Method for cleaning a plasma chamber

• US 6,926,014 B2
• Filed: 05/22/2003
• Issued: 08/09/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/02/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AU Optronics Corporation
• Original Assignee: AU Optronics Corporation
• Inventors: Wu, Shu-Feng, Cheng, Chao-Yun, Chuang, Chih-Chung, Kuo, Shin-Jien
• Primary Examiner(s): Kornakov, M.
• Application Number:
  US10/444,571
• Publication Number:
  US 20040103914A1
• Time in Patent Office: 810 Days
• Field of Search: 134/1.1, 134/21, 134/22.1, 134/22.18, 134/26, 134/30, 134/902, 438/905, 216/63, 216/67
• US Class Current: 134/22.18
• CPC Class Codes: B08B 7/0035 by radiant energy, e.g. UV, laser, light beam or the like
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32862 In situ cleaning of vessels and/or internal parts
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 134/902 Semiconductor wafer
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 438/905 Cleaning of reaction chamber

Abstract

A method for cleaning a plasma chamber after metal etching. First, a substrate having a metal layer thereon is placed in a plasma chamber. Next, the metal layer is etched. Finally, the substrate is removed from the plasma chamber to perform a dry cleaning which includes the following steps. First, the inner wall of the plasma chamber is cleaned by plasma etching using oxygen as a process gas. Next, the top and bottom electrode plates in the plasma chamber are cleaned by plasma etching using chlorine and boron chloride as process gases. Next, the inner wall of the plasma chamber is cleaned again by plasma etching using sulfur hexafluoride and oxygen as process gases. Finally, oxygen and helium used as purging gases are injected into the plasma chamber and exhausted from therein.

Claims

1. A method for cleaning a plasma chamber, comprising:

performing a first plasma etching in the plasma chamber to clean the inner wall of the plasma chamber with oxygen plasma;

performing a second plasma etching, after the first plasma etching, in the plasma chamber to clean the top and bottom of the electrode plates in the plasma chamber with chlorine and boron chloride plasma; and

performing a third plasma etching, after the second plasma etching, in the plasma chamber to clean the inner wall of the plasma chamber with sulfur hexafluoride and oxygen plasma.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising injecting a purging gas into the plasma chamber and exhausting from therein.

3. The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the purging gas is injected for about 20˜

40 sec.

4. The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the purging gas is a mixture of oxygen and helium and the flow rates of oxygen and helium are about 800˜

1000 sccm, respectively.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the flow rate of oxygen for the first plasma etching is about 600˜

800 sccm.

6. The method as claimed in claim 5, wherein the first plasma etching is performed under a pressure of about 3˜

10 mTorr.

7. The method as claimed in claim 5, wherein the first plasma etching is performed under a pressure of about 15˜

40 mTorr.

8. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the flow rates of the chlorine and boron chloride for the second plasma etching are about 100˜

500 sccm and 50˜

150 sccm, respectively.

9. The method as claimed in claim 8, wherein the second plasma etching is performed under a pressure of about 3˜

6 mTorr.

10. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the flow rates of sulfur hexafluoride and oxygen for the third plasma etching are about 600˜

800 sccm, respectively.

11. The method as claimed in claim 10, wherein the third plasma etching is performed under a pressure of about 50˜

70 mTorr.

12. A method for cleaning a plasma chamber after metal etching, comprising:

placing a substrate having a metal layer thereon in a plasma chamber;

etching the metal layer;

removing the substrate from the plasma chamber; and

performing a dry cleaning in the plasma chamber, wherein the dry cleaning comprises;

performing a first plasma etching in the plasma chamber to clean the inner wall of the plasma chamber with oxygen plasma;

performing a second plasma etching, after the first plasma etching, in the plasma chamber to clean the top and bottom of the electrode plates in the plasma chamber with chlorine and boron chloride plasma; and

performing a third plasma etching, after the second plasma etching, in the plasma chamber to clean the inner wall of the plasma chamber with sulfur hexafluoride and oxygen plasma.

13. The method as claimed in claim 12, wherein the dry cleaning further comprises injecting a purging gas into the plasma chamber and exhausting from therein.

14. The method as claimed in claim 13, wherein the purging gas is injected for between 20˜

40 seconds.

15. The method as claimed in claim 14, wherein the purging gas is a mixture of oxygen and helium and the flow rates of oxygen and helium is between 800˜

1000 sccm, respectively.

16. The method as claimed in claim 12, wherein the metal layer is a molybdenum-aluminum-neodymium (MoAlNd) alloy layer.

17. The method as claimed in claim 16, wherein the flow rate of oxygen for the first plasma etching is between 600˜

800 sccm.

18. The method as claimed in claim 17, wherein the first plasma etching is performed under a first pressure between 3˜

10 mTorr.

19. The method as claimed in claim 17, wherein the first plasma etching is performed under a second pressure between 15˜

40 mTorr.

20. The method as claimed in claim 16, wherein the flow rates of the chlorine and boron chloride for the second plasma etching are about 100˜

500 sccm and 50˜

150 sccm, respectively.

21. The method as claimed in claim 20, wherein the second plasma etching is performed under a pressure between 3˜

6 mTorr.

22. The method as claimed in claim 16, wherein the flow rates of sulfur hexafluoride and oxygen for the third plasma etching are about 600˜

800 sccm, respectively.

23. The method as claimed in claim 22, wherein the third plasma etching is performed under a pressure between 50˜

70 mTorr.

24. A method for cleaning a plasma chamber, comprising:

performing a first plasma etching in the plasma chamber to clean the inner wall of the plasma chamber with a first oxygen-based plasma;

performing a second plasma etching, after the first plasma etching, in the plasma chamber to clean the top and bottom of the electrode plates in the plasma chamber with a chlorine and boron chloride-containing plasma; and

performing a third plasma etching, after the second plasma etching, in the plasma chamber to clean the inner wall of the plasma chamber with a second oxygen-based plasma other than the first oxygen-based plasma.

25. The method as claimed in claim 24, wherein the first oxygen-based plasma is oxygen plasma.

26. The method as claimed in claim 24, wherein the second oxygen-based plasma is sulfur hexafluoride and oxygen-containing plasma.