Plasma abatement of compounds containing heavy atoms

• US 10,449,486 B2
• Filed: 04/13/2017
• Issued: 10/22/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/06/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Inventors: Cox, Michael S., McIntosh, Monique, Dickinson, Colin John, Fisher, Paul E., Tanaka, Yutaka, Yuan, Zheng
• Primary Examiner(s): Davis, Sheng H
• Application Number:
  US15/486,938
• Publication Number:
  US 20170216767A1
• Time in Patent Office: 922 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2251/00 Reactants
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2251/10 Oxidants
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2251/102 Oxygen
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2251/104 Ozone
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2251/108 Halogens or halogen compounds
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2251/20 Reductants
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2251/202 Hydrogen
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2251/204 Carbon monoxide
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2251/2062 Ammonia
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2251/208 Hydrocarbons
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2251/502 Hydrochloric acid
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2252/103 Water
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2257/55 Compounds of silicon, phosphorus, germanium or arsenic
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2257/553 Compounds comprising hydrogen, e.g. silanes
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2257/556 Organic compounds
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2257/60 Heavy metals or heavy metal compounds
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2257/7025 Methane
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2257/93 Toxic compounds not provided for in groups B01D2257/00 - B01D2257/708
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2258/0216 from CVD treatment or semi-conductor manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2259/818 Employing electrical discharges or the generation of a plasma
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 53/32 : by electrical effects other than those provided for in group B01D61/00
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 53/54 : Nitrogen compounds
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 53/64 : Heavy metals or compounds thereof, e.g. mercury
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 53/70 : Organic halogen compounds
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 53/76 : Gas phase processes, e.g. by using aerosols
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 19/088 : giving rise to electric discharges for heating purposes H05B7/00; for the production of ozone C01B13/11, H01T19/00
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/0815 : involving stationary electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/0875 : Gas
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/0894 : Processes carried out in the presence of a plasma
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 2237/002 : Cooling arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 2237/335 : Cleaning
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32091 : the radio frequency energy being capacitively coupled to the plasma
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/321 : the radio frequency energy being inductively coupled to the plasma
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/3244 : Gas supply means
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32522 : Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32669 : Particular magnets or magnet arrangements for controlling the discharge
• CPC Class Codes: H05H 1/24 : Generating plasma nuclear fusion reactors G21B1/00; gas-filled discharge reactors H01J37/32
• CPC Class Codes: H05H 1/473 : Cylindrical electrodes, e.g. rotary drums
• CPC Class Codes: Y02C 20/20 : of methane
• CPC Class Codes: Y02C 20/30 : of perfluorocarbons [PFC], hydrofluorocarbons [HFC] or sulfur hexafluoride [SF6]

Abstract

A plasma abatement process for abating effluent containing compounds from a processing chamber is described. A plasma abatement process takes gaseous foreline effluent from a processing chamber, such as a deposition chamber, and reacts the effluent within a plasma chamber placed in the foreline path. The plasma dissociates the compounds within the effluent, converting the effluent into more benign compounds. Abating reagents may assist in the abating of the compounds. The abatement process may be a volatizing or a condensing abatement process. Representative volatilizing abating reagents include, for example, CH₄, H₂O, H₂, NF₃, SF₆, F₂, HCl, HF, Cl₂, and HBr. Representative condensing abating reagents include, for example, H₂, H₂O, O₂, N₂, O₃, CO, CO₂, NH₃, N₂O, CH₄, and combinations thereof.

Claims

1. An apparatus for abating effluent from a processing chamber, comprising:

a plasma source coupled to a gas line of a deposition chamber, the plasma source comprising;

a first plate having an outer edge and an inner edge;

a second plate parallel to the first plate, wherein the second plate has an outer edge and an inner edge;

an inner wall disposed between the inner edges of the first and second plates, wherein the first plate and the second plate are concentric with the inner wall;

an outer wall disposed between the outer edges of the first and second plates, the first plate, the second plate, the inner wall and the outer wall defining a plasma region;

a first plurality of magnets disposed on the first plate; and

a second plurality of magnets disposed on the second plate; and

a reagent source positioned upstream of the plasma source, wherein the reagent source is coupled with the plasma source, and wherein the reagent source is operable to deliver an abating reagent to the plasma source.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the inner wall is a hollow electrode coupling to an RF source.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the outer wall is grounded.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a first insulating ring disposed adjacent to a first end of the inner wall; and

a second insulating ring disposed adjacent to a second end of the inner wall, wherein the first end is opposed to the second end.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a cooling plate coupled to the inner wall, the cooling plate has a cooling channel formed therein.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the inner wall has a first surface facing the outer wall and a second surface opposite the first surface, wherein the first surface is curved and the second surface is linear.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the first surface of the inner wall has a plurality of groves disposed thereon.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein each of the groves is a continuous trench.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the abating reagent is selected from the group comprising BCl₃, CCl₄, SiCl₄, NF₃, SF₄, SF₆, SF₈, a reducing compound, a halogenated etching compound, CH₄, H₂, F₂, HCl, HF, Cl₂, HBr, O₂, N₂, O₃, CO, CO₂, NH₃, N₂O, CH₄, and combinations thereof.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the abating reagent is CH₄.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the abating reagent is SF₆.

12. An apparatus for abating effluent from a processing chamber, comprising:

a plasma source coupled to a gas line of a deposition chamber, the plasma source comprising;

a first plate having an outer edge and an inner edge;

a second plate parallel to the first plate, wherein the second plate has an outer edge and an inner edge;

an inner wall disposed between the inner edges of the first and second plates, wherein the first plate and the second plate are concentric with the inner wall;

an outer wall disposed between the outer edges of the first and second plates, the first plate, the second plate, the inner wall and the outer wall defining a plasma region therein;

a first magnet disposed on the first plate; and

a second magnet disposed on the second plate; and

a reagent source positioned upstream of the plasma source, wherein the reagent source is coupled with the plasma source, and wherein the reagent source is operable to deliver an abating reagent to the plasma source.