Localizing cleaning plasma for semiconductor processing
First Claim
1. A method of processing a substrate in a process chamber, the method comprising the steps of:
- (a) in a processing stage, placing the substrate in the process chamber, maintaining a surface of sacrificial material around the substrate, introducing process gas into the process chamber, and energizing the process gas whereby the surface of sacrificial material adds or removes species from the process gas to change a processing rate at the substrate periphery; and
(b) in a cleaning stage, removing the substrate, introducing a cleaning gas into the process chamber, and forming a localized cleaning plasma sheath from the cleaning gas that is localized to the surface of the sacrificial material to remove process residue formed on the surface of the sacrificial material substantially without extending to and eroding sidewalls of the process chamber.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A process for etching a substrate 20 in a process chamber 25 having sidewalls 30 and a sacrificial collar 100, and for cleaning the sacrificial collar without eroding or otherwise damaging the sidewalls. The process comprises an etching stage in which a substrate 20 is placed in the process chamber 25, and the sacrificial collar 100 is maintained around the substrate to add or remove species from a process gas to affect a processing rate of the substrate periphery. The process further comprises a localized cleaning stage in which the substrate 20 is removed, a cleaning gas introduced into the process chamber 25, and a localized cleaning plasma sheath 95 is formed to clean process residues formed on the sacrificial collar 100 substantially without extending the localized cleaning plasma sheath 95 to the sidewalls 30 of the process chamber.
101 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method of processing a substrate in a process chamber, the method comprising the steps of:
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(a) in a processing stage, placing the substrate in the process chamber, maintaining a surface of sacrificial material around the substrate, introducing process gas into the process chamber, and energizing the process gas whereby the surface of sacrificial material adds or removes species from the process gas to change a processing rate at the substrate periphery; and (b) in a cleaning stage, removing the substrate, introducing a cleaning gas into the process chamber, and forming a localized cleaning plasma sheath from the cleaning gas that is localized to the surface of the sacrificial material to remove process residue formed on the surface of the sacrificial material substantially without extending to and eroding sidewalls of the process chamber. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A method of etching a substrate in a process chamber, the method comprising the steps of:
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(a) in an etching stage, placing the substrate in the process chamber, maintaining a silicon-containing sacrificial collar around the substrate, introducing a halogen-containing process gas into the process chamber, and energizing the process gas whereby the sacrificial collar adds or removes species from the process gas to change a processing rate at the substrate periphery; and (b) in a cleaning stage, removing the substrate, introducing a cleaning gas into the process chamber, and forming a localized cleaning plasma sheath from the cleaning gas that is localized to the sacrificial collar to remove process residues formed on the sacrificial collar substantially without extending to and eroding sidewalls of the process chamber. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification