Method for dry cleaning metal etching chamber

• US 6,545,245 B2
• Filed: 05/02/2001
• Issued: 04/08/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/02/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: United Microelectronics Corporation
• Original Assignee: United Microelectronics Corporation
• Inventors: Chien, Wen-Sheng, Kuo, Jui-Chun, Yeh, Chia-Fu, Wei, Wen-Shan
• Primary Examiner(s): PASCHALL, MARK H
• Application Number:
  US09/847,108
• Publication Number:
  US 20020162827A1
• Time in Patent Office: 706 Days
• Field of Search: 219/121.4, 219/121.41, 219/121.43, 219/121.59, 219/67, 219/69, 204/298.31, 134/2, 134/1.1, 134/8, 134/21, 134/26, 134/1.2, 134/1.3, 156/345
• US Class Current: 219/121.41
• 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: H01J 37/32862 In situ cleaning of vessels and/or internal parts

Abstract

In accordance with the present invention, a method is provided for dry cleaning a processing chamber. This method comprises the step of introducing a first cleaning process gas into the processing chamber. A plasma is formed from the first cleaning process gas and maintained for a first time period. Next, repeating the step of introducing the cleaning process gas, a second cleaning process gas is introduced into the processing chamber and maintained the plasma for a second time period. As a result, the present invention is capable of removing polymer built up on the processing chamber'"'"'s interior surfaces to achieve a high yield and maintaining throughput of the substrates in the plasma processing system.

Claims

1. A method for dry cleaning a process chamber, said method comprising:

introducing a mixture of oxygen and chlorine cleaning process gas into said processing chamber;

forming a plasma from said mixture of oxygen and chlorine cleaning process gas; and

maintaining said plasma for a time period.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein said processing chamber has a first electrode and a second electrode.

3. The method according to claim 2, further comprising generating said plasma by applying an RF energy to said mixture of oxygen and chlorine cleaning process gas, wherein said RF energy is about 800 W applied to said first electrode.

4. The method according to claim 2, further comprising applying a power of about 4 W to said second electrode.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein said first flow rate is about 200 SCCM.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein said second flow rate is about 150 SCCM.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein said time period is about 25 seconds.

8. A method for dry cleaning a processing chamber, said method comprising:

introducing an oxygen cleaning process gas into said processing chamber;

forming an oxygen plasma from said oxygen cleaning process gas;

maintaining said oxygen plasma for a first time period;

introducing a chlorine cleaning process gas into said processing chamber; and

maintaining said oxygen plasma for a second time period.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein said processing chamber has a first electrode and a second electrode.

10. The method according to claim 8, wherein a flow rate of said oxygen cleaning process gas is about 230 SCCM (standard cubic centimeters per minute).

11. The method according to claim 9, further comprising generating said oxygen plasma by applying an RF energy to said oxygen cleaning process gas and said chlorine cleaning process gas, wherein said RF energy is about 800 W applied to said first electrode.

12. The method according to claim 9, further comprising applying a power of about 4 W to said second electrode.

13. The method according to claim 8, wherein said first time period is about 12 seconds.

14. The method according to claim 8, wherein the flow rate of said chlorine cleaning process gas is about 160 SCCM (standard cubic centimeters per minute).

15. The method according to claim 8, wherein said second time period is about 10 seconds.

16. The method according to claim 8, further comprising the step of evacuating said oxygen cleaning process gas from said processing chamber between said first and said second time periods while maintaining said oxygen plasma.

17. The method according to claim 8, wherein said processing chamber is a metal etching chamber.

18. A method for dry cleaning a metal etching chamber, said method comprising:

introducing an oxygen cleaning process gas with a flow rate of about 230 SCCM (standard cubic centimeter per minute) into said metal etching chamber, wherein said metal etching chamber has a first electrode and a second electrode;

performing an RF energy to said oxygen cleaning process gas to generate an oxygen plasma;

maintaining said oxygen plasma for a first time period of about 12 second to remove a photoresist based polymer on the interior surface of said metal etching chamber;

introducing a chlorine cleaning process gas with said flow rate of about 160 SCCM (standard cubic centimeters per minute) into said metal etching chamber; and

maintaining said oxygen plasma for a second time period of about 10 second to remove a metal based polymer on said interior surface of said metal etching chamber.

19. The method according to claim 18, wherein said RF energy is about 800 W applied to said first electrode.

20. The method according to claim 18, wherein said RF energy is about 4 W applied to said second electrode.

21. The method according to claim 18, further comprising a step of evacuating said oxygen cleaning process gas away from said metal etching chamber between said first and said second time periods while maintaining said oxygen plasma.