RPS DEFECT REDUCTION BY CYCLIC CLEAN INDUCED RPS COOLING

• US 20170207069A1
• Filed: 01/04/2017
• Published: 07/20/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 01/15/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Inventors: BHATIA, Sidharth, ZUO, Zhili, PATEL, Anjana M., SUH, Song-Moon, BALASUBRAMANIAN, Ganesh, KOJIRI, Hidehiro
• Granted Patent: US 10,755,903 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B08B 5/00 Cleaning by methods involving the use of air flow or gas flow B08B6/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B08B 9/00 Cleaning hollow articles by methods or apparatus specially adapted thereto B08B6/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/4405 Cleaning of reactor or parts inside the reactor by using reactive gases
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/4411 Cooling of the reaction chamber walls C23C16/45572 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/452 by activating reactive gas streams before their introduction into the reaction chamber, e.g. by ionisation or addition of reactive species
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 2237/002 Cooling arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 2237/3321 CVD [Chemical Vapor Deposition]
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32357 Generation remote from the workpiece, e.g. down-stream
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/3244 Gas supply means
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32522 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32862 In situ cleaning of vessels and/or internal parts

Abstract

A method of cleaning a remote plasma source includes supplying a first cycle of one or more first cleaning gases to a remote plasma source. The method includes supplying a second cycle of one or more second cleaning gases to the remote plasma source. The method includes supplying one or more cooling fluids to one or more cooling conduits coupled with the remote plasma source.

Claims

1. A method of cleaning a remote plasma source, comprising:

supplying a first cycle of one or more first cleaning gases to a remote plasma source; and

supplying a second cycle of one or more second cleaning gases to the remote plasma source.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein an interior surface of the remote plasma source has a temperature between about 40°

C. and about 150°

C. during the first cycle and the second cycle.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the interior surface of the remote plasma source has a temperature between about 75°

C. and about 100°

C. during the first cycle and the second cycle.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first cycle and the second cycle further comprise one or more purge gases.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein a ratio of the one or more purge gases to the one or more first cleaning gases is increased from a beginning of the first cycle to an end of the first cycle, and wherein a ratio of the one or more purge gases to the one or more second cleaning gases is increased from a beginning of the second cycle to an end of the second cycle.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

evacuating the remote plasma source after supplying the first cycle; and

evacuating the remote plasma source after supplying the second cycle.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the one or more first cleaning gases and the one or more second cleaning gases is independently selected from the group consisting of NH₃, NF₃, O₂, O₃, H₂O, hydrogen peroxide, F₂, NO, NO₂, N₂O, H₂, SF₆, CHF₃, CF₄, C₄F₆, C₃F₈ and C₅F₈.

8. The method of claim 4, wherein the one or more purge gases are selected from the group consisting of Ar, He, and N₂.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein a flow rate of the one or more first cleaning gases to the remote plasma source is between about 0.1 sccm and about 50,000 sccm, and wherein a flow rate of the one or more second cleaning gases to the remote plasma source is between about 0.1 sccm and about 50,000 sccm.

10. The method of claim 4, wherein a flow rate of the one or more purge gases into the remote plasma source is between about 0.1 sccm and about 50,000 sccm.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the first cycle and the second cycle has a duration that is independently between about 20 seconds and about 90 seconds.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein a peak temperature of a block of the remote plasma source of the first cycle is different than a peak temperature of the block of the remote plasma source of the second cycle.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein a peak temperature of a block of the remote plasma source of the first cycle is substantially the same as a peak temperature of the block of the remote plasma source of the second cycle.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein a peak temperature of a block of the remote plasma source of the first cycle is between about 20°

C. and about 60°

C., and wherein a peak temperature of the block of the remote plasma source of the second cycle is between about 20°

C. and about 60°

C.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein a block of the remote plasma source of the first cycle has a Δ

T of between about 10°

C. and about 40°

C., and wherein the block of the remote plasma source of the second cycle has a Δ

T of between about 10°

C. and about 40°

C.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising supplying between about 1 and about 15 additional cycles of one or more cleaning gases to the remote plasma source.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein an internal surface of the remote plasma source is a material selected from the group consisting of anodized Al₂O₃, AlN, SiO₂, Y₂O₃, MgO, sapphire, and ceramic containing one or more of Al₂O₃, sapphire, AlN, Y₂O₃, MgO, or plastic.

18. A method of cleaning a remote plasma source, comprising:

supplying a first cycle of one or more first cleaning gases to a remote plasma source;

supplying a second cycle of one or more second cleaning gases to the remote plasma source, wherein an interior surface of the remote plasma source has a temperature between about 40°

C. and about 150°

C. during the first cycle and the second cycle; and

supplying one or more cooling fluids to one or more cooling conduits coupled with the remote plasma source.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein a flow rate of cooling fluid through the one or more conduits is between about 1 GPM to about 5 GPM.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein a temperature of the one or more cooling fluids at a first end of the one or more conduits is between about 10°

C. and about 30°

C., and wherein a supply pressure of the cooling fluid at a first end of the one or more conduits is between about 20 PSI and about 100 PSI.