Processing apparatus and cleaning method

• US 20040011379A1
• Filed: 02/07/2003
• Published: 01/22/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/08/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
• Original Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
• Inventors: Crabtree, Emanuel Paul, Crispino, Michele Jeanne, Anaokar, Sunil G.
• Granted Patent: US 7,201,174 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 134/1.1
• 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: B08B 7/0035 by radiant energy, e.g. UV, laser, light beam or the like
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/4405 Cleaning of reactor or parts inside the reactor by using reactive gases
• 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

In a chamber (11), a SiOF film is formed on a wafer W using a plasma CVD method. A film remaining inside the chamber (11) is cleaned up using a gas containing NF₃. A manometer (28) is prepared for the chamber (11). An end point of cleaning of the chamber (11) is detected by moni-toring the pressure inside the chamber (11).

Claims

1. A processing apparatus (10) comprising:

a chamber (11);

a gas source (SA) for supplying a gas for cleaning inside of said chamber (11);

a gas line (Li) for introducing the gas supplied from said gas source (SA) into said chamber (11);

an activator (12) which is prepared in said gas line (Li) and activates the gas supplied from said gas source (SA);

a pressure measurement device (28) which measures a pressure in said chamber (11); and

a controller (100) which detects an end point of cleaning, based on data representing the pressure measured by said pressure measurement device (28).

2. The processing apparatus (10) according to claim 1, further comprising a plasma generation mechanism, to provide a target object with plasma processing in said chamber (11).

3. The processing apparatus (10) according to claim 1, wherein said activator (12) generates plasma of the gas.

4. The processing apparatus (10) according to claim 1, wherein the gas contains fluorine.

5. A processing apparatus (10) comprising:

a chamber (11);

a gas source (SA) for supplying a gas for cleaning inside of said chamber (11);

a gas line (L1) for introducing the gas supplied from said gas source (SA) into said chamber (11);

an activator (12) which is prepared in said gas line (LI) and activates the gas supplied from said gas source (SA);

a density measurement device (30) which measures density of a predetermined component inside said chamber (11); and

a controller (100) which detects an end point of cleaning, based on data representing density of the component which is measured by said density measurement device (30).

6. The processing apparatus (10) according to claim 5, wherein the component is oxygen.

7. The processing apparatus (10) according to claim 5, further comprising a plasma generation mechanism, to provide a target object with plasma processing in said chamber (11).

8. The processing apparatus (10) according to claim 5, wherein said activator (12) generates plasma of the gas.

9. The processing apparatus (10) according to claim 5, wherein the gas contains fluorine.

10. A processing apparatus (10) comprising:

a chamber (11);

a gas source (SA) for supplying a gas for cleaning inside of said chamber (11);

a gas line (L1) for introducing the gas supplied from said gas source (SA) into said chamber (11);

an activator (12) which is prepared in said gas line (L1) and activates the gas supplied from said gas source (SA);

a locally-plasma-generation mechanism (32) for locally generating plasma in said chamber (11);

an optical sensor (34) for detecting light emission of a predetermined component in plasma generated by said locally-plasma-generation mechanism (32); and

a controller (100) which detects an end point of a cleaning, based on data representing characteristics of the light detected by said optical sensor (34).

11. The processing apparatus (10) according to claim 10, further comprising a plasma generation mechanism, to provide a target object with plasma processing in said chamber (11).

12. The processing apparatus (10) according to claim 10, wherein said activator (12) generates plasma of the gas.

13. The processing apparatus (10) according to claim 10, wherein the gas contains fluorine.

14. A processing apparatus (10) comprising:

a chamber (11) including a first and second windows (35, 36);

a gas source (SA) for supplying a gas for cleaning inside of said chamber (11);

a gas line (LI) for introducing the gas supplied from said gas source (SA) into said chamber ( 11);

an activator (12) which is prepared in said gas line (LI) and activates the gas supplied from said gas source (SA);

a light source (37) for irradiating light into said chamber (11) through the first window;

an optical sensor (38) which receives the light irradiated from said light source (37) and passed successively through said chamber (11) and the first and second windows (35, 36); and

a controller (100) which detects an end point of cleaning of the inside of said chamber (11), based on data representing characteristics of the light received by said optical sensor (38).

15. The processing apparatus (10) according to claim 14, wherein the first and second windows (35, 36) oppose each other.

16. The processing apparatus (10) according to claim 14, wherein the first and second windows (35, 36) are coated with a material which is resistant to plasma.

17. The processing apparatus (10) according to claim 14, wherein said optical sensor (38) includes a photodiode.

18. The processing apparatus (10) according to claim 14, wherein the light is a single-wavelength laser beam.

19. The processing apparatus (10) according to claim 14, further comprising a plasma generation mechanism, to provide a target object with plasma processing in said chamber (11).

20. The processing apparatus (10) according to claim 14, wherein said activator (12) generates plasma of the gas.

21. The processing apparatus (10) according to claim 14, wherein the gas contains fluorine.

22. A processing apparatus (10) comprising:

a chamber (11);

a gas source (SA) for supplying a gas for cleaning inside of said chamber (11);

a gas line (L1) for introducing the gas supplied from said gas source (SA) into said chamber (11);

an activator (12) which is prepared in said gas line (L1) and activates the gas supplied from said gas source (SA);

a thickness sensor (39) which is prepared inside said chamber (11) and measures a thickness of a film to be removed by cleaning said chamber (11); and

a controller (100) which detects an end point of cleaning of the inside of said chamber (11), based on data representing the thickness of film which is measured by said thickness sensor (39).

23. The processing apparatus (10) according to claim 22, wherein said thickness sensor (39) includes a quartz oscillator.

24. The processing apparatus (10) according to claim 22, wherein a plurality of said thickness sensors (39) are provided in said chamber (11).

25. The processing apparatus (10) according to claim 22, further comprising a plasma generation mechanism, to provide a target object with plasma processing in said chamber (11).

26. The processing apparatus (10) according to claim 22, wherein said activator (12) generates plasma of the gas.

27. The processing apparatus (10) according to claim 22, wherein the gas contains fluorine.

28. A method for cleaning inside of a chamber (11), for performing predetermined processing for a target object thereinside, by supplying a gas activated outside said chamber (11) into said chamber (11), said method comprising the steps of:

measuring a pressure inside said chamber (11), while cleaning said chamber (11); and

detecting an end point of cleaning of said chamber (11), based on pressure data obtained by said step of measuring.

29. The method according to claim 28, wherein said predetermined processing is plasma processing.

30. The method according to claim 28, wherein the gas is activated so as to be plasma.

31. A method for cleaning inside of a chamber (11), for performing predetermined processing for a target object thereinside, by supplying a gas activated outside said chamber (11) into said chamber (11), and said method comprising the steps of:

measuring density of a predetermined component in said chamber (11), while cleaning said chamber (11); and

detecting an end point of cleaning of said chamber (11), based on data representing the density of the component which is measured by said step of measuring.

32. The method according to claim 31, wherein the predetermined processing is plasma processing.

33. The method according to claim 31, wherein the gas is activated so as to be plasma.

34. A method for cleaning inside of a chamber (11), for performing predetermined processing for a target object thereinside, by supplying a gas activated outside said chamber (11) into said chamber (11), said method comprising the steps of:

generating plasma locally in said chamber (11);

detecting light emission of a predetermined component in plasma generated locally in said plasma; and

detecting an end point of cleaning of said chamber (11), based on data regarding characteristics of the light detected by said step of detecting.

35. The method according to claim 34, wherein the predetermined processing is plasma processing.

36. The method according to claim 34, wherein the gas is activated so as to be plasma.

37. A method for cleaning inside of a chamber (11) with a window for performing predetermined processing for a target object thereinside, by supplying a gas activated outside said chamber (11) into said chamber (11), and said method comprising the steps of:

emitting light passing through said chamber (11) via the window;

measuring the light having passed said chamber (11); and

detecting an end point of cleaning of said chamber (11), based on data regarding the light which is measured by said step of measuring.

38. The method according to claim 37, wherein the predetermined processing is plasma processing.

39. The method according to claim 37, wherein the gas is activated so as to be plasma.

40. A method for cleaning inside of a chamber (11) for performing predetermined processing for a target object thereinside, by supplying a gas activated outside said chamber (11) into said chamber (11), and said method comprising the steps of:

measuring a thickness of film deposited in said chamber (11) during cleaning of the inside of said chamber (11); and

detecting an end point of cleaning of said chamber (11), based on data representing a thickness of the film which is obtained by said step of measuring.

41. The method according to claim 40, wherein the predetermined processing is plasma processing.

42. The method according to claim 40,wherein the gas is activated so as to be plasma.