Method for cleaning a plasma enhanced CVD chamber

• US 20050133059A1
• Filed: 12/17/2003
• Published: 06/23/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited
• Inventors: Chen, Sheng-Wen, Wang, Ying-Lang, Jangjian, Shiu-Ko, Chang, Hung-Jui
• Granted Patent: US 7,207,339 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 134/1.100
• 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: H01L 21/67069 for drying etching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 134/902 Semiconductor wafer
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 438/905 Cleaning of reaction chamber

Abstract

A method for plasma cleaning a CVD reactor chamber including providing a plasma enhanced CVD reactor chamber comprising residual deposited material; performing a first plasma process comprising an oxygen containing plasma; performing a second plasma process comprising an argon containing plasma; and, performing a third plasma process comprising a fluorine containing plasma.

Claims

1. A method for plasma cleaning a CVD reactor chamber comprising the steps of:

providing a plasma enhanced CVD reactor chamber comprising residual deposited material;

performing a first plasma process comprising an oxygen containing plasma;

performing a second plasma process comprising an argon containing plasma; and

,

performing a third plasma process comprising a fluorine containing plasma.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the third plasma process comprises a plasma source gas comprising nitrogen trifluoride (NF₃).

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the plasma source gas comprises greater than about 90% by volume of nitrogen trifluoride (NF₃) with respect to a plasma treatment volume.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the plasma source gas consists essentially of nitrogen trifluoride (NF₃).

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first plasma process comprises a plasma source gas comprising greater than about 80% by volume of oxygen (O₂) with respect to a plasma treatment volume.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the plasma source gas is free of nitrogen and fluorine containing gases.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein further comprising an inert gas selected from the group consisting of argon and helium.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first plasma process comprises a plasma source gas consisting essentially of oxygen (O₂).

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the second plasma process comprises a plasma source gas free of nitrogen and fluorine and comprising argon at greater than about 90% by volume with respect to a plasma treatment volume.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the second plasma process consists essentially of argon.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the residual deposited material comprises material selected from the group consisting of organo-silanes, organo-siloxanes, and organo-silicate glass (OSG).

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the plasma enhanced CVD reactor chamber comprises one of a PECVD, HDP-CVD, and downstream plasma reactor chamber.

13. A method for plasma cleaning a CVD reactor chamber comprising the steps of:

providing a plasma enhanced CVD reactor chamber comprising residual deposited material;

performing a first plasma process comprising an oxygen containing plasma free of fluorine;

performing in-situ a second plasma process comprising an argon containing plasma free of fluorine; and

,

performing in-situ a third plasma process comprising a plasma supplied with a nitrogen-trifluoride (N_xF_y) containing plasma source gas.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the third plasma process comprises the plasma source gas comprising essentially of nitrogen trifluoride (NF₃).

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the first plasma process comprises a plasma source gas comprising greater than about 80% by volume of oxygen (O₂) with respect to a plasma treatment volume.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the plasma source gas consists essentially of oxygen (O₂).

17. The method of claim 13, wherein the second plasma process comprises a plasma source gas comprising argon at greater than about 90% by volume with respect to a plasma treatment volume

18. The method of claim 13, wherein the wherein the second plasma process comprises a plasma source gas consisting essentially of argon.

19. The method of claim 13, wherein the residual deposited material comprises material selected from the group consisting of organo-silanes, organo-siloxanes, and organo-silicate glass (OSG).

20. The method of claim 13, wherein the plasma enhanced CVD reactor chamber comprises one of a PECVD, HDP-CVD, and downstream plasma reactor chamber.