OXYGEN PLASMA CLEAN TO REMOVE CARBON SPECIES DEPOSITED ON A GLASS DOME SURFACE

• US 20080173326A1
• Filed: 01/23/2007
• Published: 07/24/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/23/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Inventors: GU, QUANCHENG, Tsai, Cheng-Hsiung, Forster, John C., Guo, Xiaoxi, Frazier, Larry
• Granted Patent: US 7,550,090 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 134/1.1
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/564 Means for minimising impurities in the coating chamber such as dust, moisture, residual gases
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 438/905 Cleaning of reaction chamber
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 438/906 Cleaning of wafer as interim step

Abstract

A method for in-situ cleaning of a dielectric dome surface having been used in pre-clean processes is provided. Carbon containing deposits are removed by providing a plasma of one or more oxidizing gases which react with the carbon containing films to form volatile carbon containing compounds.

Claims

1. A method of cleaning a process chamber, comprising:

providing a process chamber having carbon deposits on inner surfaces of a dielectric dome;

introducing a first gas comprising one or more oxidizing gases into the process chamber at a flow rate of between about 0.32 sccm/cm² and about 1.9 sccm/cm² while maintaining a first pressure in the process chamber of between about 2 mTorr and about 25 mTorr;

providing a first RF power at a frequency of between about 5 MHz and about 20 MHz to a substrate support member disposed in the process chamber and providing a second RF power at a frequency of between about 400 KHz and about 10 MHz to inductive coils surrounding the dielectric dome while maintaining a plasma of the first gas to react the one or more oxidizing gases with the carbon deposits to produce volatile compounds comprising carbon;

terminating the first RF power, second RF power, and the first gas;

introducing a second gas comprising one or more reducing gases to the process chamber at a flow rate of between about 0.16 sccm/cm² and about 1.3 sccm/cm², while maintaining a second pressure in the process chamber of between about 5 mTorr and about 60 mTorr;

providing the first RF power at a frequency of between about 5 MHz and about 20 MHz to the substrate support member and providing the second RF power at a frequency of between about 400 KHz and about 10 MHz to the inductive coils while maintaining a plasma of the second gas to react the one or more reducing gases with the one or more oxidizing gases not evacuated from the process chamber;

evacuating the chamber; and

terminating the first RF power, the second RF power, and the second gas.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more oxidizing gases is selected from the group consisting of oxygen, ozone, nitrous oxide, fluorine, chlorine, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, radicals thereof, derivatives thereof, and combinations thereof.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the one or more reducing gases is selected from the group consisting of silane, disilane, ammonia, phosphine, hydrazine, diborane, triethyl-borane, hydrogen, atomic hydrogen, radicals thereof, derivatives thereof, and combinations thereof.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the one or more oxidizing gases is oxygen and the one or more reducing gases is hydrogen.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the second gas further comprises helium.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first gas has a flow rate of about 0.64 sccm/cm².

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the second gas has a flow rate of about 0.26 sccm/cm².

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first pressure is maintained at between about 5 mTorr and about 15 mTor.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the second pressure is maintained at between about 25 mTorr and about 40 mTorr.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the plasma of the first gas and the plasma of the second gas are maintained for between about 1 minute and 10 minutes.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the plasma of the first gas is maintained for about 6 minutes.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the first RF power is maintained at a frequency of about 13.6 MHz.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the second RF power is maintained at a frequency of about 2 MHz.

14. A method of cleaning a process chamber, comprising:

providing a process chamber having carbon deposits on inner surfaces of a dielectric dome;

introducing a first gas comprising oxygen into the process chamber at a flow rate of between about 0.32 sccm/cm² and about 1.9 sccm/cm² while maintaining a first pressure in the process chamber of between about 2 mTorr and about 25 mTorr;

providing a first RF power at a of about 13.6 MHz to a substrate support member disposed in the process chamber and providing a second RF power at a frequency of about 2 MHz to inductive coils surrounding the dielectric dome while maintaining a plasma of the first gas to react the one or more oxidizing gases with the carbon deposits to produce volatile compounds comprising carbon;

terminating the first RF power, second RF power, and the first gas;

introducing a second gas comprising helium to the process chamber at a flow rate of between about 0.16 sccm/cm² and about 1.3 sccm/cm², while maintaining a second pressure in the process chamber of between about 5 mTorr and about 60 mTorr;

providing the first RF power at a frequency of about 13.6 MHz to the substrate support member and providing the second RF power at a frequency of about 2 MHz to the inductive coils while maintaining a plasma of the second gas to react the one or more reducing gases with the one or more oxidizing gases not evacuated from the process chamber;

evacuating the chamber; and

terminating the first RF power, the second RF power, and the second gas.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the second gas further comprises helium.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the first gas has a flow rate of about 200 sccm.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the second gas has a flow rate of about 82 sccm.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein the first pressure is maintained at between about 5 mTorr and about 15 mTor.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the second pressure is maintained at between about 25 mTorr and about 40 mTorr.

20. The method of claim 14, wherein the plasma of the first gas and the plasma of the second gas are maintained for between about 1 minute and 10 minutes.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the plasma of the first gas is maintained for about 6 minutes.

22. A method of cleaning a process chamber, comprising:

providing a process chamber having carbon deposits on inner surfaces of a dielectric dome;

introducing a first gas comprising oxygen into the process chamber at a flow rate of between about 0.32 sccm/cm² and about 1.9 sccm/cm² while maintaining a first pressure in the process chamber of between about 2 mTorr and about 25 mTorr;

providing a first RF power at a of about 13.6 MHz to a substrate support member disposed in the process chamber and providing a second RF power at a frequency of about 2 MHz to inductive coils surrounding the dielectric dome while maintaining a plasma of the first gas to react the one or more oxidizing gases with the carbon deposits for between about 1 minute and about 10 minutes to produce volatile compounds comprising carbon;

terminating the first RF power, second RF power, and the first gas;

introducing a second gas comprising helium to the process chamber at a flow rate of between about 0.16 sccm/cm² and about 1.3 sccm/cm², while maintaining a second pressure in the process chamber of between about 5 mTorr and about 60 mTorr;

providing the first RF power at a frequency of about 13.6 MHz to the substrate support member and providing the second RF power at a frequency of about 2 MHz to the inductive coils while maintaining a plasma of the second gas to react the one or more reducing gases with the one or more oxidizing gases not evacuated from the process chamber for between about 1 minute and about 10 minutes;

evacuating the chamber; and

terminating the first RF power, the second RF power, and the second gas.