WAFERLESS SEASONING PROCESS

• US 20010046769A1
• Filed: 03/29/1999
• Published: 11/29/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 03/01/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: United Microelectronics Corporation
• Original Assignee: United Microelectronics Corporation
• Inventors: YU, H.C., CHOW, YU-CHANG, CHENG, W.H., CHI, C.M.
• Granted Patent: US 6,374,832 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 438/689
• CPC Class Codes: C23F 4/00 Processes for removing metallic material from surfaces, not provided for in group C23F1/00 or C23F3/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32862 In situ cleaning of vessels and/or internal parts
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 438/905 Cleaning of reaction chamber

Abstract

A waterless seasoning process is described, which waterless seasoning process is suitable for an etching chamber of an etching machine when the etching environment is so bad that etching cannot be performed. A dry cleaning process with a plasma formed by oxygen and hydrogen bromide is performed to restore the etching environment in the etching chamber.

Claims

1. A waferless seasoning process used to season an etching chamber of an etching machine before an etching process is performed, the process comprising the step of:

performing a dry cleaning process in the etching chamber with a plasma formed by oxygen and hydrogen bromide, wherein the etching chamber is free of wafers.

2. The process of

claim 1

, wherein the standard-cubic centimeter per minute ratio of hydrogen bromide to oxygen is about 50/20, the pressure of the plasma is about 10 milli-torr and the power of the plasma is about 700 W.

3. The process of

claim 2

, wherein the dry cleaning process is performed for about of 60-300 seconds.

4. A waferless seasoning process used to season an etching chamber of an etching machine to avoid the first wafer effect, the process comprising the steps of:

performing a dry cleaning process in the etching chamber with a first plasma formed by oxygen and sulfonium hexafluoride, wherein the etching chamber is free of wafers; and

performing a etching-chamber recovery process with a second plasma formed by hydrogen.

5. The process of

claim 4

, wherein the standard-cubic centimeter per minute ratio of oxygen to sulfonium hexafluoride is about 100/150, the pressure of the first plasma is about 15 milli-torr and the power of the first plasma is about 700 W.

6. The process of

claim 5

, wherein the dry cleaning process is performed for about of 60-300 seconds.

7. The process of

claim 4

, wherein the pressure of the second plasma is about 10-100 milli-torr and the power of the second plasma is about 500-700 W.

8. The process of

claim 7

, wherein the etching-chamber recovery process is performed for about of 60-300 seconds

9. A process for cleaning an etching chamber of an etching machine before an etching process is performed, the process comprising the steps of:

performing a waterless seasoning process in the etching chamber; and

performing at least a testing process until the etching environment in the etching chamber is restored.

10. The process of

claim 9

, wherein when the testing result indicates that the etching environment in the etching chamber is not restored, it is necessary to repeat the waferless seasoning process after the testing process.

11. The process of

claim 10

, wherein the testing result is that a particle concentration in the etching chamber is more than 30 particles/m³ with a particle size of 0.02 micrometer-diameter and larger.

12. The process of

claim 10

, wherein when the testing result indicates that the etching environment in the etching chamber is not restored after the waterless seasoning process is repeated two times, it is necessary to perform a wet cleaning process to restore the etching environment.

13. The process of

claim 9

, wherein the seasoning process includes a dry cleaning process.

14. The process of

claim 13

, wherein the dry cleaning process is performed by a plasma formed by oxygen and hydrogen bromide for about of 60-300 seconds.

15. The process of

claim 14

, wherein the standard-cubic centimeter per minute ratio of hydrogen bromide to oxygen is about 50/20, the pressure of the plasma is about 10 milli-torr and the power of the plasma is about 700 W.

16. The process of

claim 9

, wherein the seasoning process includes a dry cleaning process and an etching-chamber recovery process.

17. The process of

claim 16

, wherein the dry cleaning process is performed by a plasma formed by oxygen and-sulfonium hexafluoride for about of 60-300 seconds.

18. The process of

claim 17

, wherein the standard-cubic centimeter per minute ratio of oxygen to sulfonium hexafluoride is about 100/150, the pressure of the plasma is about 15 milli-torr and the power of the plasma is about 700 W.

19. The process of

claim 16

, wherein the etching-chamber recovery process is performed by a plasma formed by hydrogen for about of 60-300 seconds.

20. The process of

claim 19

, wherein the pressure of the plasma is about 10-100 milli-torr and the power of plasma is about 500-700 W.