Method of cleaning of an electrostatic chuck in plasma reactors
First Claim
1. A method for cleaning an electrostatic chuck having a surface for retaining a substrate at a processing station within a plasma processing chamber provided with a vacuum exhaust capability and adapted for serially processing substrates within a controlled subatmospheric environment, comprising:
- a) retaining a substrate at the substrate retaining surface of the electrostatic chuck within a plasma processing chamber;
b) communicating into the chamber at least one selected gas;
c) applying electrical energy to the chamber to establish a gas plasma and an associated electric field substantially perpendicular to the substrate-retaining surface of the electrostatic chuck so as to perform a plasma process on the substrate;
d) removing the processed substrate from the electrostatic chuck surface upon completion of the plasma processing; and
e) performing an in-situ electrical or mechanical removal of contaminant particles from the top of the electrostatic chuck surface in the closed chamber prior to introduction of the next substrate to be plasma processed, while maintaining the chamber under a controlled subatmospheric environment without opening the chamber to the atmosphere.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention provides a method for removing particulate contaminants from an electrostatic chuck pedestal for a semiconductor workpiece by physical removal employing a soft material workpiece or by creating a plasma sheath which suspends the contaminants from the chuck surface and entrains them in the gas stream of the chamber vacuum exhaust system of the chamber. The contaminant removal processes are particularly effective in continuous plasma processes for the treatment of workpieces.
104 Citations
24 Claims
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1. A method for cleaning an electrostatic chuck having a surface for retaining a substrate at a processing station within a plasma processing chamber provided with a vacuum exhaust capability and adapted for serially processing substrates within a controlled subatmospheric environment, comprising:
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a) retaining a substrate at the substrate retaining surface of the electrostatic chuck within a plasma processing chamber; b) communicating into the chamber at least one selected gas; c) applying electrical energy to the chamber to establish a gas plasma and an associated electric field substantially perpendicular to the substrate-retaining surface of the electrostatic chuck so as to perform a plasma process on the substrate; d) removing the processed substrate from the electrostatic chuck surface upon completion of the plasma processing; and e) performing an in-situ electrical or mechanical removal of contaminant particles from the top of the electrostatic chuck surface in the closed chamber prior to introduction of the next substrate to be plasma processed, while maintaining the chamber under a controlled subatmospheric environment without opening the chamber to the atmosphere. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A method for continuously conducting plasma treatment of semiconductor substrates in a closed vacuum chamber, comprising:
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a) providing a plasma chamber including a gas exhaust capability and a substrate pedestal having an electrostatic chuck clamp adapted to retain a substrate on the surface of the chuck; b) communicating into the chamber one or more selected plasma generating gases; c) applying electrical energy to the chamber to establish a treatment plasma and an associated electric field substantially perpendicular to the pedestal surface for receiving the substrate so as to perform a treatment of said substrate; d) removing the processed substrate from the electrostatic chuck surface upon completion of the plasma treatment; and e) creating a plasma above the electrostatic chuck pedestal surface of a lower density than said treatment plasma when the electrostatic chuck surface is exposed, whereby particulate contaminant residues formed on said pedestal are suspended in the plasma sheath and entrained in the gas removal stream of the chamber causing the particles to be drawn from the chamber during gas exhaust prior to introduction of the next substrate to be plasma processed. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. A method of removing contaminant particles from a hard surface electrostatic chuck comprising the steps of:
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a) providing a plasma chamber comprised of an electrostatic chuck substrate pedestal; b) placing a workpiece comprised of a soft resin material surface onto the electrostatic chuck surface in a manner whereby the soft resin material is in contact with the chuck surface; c) applying a direct current chucking voltage to the chuck to cause the soft resin material to be drawn and pressed to the surface of the chuck whereby relatively large contaminant particles are embedded in the soft resin material; and d) removing the contaminant containing soft resin containing workpiece from the chamber. - View Dependent Claims (24)
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Specification