Method for cleaning substrate processing chamber

• US 20060124151A1
• Filed: 11/14/2003
• Published: 06/15/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/27/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
• Original Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
• Inventors: Matsuda, Tsukasa, Yamasaki, Hideaki, Nakamura, Kazuhito, Matsuzawa, Koumei, Kawano, Yumiko
• Granted Patent: US 7,456,109 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 134/1.100
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/4405 Cleaning of reactor or parts inside the reactor by using reactive gases
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32357 Generation remote from the workpiece, e.g. down-stream
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32862 In situ cleaning of vessels and/or internal parts

Abstract

A cleaning method of a substrate processor that reduces damage to a member in a substrate processing container. The method of cleaning the substrate processing container of the substrate processor that processes a target substrate according to the present invention includes: introducing gas into a remote plasma generating unit of the substrate processor; exciting the gas by the remote plasma generating unit, and generating reactive species; and supplying the reactive species to the processing container from the remote plasma generating unit, and pressurizing the processing container at 1333 Pa or greater.

Claims

1. A method of cleaning a substrate processing container of a substrate processor that processes a target substrate, comprising:

a gas introduction step of introducing NF₃ gas into a remote plasma generating unit of the substrate processor;

a reactive species generating step of exciting the NF₃ gas, and generating reactive species by the remote plasma generating unit; and

a reaction step of supplying the reactive species to the substrate processing container from the remote plasma generating unit, and pressurizing the substrate processing container at 1333 Pa or greater to recombine the reactive species and remove sediment in the substrate processing container with the recombined reactive species.

2. The cleaning method of the substrate processing container as claimed in claim 1, wherein the remote plasma generating unit excites the gas by radio frequency power.

3. The cleaning method of the substrate processing container as claimed in claim 2, wherein the frequency of the radio frequency power is between 400 kHz and 3 GHz.

6. The cleaning method of the substrate processing container as claimed in claim 1, wherein the reactive species contain F₂ generated by recombining F radicals.

7. The cleaning method of the substrate processing container as claimed in claim 1, wherein the gas contains Ar.

8. The cleaning method of the substrate processing container as claimed in claim 1, wherein sediment deposited on an exposed portion inside the substrate processing container is removed with the reactive species in the reaction step.

9. The cleaning method of the substrate processing container as claimed in claim 8, wherein the sediment contains any one of metals, metal nitride, metal oxide, silicon and silicon compound.

10. The cleaning method of the substrate processing container as claimed in claim 9, wherein the sediment contains any one of W, WN, Ta, TaN, Ta₂O₅, Re, Rh, Ir, Ir₂O₃, Si, SiO₂, SiN, Ti, TiN, Ru, and RuO₂.

11. The cleaning method of the substrate processing container as claimed in claim 8, wherein the exposed portion includes a member made of quartz.

12. The cleaning method of the substrate processing container as claimed in claim 8, wherein the exposed portion includes a member made of Al₂O₃.

13. The cleaning method of the substrate processing container as claimed in claim 8, wherein the exposed portion includes a member made of AlN.

4-5. -5. (canceled)