Method of cleaning substrate processing apparatus

• US 20060281323A1
• Filed: 04/22/2004
• Published: 12/14/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/08/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Tadahiro Ohmi, Tokyo Electron Limited
• Original Assignee: Tadahiro Ohmi
• Inventors: Ohmi, Tadahiro, Hirayama, Masaki
• Application Number:
  US10/555,668
• Publication Number:
  US 20060281323A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 438/710
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/4405 Cleaning of reactor or parts inside the reactor by using reactive gases
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 2237/335 Cleaning
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32192 Microwave generated discharge H01J37/32357, H01J37/32366, H01J37/32394, H01J37/32403 take precedence

Abstract

A method for cleaning a microwave plasma processing apparatus is disclosed wherein a cleaning gas is introduced and then excited with microwave plasma (step 3). By applying high-frequency power to a substrate supporting stage by which a substrate to be processed is supported (step 4), the etching rate is improved, thereby shortening the cleaning time.

Claims

1. A method of cleaning a substrate processing apparatus comprising a processing container defined by an outer wall, a holding stage connected to a high-frequency power supply and provided in said processing container for holding a processing substrate, an exhaust port for evacuating the inside of said processing container, a microwave transmissive window provided on said processing container as part of said outer wall so as to face said processing substrate, a microwave antenna provided on said microwave transmissive window and electrically connected to a microwave power supply, a plasma gas supply portion for supplying a plasma gas into said processing container, and a process gas supply portion provided between said processing substrate on said holding stage and said microwave transmissive window so as to face said processing substrate, said method comprising:

a gas introducing step of introducing a cleaning gas into said processing container,

a plasma exciting step of introducing a microwave into said processing container from said microwave antenna to thereby excite a plasma in said processing container, and

a bias applying step of applying a high-frequency power to said holding stage from said high-frequency power supply.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein said process gas supply portion is made of a conductive material and grounded.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein said microwave antenna is power-fed through a coaxial waveguide and comprises an antenna body having an opening portion, a microwave radiating surface having a plurality of slots and provided on said antenna body so as to cover said opening portion, and a dielectric provided between said antenna body and said microwave radiating surface.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein said cleaning gas contains oxygen.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein said cleaning gas contains hydrogen.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein said cleaning gas contains H₂O.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein said cleaning gas contains a fluorine compound.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein said cleaning gas is introduced from said plasma gas supply portion provided between said microwave antenna and said process gas supply portion.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein said cleaning gas is introduced from said process gas supply portion.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein said cleaning gas is dissociated by said microwave plasma and a high-frequency plasma excited by said high-frequency power so as to be reactive species, and a deposit deposited inside said processing container is etched by said reactive species so as to be removed.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein said deposit contains a fluorine-added carbon film.