Plasma dry cleaning of semiconductor processing chambers

• US 5,676,759 A
• Filed: 05/17/1995
• Issued: 10/14/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 08/09/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Inventors: Ye, Yan, Yin, Gerald Z., Rhoades, Charles Steven
• Primary Examiner(s): PYON, HAROLD Y
• Application Number:
  US08/442,939
• Time in Patent Office: 881 Days
• Field of Search: 134/1.1, 134/1.2, 134/1.3, 156/626.1, 216/60, 356/311, 356/316
• US Class Current: 134/1.2
• CPC Class Codes: B08B 7/0035 by radiant energy, e.g. UV, laser, light beam or the like
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/4405 Cleaning of reactor or parts inside the reactor by using reactive gases
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02046 Dry cleaning only H01L21/02085 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67028 for cleaning followed by drying, rinsing, stripping, blasting or the like
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67034 for drying
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 438/905 Cleaning of reaction chamber

Abstract

The plasma dry cleaning rate of semiconductor process chamber walls can be improved by placing a non-gaseous dry cleaning enhancement material in the position which was occupied by the workpiece during semiconductor processing. The non-gaseous dry cleaning enhancement material is either capable generating dry cleaning reactive species and/or of reducing the consumption of the dry cleaning reactive species generated from the plasma gas feed to the process chamber.

When process chamber non-volatile contaminant deposits are removed from plasma process chamber surfaces during plasma dry cleaning by placing a non-gaseous source of reactive-species-generating material within the plasma process chamber, the non-gaseous source of reactive-species-generating material need not be located upon or adjacent the workpiece support platform: however, this location provides excellent cleaning results in typical process chamber designs.

Claims

1. A method of determining whether a non-gaseous material is capable of generating at least one volatile, reactive species which acts upon an involatile semiconductor process chamber contaminant to render said involatile contaminant volatile, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a non-gaseous source of reactive species generating material;

(b) placing said non-gaseous source of reactive species generating material in a proper position for evaluation within a semiconductor process chamber which contains at least one surface exhibiting said involatile semiconductor process chamber contaminant;

(c) exposing said non-gaseous source of reactive species generating material to a plasma generated from a gas fed into said process chamber, whereby volatile reactive species are generated; and

(d) using optical emission spectra techniques to monitor volatile molecules adjacent said at least one surface exhibiting said involatile contaminant.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said determination is carried out without a workpiece in said semiconductor process chamber, and wherein said non-gaseous material is placed in said semiconductor process chamber at a location which would be occupied by a workpiece during processing of a workpiece.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said optical emission spectra techniques include the comparison an emission spectra of volatile compounds found at said surface exhibiting said involatile contaminant with an emission spectra of volatile compounds found at a surface free from said involatile contaminant.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said optical emission spectra techniques include making a comparison between the emission spectra of volatile compounds found at said surface exhibiting said involatile contaminant when said non-gaseous material is present and when said non-gaseous material is not present in said semiconductor process chamber.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said optical emission spectra techniques include a determination of a quantity of a volatile molecule adjacent said surface exhibiting said involatile contaminant.

6. A method of determining whether a non-gaseous material is capable of enhancing plasma dry cleaning activity upon semiconductor process chamber walls, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a non-gaseous dry cleaning enhancement material which can be used in a semiconductor process chamber;

(b) placing said non gaseous dry cleaning enhancement material in a proper position for evaluation within a semiconductor process chamber containing at least one surface exhibiting an involatile contaminant;

(c) exposing said non-gaseous dry cleaning enhancement material to a plasma generated from a gas fed into said chamber; and

(d) using optical emission spectra techniques to monitor volatile molecules adjacent said at least one surface exhibiting said involatile contaminant.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein said determination is carried out without a workpiece in said semiconductor process chamber, and wherein said non-gaseous material is placed in said semiconductor process chamber at a location which would be occupied by a workpiece during processing of a workpiece.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein said optical emission spectra techniques include a determination of a quantity of a volatile molecule adjacent said surface exhibiting said involatile contaminant.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein said optical emission spectra techniques include the comparison an emission spectra of volatile compounds found at said surface exhibiting said involatile contaminant with an emission spectra of volatile compounds found at a surface of said non-gaseous material.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein said optical emission spectra techniques include a determination of a quantity of a volatile molecule adjacent said surface of said non-gaseous material.