Semiconductor device fabrication chamber cleaning method and apparatus with recirculation of cleaning gas

• US 6,863,019 B2
• Filed: 05/30/2002
• Issued: 03/08/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/13/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Inventors: Tanaka, Tsutomu, Porshnev, Peter I., Nowak, Thomas, Raoux, Sebastien, Lai, Canfeng, Krishnaraj, Padmanabhan, Shamouilian, Shamouil, Cox, Michael Santiago
• Primary Examiner(s): Hassanzadeh, Parviz
• Assistant Examiner(s): MOORE, KARLA A
• Application Number:
  US10/159,794
• Publication Number:
  US 20030036272A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,013 Days
• Field of Search: 118/723.R, 118/715, 156/345.29, 156/345.35, 134/1.1, 134/1.2
• US Class Current: 118/723.00R
• CPC Class Codes: B08B 7/00 Cleaning by methods not provided for in a single other subclass or a single group in this subclass
• 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: 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: C23C 16/45593 Recirculation of reactive gases
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 2237/335 Cleaning
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/3244 Gas supply means
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32844 Treating effluent gases
• CPC Class Codes: Y02C 20/30 of perfluorocarbons [PFC], hydrofluorocarbons [HFC] or sulfur hexafluoride [SF6]

Abstract

A method of cleaning a semiconductor fabrication processing chamber involves recirculation of cleaning gas components. Consequently, input cleaning gas is utilized efficiently, and undesirable emissions are reduced. The method includes flowing a cleaning gas to an inlet of a processing chamber, and exposing surfaces of the processing chamber to the cleaning gas to clean the surfaces, thereby producing a reaction product. The method further includes removing an outlet gas including the reaction product from an outlet of the processing chamber, separating at least a portion of the reaction product from the outlet gas, and recirculating a portion of the outlet gas to the inlet of the processing chamber.

Claims

1. A processing system comprising:

a processing chamber having an inlet and an outlet;

a remote plasma source having an inlet and having an outlet coupled to the inlet of the processing chamber;

a first valve having an outlet coupled to the inlet of the remote plasma source, a first inlet and a second inlet;

a flow controller having an inlet adapted to couple to a cleaning gas source and having an outlet coupled to the first inlet of the first valve;

a second valve having an inlet coupled to the outlet of the processing chamber, a first outlet adapted to couple to an exhaust path, and a second outlet;

a recirculation pump having an inlet coupled to the second outlet of the second valve, and an outlet;

a separation unit having an inlet coupled to the outlet of the recirculation pump, and an outlet, the separation unit adapted to separate a reaction product from a gas flowed to the separation unit;

a filtering mechanism having an inlet coupled to the outlet of the separation unit, and an outlet, the filtering mechanism adapted to filter particles from a gas flowed to the filtering mechanism; and

a pressure adjustment mechanism having an inlet coupled to the outlet of the filtering mechanism and an outlet coupled to the second inlet of the first valve, the pressure adjustment mechanism adapted to adjust a pressure level of a gas flowed to the pressure adjustment mechanism.

2. The processing system of claim 1, wherein the separation unit is adapted to condense a reaction product.

3. The processing system of claim 1, wherein the separation unit is adapted to adsorb a reaction product.

4. The processing system of claim 1, wherein the processing chamber is adapted to perform a vapor deposition process with respect to a substrate.

5. The processing system of claim 1, wherein the remote plasma source is selected from the group consisting of a microwave discharge plasma source, an inductively coupled plasma source, a silent barrier discharge plasma source, a capacitively coupled plasma source and a toroidal plasma source.

6. The processing system of claim 1, wherein the pressure adjustment mechanism is adapted to adjust the pressure level of gas flowed to the pressure adjustment mechanism so as to substantially match a pressure level of cleaning gas flowed to the first inlet of the first valve.