Apparatus and method for differential in situ cleaning

• US 10,730,082 B2
• Filed: 10/26/2016
• Issued: 08/04/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Varian Semiconductor Equipment Associates Incorporated (Applied Materials Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Varian Semiconductor Equipment Associates Incorporated (Applied Materials Incorporated)
• Inventors: Gilchrist, Glen F R, Biloiu, Costel, Liang, Shurong, Campbell, Christopher R., Singh, Vikram
• Primary Examiner(s): Cormier, David G
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bucci, Thomas
• Application Number:
  US15/334,732
• Publication Number:
  US 20180111171A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,378 Days
• Field of Search: 134 56 R, 134 11, 134 2218, 134 12, 134 1, 134 221
• CPC Class Codes: B08B 7/00 Cleaning by methods not provided for in a single other subclass or a single group in this subclass
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/4405 Cleaning of reactor or parts inside the reactor by using reactive gases
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32458 Vessel
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32513 Sealing means, e.g. sealing between different parts of the vessel
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32862 In situ cleaning of vessels and/or internal parts

Abstract

A workpiece processing apparatus allowing in situ cleaning of metal deposited formed on the extraction plate and in the plasma chamber is disclosed. The apparatus includes an extraction plate having an extraction aperture through which the sputtering material is passed. The apparatus also includes a sealed volume disposed within the plasma chamber which is in communication with a cleaning aperture on the extraction plate. The sealed volume is in communication with a cleaning gas, which is excited by the plasma in the plasma chamber, and can be used to clean the exterior surface of the extraction plate. The feed gas used in the plasma chamber can be selected from a sputtering species and the cleaning gas. Since the volume in the sealed volume is separated from the rest of the plasma chamber, the cleaning of the extraction plate and the cleaning of the plasma chamber may be performed independently.

Claims

1. A workpiece processing apparatus, comprising:

an extraction plate having an extraction aperture and a cleaning aperture;

a plasma chamber in communication with the extraction aperture, wherein the extraction plate defines an exterior wall of the plasma chamber;

a sealed volume disposed within the plasma chamber and in communication with the cleaning aperture;

a tube mass flow controller in communication with the sealed volume to control a flow of a cleaning gas into the sealed volume; and

a plasma generator, wherein the plasma generator excites gasses disposed within the plasma chamber and the cleaning gas disposed within the sealed volume.

2. The workpiece processing apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a chamber mass flow controller to control a flow of the cleaning gas into the plasma chamber.

3. The workpiece processing apparatus of claim 2, wherein the tube mass flow controller and chamber mass flow controller are independently controlled.

4. The workpiece processing apparatus of claim 2, further comprising a controller, in communication with the tube mass flow controller and the chamber mass flow controller, such that the controller can cause the apparatus to operate in a plurality of different modes.

5. The workpiece processing apparatus of claim 4, wherein the different modes are selected from the group comprising a normal operating mode, an extraction plate cleaning mode, a chamber only cleaning mode, an apparatus cleaning mode and an operational cleaning mode.

6. The workpiece processing apparatus of claim 5, wherein the controller selects a mode based on a position of a workpiece relative to the extraction aperture.

7. The workpiece processing apparatus of claim 5, further comprising a feed gas mass flow controller to control a flow of feed gas into the plasma chamber, wherein the feed gas mass flow controller is in communication with the controller.

8. The workpiece processing apparatus of claim 7, wherein, during the extraction plate cleaning mode, the feed gas flows into the plasma chamber and the cleaning gas flows into the sealed volume, and a workpiece is biased such that ions are not attracted from the plasma chamber toward the workpiece.

9. The workpiece processing apparatus of claim 7, wherein, during the chamber only cleaning mode, the cleaning gas flows into the plasma chamber and the tube mass flow controller is disabled, and a workpiece is biased such that ions are not attracted from the plasma chamber toward the workpiece.

10. The workpiece processing apparatus of claim 7, wherein, during the apparatus cleaning mode, the cleaning gas flows into the plasma chamber and the sealed volume, and a workpiece is biased such that ions are not attracted from the plasma chamber toward the workpiece.

11. The workpiece processing apparatus of claim 7, wherein, during the operational cleaning mode, feed gas flows into the plasma chamber, and a workpiece is biased such that ions are attracted from the plasma chamber toward the workpiece when the workpiece is disposed proximate the extraction aperture, and cleaning gas flows into the sealed volume when the workpiece is not biased.

12. The workpiece processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the sealed volume is created using a material that is transparent to RF energy, such that plasma generated in the plasma chamber excites the cleaning gas.

13. A workpiece processing apparatus, comprising:

an extraction plate having an extraction aperture and a cleaning aperture;

a plasma chamber in communication with the extraction aperture, wherein the extraction plate defines an exterior wall of the plasma chamber;

a sealed volume disposed within the plasma chamber and in communication with the cleaning aperture;

a plasma generator, wherein the plasma generator excites gasses disposed within the plasma chamber and gas disposed within the sealed volume; and

a controller to control a flow of feed gas into the plasma chamber, a flow of a cleaning gas into the plasma chamber and a flow of cleaning gas into the sealed volume, so as to independently control cleaning of an interior of the plasma chamber and an exterior surface of the extraction plate.

14. The workpiece processing apparatus of claim 13, wherein a workpiece is disposed on a platen, the platen biased using a bias power supply, wherein the controller is in communication with the bias power supply.

15. The workpiece processing apparatus of claim 14, wherein the controller flows the feed gas into the plasma chamber, and the workpiece is biased such that ions are attracted from the plasma chamber toward the workpiece when the workpiece is disposed proximate the extraction aperture, and the controller flows the cleaning gas into the sealed volume when the workpiece is not biased.

16. The workpiece processing apparatus of claim 14, wherein the workpiece is biased so as not to attract ions toward the workpiece when the plasma chamber is being cleaned.

17. The workpiece processing apparatus of claim 13, wherein the cleaning gas comprises a halogen.

18. The workpiece processing apparatus of claim 13, wherein the sealed volume is created using a material that is transparent to RF energy, such that plasma generated in the plasma chamber excites the cleaning gas.