. Of course,
other cooling media can also be used as appropriate, especially if
lower temperature application is desired. Although the present
embodiment uses a multi-loop coil, other designs such as cooled
metal strips or fin-like structure may also be used. The key point
is that a larger cooled surface area is preferable in order to
increase the trapping efficiency of the cold trap.
[0036] As shown in FIG. 1a, an external heater 155 (e.g., 198.sub.4
in FIG. 1b) is also used for temperature control around the cold
trap 150. For example, when used in conjunction with the high
temperature TiN deposition chamber, the external heater 155
provides heating around the inlet 151 of the trap 150. With the
heater 155 adjusted for a temperature of about 150.degree. C., and
a cooling coil temperature of about 20-25.degree. C., the
temperature of the baffle plate 159 can be maintained within a
range of 40-700 C. This design of the heater 155 and cooling coil
156 locations leads to a temperature gradient being established
along the cylindrical side 150S of the cold trap 150. For example,
the top 150T of the trap 150 has a temperature of about 70.degree.
C., which decreases to about 45.degree. C. at some intermediate
distance, while the bottom 150B of the trap 150 has a temperature
of about 30.degree. C. The heater 155 serves to minimize deposits
around the inlet 151 and the baffle plate 159. Due to the lower
temperature at the bottom 150B of the trap 150, condensables tend
to deposit there first. Therefore, this particular design helps
minimize excessive deposit build-up towards the inlet 151 of the
trap 150, which would otherwise lead to deterioration of trapping
performance.
[0037] When exhaust gases enter the cold trap 150 through the inlet
151, which is located along a center axis of the cold trap 150,
they are diverted by the baffle plate 159 to flow radially outwards
towards the cylindrical side 150S of the cold trap 150. Some
condensables are trapped onto the baffle plate 159, while most are
trapped onto the cold surface of the multi-loop cooling coil 156.
The remaining exhaust gases are pumped through an axially located
tube-like channel 158 prior to exiting the cold trap 150 via the
outlet 152.
[0038] An isolation valve 160 connects between the outlet 152 of
the cold trap 150 and a throttle valve 170. This isolation valve
160 can be used to isolate the exhaust and cold trap assembly 100
from the pumping foreline 190. The isolation valve 160 is also
used, in conjunction with the throttle valve 170, to allow for
proper sequencing and pressure control during the process and
pump-down cycle. Furthermore, both the isolation valve 160 and the
throttle valve 170 are equipped with external heaters 165 and 175.
The heater 165, for example, corresponds to 1985 shown in FIG. 1b.
The heater 175 used in this embodiment is provided with a built-in
thermostat control, and is not connected to the control console
199. Since the cold trap 150 is not 100% effective in trapping all
condensables from the exhaust gases, heaters 165 and 175 are needed
in order to prevent the formation of undesirable powder deposit
inside the valves 160 and 170. Heater jackets 129, 119a, 119b,
119c, and 119d are also provided around the angle valve 120 and
various clamp areas of the exhaust assembly 100 both to minimize
heat loss and to provide a safe operating environment.
[0039] Although a chlorine-based chamber cleaning process provides
efficient dry cleaning of the interior of the exhaust assembly 100
after each wafer deposition, powder deposits tend to accumulate
after an extended period of wafer processing--e.g., 5000 wafers.
These deposits can readily be removed by cleaning with water or
hydrogen peroxide during periodic maintenance. The use of the
heated exhaust assembly 100 contributes to equipment uptime by
reducing the time required for cleaning and extending the time
interval between chamber cleans. Integrated exhaust assembly
Another embodiment of the present invention comprises an integrated
uni-body exhaust assembly 200 shown in a perspective view in FIG.
2. In this embodiment, a single valve body 205 houses several
valves 210, 220, 230, 240 and vacuum ports 212, 231 for adapting to
a removable cold trap 300. The valve body 205 is fitted with a
single cartridge heater (not shown) within recess 201 and a
thermocouple sensor (not shown) within recess 202 for temperature
monitor and control. This embodiment encompasses a unique compact
design, whose size is reduced to almost 1/3 of that of the
multi-heater design illustrated in FIG. 1a. With only one heater
and one temperature sensor, this new design offers a simplified
electrical control and temperature management system for
applications requiring only a single temperature control.
Additional process flexibility and safety is achieved through the
removable multi-stage trap 300, which can be isolated from the
valve body 205 by closing valves 391 and 392 prior to removal of
the trap 300 from the assembly 200.
[0040] Four valves 210, 220, 230, 240 are mounted on a valve body
205 made from a solid block of aluminum having ports and bores for
the valves milled into the block. These valves include: 1) a
manually-operated valve 210 for isolating the process chamber (not
shown) from the exhaust assembly 200; 2) an angle valve 220 for
coupling to other wafer processing system accessories (not shown),
3) a pneumatic valve 230 for isolating the exhaust assembly 200
from the exhaust pump line (not shown), and 4) a throttle valve 240
located between the pneumatic valve 230 and the exhaust pumping
system (not shown) that connects to a vacuum tubing (conduit) 250.
To ensure proper pressure control and sequencing of valve operation
during the process and pump-down cycle, the operation of the
isolation valve 230 is synchronized with the throttle valve 240,
although such synchronized operation is not absolutely necessary to
achieve proper operation of the exhaust assembly 200. Similar to
the embodiment described previously, the various components such as
valves 210, 220, 230, 240, valve body 205, and tubing 250,
collectively define a passageway, or conduit, for exhaust gases
within the exhaust assembly 200.
[0041] The right-angled valve 220 provided at the top of the valve
mounting body 205 allows other accessories to be connected to the
flow path of the exhaust gases for leak testing, or other process
diagnostics purpose. For example, a leak detector unit or a
residual gas analyzer (not shown) can be connected to the side port
222 of the right-angled valve 220 for vacuum leak detection or for
analyzing the exhaust gas composition. The chamber close-off valve
210 has an inlet port 211 which is connected to a process chamber
(not shown) and an outlet port 212 which is connected to a
multi-stage trap 300 via a shut-off valve 391.
[0042] Two recessed openings 201, 202 are provided in the valve
mounting body 205 to accommodate a cartridge heater (not shown) and
a thermocouple temperature sensor (not shown). A thermally
conductive paste is used to line the inside of the opening to
ensure good thermal contact between the heater (not shown) and the
valve body 205. Likewise, a thermocouple is inserted into the
second opening 202, adjacent to the heater. Both the heater and the
thermocouple control are connected as part of a feedback circuit,
similar to FIG. 1b, to a control unit for overall control of the
operation of the process chamber and the exhaust assembly 200. The
unitary valve body design allows the use of a single heater and
thermocouple, which greatly simplifies the closed-loop temperature
control procedure for the exhaust assembly 200. By using different
heaters and thermocouple sensors, temperature control can be
accomplished over a wide range of temperatures for different
process applications. For example, in the case of TiN film
deposition using TiCl.sub.4/NH.sub.3 reaction, the exhaust assembly
200 is maintained at a temperature of about 150.degree. C. The TiN
film deposited on the interior surfaces of the exhaust assembly 200
is readily removed by a thermal chlorine-based cleaning process.
However, after extended wafer processing, a white powder deposit
tends to accumulate inside the exhaust assembly 200. This powder
deposit can easily be cleaned with either water or hydrogen
peroxide during periodic maintenance.
[0043] Multi-Stage Cold Trap
[0044] FIG. 3a and FIG. 3b respectively show an exploded
perspective view and a side view of the multi-stage cold trap 300
which comprises a multi-stage baffle structure 350 enclosed within
a cold trap housing 360 and a cold trap cover 368. An increase in
the trapping efficiency of condensable by-products is achieved by
increasing the collisions between gas molecules and the various
baffle plates which make up the multi-stage baffle structure 350.
As illustrated in FIG. 3a, the multi-stage baffle structure 350 is
cooled by circulating a heat transfer medium inside a cooling coil
399, which is welded onto the baffle structure 350. The baffle
structure 350 is attached to the cold trap cover 368 by two
mounting plates 396 using a plurality of screws 394. The cooling
coil inlet 399i and outlet 399o protrude through two openings 365
on the trap cover 368, with two viton O-rings 393 providing vacuum
sealing against the trap cover 368 from the inside. The multi-stage
baffle structure 350 is secured inside the cold trap 300 by
mounting the cold trap cover 368 onto the housing 360 with a
plurality of screws 398. Fourteen clearance holes 367 on the cold
trap cover 368 and corresponding threaded holes 366 around the
perimeter 360P of the housing 360 are provided for this purpose. A
viton O-ring 397 provides vacuum sealing between the cold trap
housing 360 and the cold trap cover 368. As such, the cold trap 300
can be easily dismantled to facilitate cleaning during periodic
maintenance.
[0045] FIG. 3b shows a side view of the various compartments, or
chambers, 301 through 310 inside the cold trap 300. These
compartments 301-310 are typically defined by four surfaces, which
may either be interior walls (e.g., 360TW, 360FW) of the housing
360 or baffle plates such as 361 or 362. The cold trap 300 can be
visualized as divided into three portions--top 300T, middle 300M,
and bottom 300B. Exhaust gases from the process chamber enter the
top portion 300T of the cold trap 300 via the inlet port 351. The
top portion 300T comprises three compartments 301, 302 and 303
separated by two vertical baffle plates 361 and 362. The first
compartment 301 can be considered an "entrance" compartment. It is
defined by a front wall 360FW of the trap housing 360, a top wall
360TW of the trap housing 360, a vertical baffle plate 361 and a
horizontal baffle plate 382. At this top portion 300T of the cold
trap 300, the front wall 360FW of the housing 360 has an opening
351a (shown in phantom in FIG. 3b) at the inlet port 351 and serves
as an entrance to the cold trap 300. An external heater 395 is
disposed around the exterior of the inlet port 351 of the cold trap
300 to maintain a temperature of about 150.degree. C. This helps
minimize undesirable deposits from forming within the inlet
351.
[0046] The first vertical baffle plate 361 extends from the top
wall 360TW to the bottom wall 360BW of the housing 360, while the
second baffle plate 362 extends from the top wall 360TW to an
intermediate distance about 1/3 along the length of the housing
360. The first vertical plate 361 has three holes or apertures
361a, 361b, 361c arranged as shown in FIG. 4a, which illustrates
the view from the "front" of the cold trap 300. The inlet opening
351a corresponding to the entrance of the trap 300 is shown in
phantom to indicate its relative position with respect to the three
apertures 361a, 361b, 361c in the first vertical baffle plate 361.
In this offset design, the apertures from each apertured surfaces
are located such that when the area of any aperture is projected
along a direction perpendicular to the surface containing that
aperture, the "area of perpendicular projection"should preferably
not overlap or intersect any apertures on another apertured surface
defining the same compartment. That is, the projected area
corresponding to the inlet opening 351a of the housing 360 should
preferably not overlap any of the apertures 361a, 361b, 361c on the
first vertical baffle plate 361. Such an "offset" design increases
the probability that gas molecules exiting from the chamber valve
210 and entering the cold trap 300 strike the first vertical baffle
plate 361 prior to being pumped through the openings or apertures
361a, 361b; 361c of the first vertical baffle plate 361. Collisions
of gas molecules with the cold baffle plate 361 cause molecules to
lose kinetic energy, and allows trapping of the molecules onto the
front surface 361F of the baffle plate 361. Of course, some degree
of overlap between different apertures is not precluded from the
present invention.
[0047] FIG. 4b shows the second vertical baffle plate 362 with two
apertures 362a, 362b arranged to be individually offset from the
three apertures 361a, 361b, 361c of the first vertical baffle plate
361. The "areas of perpendicular projection" of the three apertures
361a, 361b, 361c of the first vertical plate 361 are shown in
phantom. The baffle plate apertures used in the present invention
are approximately 2 in. (50.8 mm) in diameter. Dimensions cited in
this embodiment are for illustrative purposes only, and other
variations can also be used without detracting from the spirit of
the present invention. For optimal trapping efficiency, the offset
design should be used to position each of the openings or apertures
within the trap 300.
[0048] Returning to FIG. 3b, the middle portion 300M of the cold
trap 300 comprises three compartments 304, 305 and 306 respectively
defined by the back wall 360BW of the housing 360, the first
vertical plate 361 and different combinations of two of the four
horizontal plates 371, 372, 373 and 374.
[0049] The first (top) and the last (bottom) horizontal plates 371,
374 are identical in design, and extend across the entire width of
the trap assembly housing 360. The second and third plates 372, 373
extend only partially across the housing 360--from the back 360BW
to about 2/3 of the width, where it is brazed to the first vertical
baffle plate 361. Although these plates can be screw-mounted to
each other, brazing is preferred because it ensures efficient
thermal conduction among the components of the cold trap 300.
Similar to the vertical baffle plates 361, 362 the horizontal
plates 371-374 are also provided with apertures which are arranged
to be offset from those in successive, or adjacent plates. A top
view of the first horizontal baffle plate 371 is shown in FIG. 5a,
with the aperture 372a for the second horizontal baffle plate 372
shown in phantom.
[0050] Another compartment 310 is defined by the horizontal plates
381, 382, the first vertical baffle plate 361, and the front wall
360FW of the housing 360. This compartment 310 can be thought of as
an "exit" compartment because it is connected to the exhaust
assembly 100 via an opening 352a in the housing wall 360FW through
an outlet 352 and a shut-off valve 392. Exhaust gases that enter
the multi-stage cold trap 300 via the inlet valve 391 travel
through the various compartments 301-310 before exiting the cold
trap 300 via the outlet 352.
[0051] As shown in FIGS. 3a and 3b, a cooling coil 399 is welded or
brazed in a meander pattern to the vertical and horizontal baffle
plates 361, 362, 371, 372, 373, 374 starting from one side of the
housing 360 across to the other side, where a similar meander
pattern is provided along the baffle plates 361, 362, 371, 372, 373
and 374. This allows a heat transfer medium, such as cooling water,
to travel from a coolant inlet 399i adjacent to the bottom plate
374 to the top horizontal baffle plate 371, along the direction
shown by the arrows 3 in FIG. 3b. The heat transfer medium then
continues across to the other side (not shown) of the housing 360,
and exits from an outlet opening (not shown). In this embodiment,
the cooling coil 399 is made of nickel-plated aluminum because of
the need for compatibility with chlorine, which is used in a
chamber clean process. Of course, other suitable materials may also
be used, as long as they satisfy the requirements of good thermal
conductivity and chemical compatibility with the exhaust and
cleaning process gases. With an inlet water temperature around
20-25.degree. C., the temperature of the baffle plates can be
maintained between 20-25.degree. C., while that of the trap body is
between 45-70.degree. C.
[0052] The bottom portion 300B of the cold trap 300 comprises three
compartments 307, 308, 309 which are separated by two vertical
baffle plates 363, 361. These vertical baffle plates 363, 361 are
designed and arranged in similar fashions as previously described
for the plates 362, 361 in the top portion 300T. That is, exhaust
gas molecules undergo successive collisions with adjacent baffle
plates as they travel from one compartment to the next. With this
multi-stage design, the cold trap 300 offers a trapping efficiency
approaching 95% for 2 .mu.m size particles.
[0053] All the baffle plates 361-363, 371-374, and the housing 360
in the present invention are made of nickel-plated aluminum in
order to ensure chemical compatibility with chlorine, which is used
in a chamber cleaning process. Of course, depending on the specific
process applications, other materials such as stainless steel can
also be used as long as they have the requisite chemical
compatibility and thermal properties suitable for cold trap
applications. Therefore, materials used in this embodiment are
meant to be illustrative only, and do not represent inherent
limitations in the present invention.
[0054] Although the baffle plates 361-363, 371-374 of the present
invention are arranged in vertical and horizontal directions, they
are by no means the only possible arrangements. In fact, each of
the compartments 301-310 within the trap 300 may be defined by
different combinations of baffle plates or interior walls of the
housing 360. For example, a compartment 601 may be formed by only
three surfaces as illustrated in a cross-sectional view of FIG. 6.
Two of these surfaces may be baffle plates 611, 612 each having at
least one aperture 611a, 612a and the third surface 613 may be
disposed at an angle 0 with respect to the baffle plate 611. Gas
molecules entering this compartment 601 through the aperture 611a
of the baffle plate 611 collide with the third surface 613. Some
molecules will be adsorbed onto the surface 613 while others will
scatter off and further collide with baffle plates 611 or 612. The
location of the aperture 612a should preferably be selected such
that molecules can exit via the aperture 612a only after multiple
collisions with surfaces 611, 612 and 613. Therefore, the present
invention encompasses design variations which seek to minimize the
probability of molecules passing through a trapping structure via a
direct, non-collisional path; as well as those which seek to
maximize the collisions between exhaust gas molecules and cold
surfaces.
[0055] Referring back to FIG. 3b, exhaust gases, after exiting the
compartment 309 of the cold trap 300, enter a particle filter 380,
which comprises a bottom filter plate 381 with several slots 381a,
381b, 381c, 381d (see FIG. 5c for a top view of plate 381) and a
solid top filter plate 382. Particles in the exhaust gases are
trapped by a filtering material, such as a fine stainless steel
gauze pad, placed between the bottom and the top filter plates 381
and 382, which is effective for trapping particles with diameters
above 2 .mu.m. This filter material is replaced during routine
maintenance. In general, different types of filtering materials can
be selected to trap particles of various sizes. Access to the
particle filter 380 is provided by an access port 385 on the side
360S of the cold trap housing 360. (See FIG. 3a.) A filter cover
388 is mounted over the access port 385 with a plurality of screws
384, and a viton O-ring 386 is used to provide sealing between the
filter cover 388 and the cold trap housing 360.
[0056] Shut-off Valves
[0057] Two custom-designed shut-off valves 391, 392 are provided at
the inlet 351 and outlet 352 of the trap 300 for sealing the trap
300 from the exhaust assembly 200. This facilitates the periodic
cleaning procedure by allowing the cold trap 300 to be removed and
transported with the trapped by-products safely contained therein.
In the case of the TiN film deposition process, one of the reaction
products is hydrogen chloride (HCl), which turns into hydrochloric
acid upon exposure to moisture in the air. Therefore, the shutoff
valves 391, 392 allow a safe handling of the cold trap 300 during
maintenance. Alternatively, for process applications which do not
require cold trap capability, the cold trap 300 can readily be
isolated from the exhaust assembly 200 by closing the valves 391,
392.
[0058] The shut-off valve 391 has a very compact design, with a
thickness of only about 0.75 in. (19.1 mm). As such, it offers
design flexibility and can readily be retrofitted to any existing
chamber. While the current model is manually operated, it can
easily be adapted for electronic control by adding a motorized or
solenoid actuator to facilitate movement of the valve. FIG. 7a
shows an exploded view of the shut-off valve 391 (valve 392 is
identical), which adopts a gate valve design, and FIG. 7b is a
cross-sectional view of the assembled valve 391 in its open
position.
[0059] The valve 391 comprises a top plate 700, a gate 727, a
bottom plate 740, and a handle 760. The gate 727, which is attached
to the handle 760 via two parallel shafts 721, 722, is a
wedge-shaped plate that fits between the top plate 700 and the
bottom plate 740. The valve 391 can be open and closed by sliding
the handle 760, and thus the gate 727, along the direction
indicated by the arrow 777.
[0060] As shown in FIG. 7a, the top plate 700 is substantially
rectangular in shape and has an arcuate end 702 on one side and a
rectangular end 701 on the other. An opening 705, which serves as
an inlet of the valve 391, is disposed slightly off-center away
from the rounded end 702. A small protruded portion 708 is provided
around the perimeter of the top plate 700, while a recessed portion
709 is found on the inside surface 707 of the top plate 700. Around
the opening 705, the inside surface 707 is sloped (along the length
indicated by A-B in FIG. 7b) with respect to the outside surface
703, and a groove 708 is provided around the opening 705 on the
inside surface 707 to accommodate an O-ring 798.
[0061] The bottom plate 740 is also provided with an opening 745,
which serves as an outlet of the valve 391. The inside surface 747
of the bottom plate 740 has a protruded portion 749, which is also
sloped (along the length indicated by C-D in FIG. 7b) with respect
to the outside surface 743 of the bottom plate. An O-ring groove
748 is disposed around the opening 745 on the protruded portion 749
of the inside surface 747 to accommodate an O-ring 798.
[0062] When the valve 391 is assembled, the recessed portion 709 of
the top plate 700 interfits with the protruded portion 749 of the
bottom plate 740, such that a space 755 is formed between the top
and bottom plates 700 and 740 (see FIG. 7b). Viewed from the side
(FIG. 7b), the space 755 has a tapered cross-section between A-B
and C-D, and has a rectangular cross-section for the remaining
portion of the space 755. The space 755 is large enough to
accommodate the gate 727 and the shafts 721, 722 to slide freely
between the top plate 700 and the bottom plate 740, along the
direction of the arrow 777. When the valve 391 is closed by moving
the gate 727 between openings 705 and 745, two O-rings 798 located
inside grooves 708, 748 provide sealing for the top plate 700 and
the bottom plate 740 against the gate 727. The protruded portion
708 of the top plate 700 has another groove 776 to accommodate an
O-ring 774 for sealing between the top plate 700 and the bottom
plate 740. The top and bottom plates 700, 740 are held together
using a number of screws 797 through clearance holes 786 in the top
plate 700 and threaded holes 785 in the bottom plate 740.
[0063] As shown in FIG. 7a, the gate 727 is screw-mounted onto the
ends 723, 724 of two cylindrical shafts 721, 722. The other ends
725, 726 of the shafts 721, 722 fit through two holes 715, 716
located at the protruded portion 708 of the top plate 700. Two
screws 795 fit through two clearance holes 765 in the handle 760,
and thread into the ends 725, 726 of the shafts 721, 722. As such,
the handle 760 is attached to the gate 727, and the gate 727 can be
moved inside the space 755 of the valve 391 along the direction of
the arrow 777. The gate 727 is wedge-shaped, tapering towards the
direction of the handle 760 (see FIG. 7b). The taper of the gate
727 matches the sloped portions of the top plate 700 and the bottom
plate 740 (indicated by A-B and CD), and ensures effective sealing
against O-rings 798. This wedge-shape sealing surface design is an
important feature of the gate valve 391. The reduced friction
between the gate 727 and O-rings 798 allows the valve 391 to be
opened and closed with much less force than otherwise possible, and
also reduces wear on the O-rings 798 as they seal against the gate
727.
[0064] FIG. 7b shows the assembled valve 391 coupled to two KF
flanges 790 and 794 being held in place by clamps 791. An O-ring
groove 706 is provided around the opening 705 on the outside
surface 703 of the top plate 700. An O-ring 796 seals against the
flange 790, such as a KF-type flange, which is welded to the valve
body 200 of the exhaust assembly 200. Similarly, a groove 746 on
the outside surface 743 of the bottom plate 740 allows an O-ring
796 to seal against the flange 794. In the present embodiment, the
KF flange 790 is welded to the valve body 200 of the exhaust
assembly 200, while the other KF flange 794 is welded to the cold
trap housing 360, and constitutes the inlet 351 of the cold trap
300. A similar arrangement is used to couple another valve 392
between the valve body 205 and the outlet of the cold trap 300.
Each of these KF flanges 790, 794 is secured to the valve 391 by
two flange clamps 791. FIG. 7a illustrates two flange clamps 791
attached to the outside surface 703 of the top plate 700 by
wing-nut fasteners 792 and threaded studs 704. The flange clamps
791 secure a KF flange 790 in place when the screws 793 are
tightened, through clearance holes 788, into corresponding threaded
holes 787 on the outside surface 703 of the top plate 700. With
screws 793 removed and fasteners 792 loosened, the clamps 791 can
swing free of the KF flange 790, allowing the valves 391, 392 and
the cold trap 300 to be decoupled from the exhaust assembly 200 as
a self-contained sealed unit.
[0065] The valve 391 in this embodiment is made of nickel-plated
aluminum to provide resistance to chlorine, which is used in a
chamber cleaning process, and all O-rings are made of viton. Of
course, other materials can also be used (e.g., stainless steel for
the valve), as long as they are compatible with the chemicals and
temperature used for the specific process applications.
[0066] In the open position shown in FIG. 7b, the gate 727 is
situated towards the rounded end 702 of the valve 391 and does not
obstruct the openings 705, 745, thereby allowing gases to pass
through the valve 391. The shafts 721 and 722 are enclosed between
the top plate 700 and the bottom plate 740. When the valve 391 is
closed by pulling the handle 760 out, the shafts 721, 722 protrude
through the openings 715, 716 of the top plate 700, and the valve
391 can be secured in its closed position by inserting a pin (not
shown) through the holes 775 (one of which is shown in FIG. 7b) of
the shafts 721, 722. With both valves 391 and 392 closed, the cold
trap 300 can be isolated and decoupled from the KF flanges 790 of
the exhaust assembly 200, and safely removed for cleaning.
[0067] Cold Trap Operation
[0068] During operation, exhaust gases enter the entry compartment
301 of the cold trap 300 via the inlet 351. Some molecules are
adsorbed when they collide with the front surface 361F of the
vertical baffle plate 361. Gases are then pumped through apertures
361a, 361b, 361c of the first vertical baffle plate 361 into the
adjacent compartment 302. Due to the offset aperture design of the
first and second vertical baffle plates 361, 362, most of the gas
molecules entering the adjacent compartment 302 collide with the
front surface 362F of the second vertical baffle plate 362, leading
to additional adsorption of condensable molecules. As exhaust gases
are pumped from one compartment to the next, further adsorption
occurs upon molecular collisions with cold surfaces of the baffle
plates. This multi-stage collision process significantly enhances
the adsorption efficiency of the cold trap 300 compared to the
commercially-available single-stage design. Finally, particles in
the exhaust gas stream are trapped by the particle trap 380 in the
compartment 310 prior to exiting the cold trap 300.
[0069] Although two embodiments of the heated exhaust assembly 100,
200 have been described with respect to their use in conjunction
with a TiCl.sub.4/NH.sub.3-based TiN deposition chamber, it should
be emphasized that they are generally adaptable to a variety of
process chambers. In fact, any process which generates exhaust
gases which either form deposits or contain condensables may
benefit from the use of this invention. Through proper temperature
control, one can confine the majority of deposits or condensables
to the cold trap 150, 300, and minimize such deposits on other
parts of the exhaust assembly 100, 200. This is especially valuable
for processes in semiconductor fabrication, such as etching,
deposition or implant, where highly corrosive or toxic gases are
often present. Not only does the use of a temperature-controlled
exhaust assembly prolong the life of vacuum system components, but
it also greatly facilitates routine maintenance and provide a safe
operating environment.
[0070] Although various embodiments which incorporate the teachings
of the present invention have been shown and described in detail
herein, those skilled in the art can readily devise many other
varied embodiments that still incorporate these teachings.
* * * * *