Method of cleaning CVD equipment processing chamber

• US 7,234,476 B2
• Filed: 03/10/2003
• Issued: 06/26/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/11/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ASM Japan K.K. (ASM International NV)
• Original Assignee: ASM Japan K.K. (ASM International NV)
• Inventors: Fukuda, Hideaki, Arai, Hirofumi
• Primary Examiner(s): KORNAKOV, MIKHAIL
• Application Number:
  US10/385,984
• Publication Number:
  US 20030170402A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,569 Days
• Field of Search: 134/1.1, 134/22.1, 134/902, 134/22.18, 134/31, 216/67, 438/905, 439/905
• 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: 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 134/902 Semiconductor wafer
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 438/905 Cleaning of reaction chamber

Abstract

A method of remote plasma cleaning a processing chamber of CVD equipment, which has high cleaning rates, low cleaning operational cost and high efficiency, is provided. The method comprises supplying cleaning gas to the remote plasma-discharge device; activating the cleaning gas inside the remote plasma-discharge device; and bringing the activated cleaning gas into the processing chamber and which is characterized in that a mixed gas of F₂ gas and an inert gas are used as the cleaning gas. A concentration of the F₂ gas is 10% or higher. The F₂ gas, which is a cleaning gas, is supplied to the remote plasma-discharge device from an F₂ gas cylinder by diluting F₂ gas at a given concentration by an inert gas.

Claims

1. A method of cleaning a CVD processing chamber equipped with upper and lower parallel flat plate electrodes after processing a wafer, using a remote plasma-discharge device, comprising:

selecting as the upper and lower electrodes a lower electrode having a surface area which is 1.08 to 1.38 times that of the wafer, and an upper electrode having a surface area which is 1.05 to 1.44 times that of the lower electrode;

supplying a mixed gas of F₂ gas and an inert gas as a cleaning gas to the remote plasma-discharge device, wherein the mixed gas contains the F₂ gas at a concentration of 20% or higher;

activating the cleaning gas inside the remote plasma-discharge device; and

bringing the activated cleaning gas into the processing chamber while controlling the upper electrode at a temperature of 200°

C. to 400°

C.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the process of supplying cleaning gas into the remote plasma device includes a process of supplying F₂ gas from a gas cylinder, which is filled with F₂ gas by diluting F₂ gas at a given concentration by an inert gas.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the process of supplying cleaning gas into the remote plasma-discharge device includes a process of supplying F₂ gas diluted at a given concentration by mixing an inert gas supplied from an inert gas cylinder in high-purity F₂ gas generated by an F₂ generator.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said inert gas is He or Ar.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the cleaning gas inside the remote plasma-discharge device is activated at an output of fluorine radicals of about 1.6×

10<sup>−

3</sup> mol/W.

6. A method of cleaning a CVD processing chamber equipped with upper and lower parallel flat plate electrodes after processing a wafer, using a remote plasma-discharge device, comprising:

selecting as the upper and lower electrodes a lower electrode having a surface area which is 1.08 to 1.38 times that of the wafer, and an upper electrode having a surface area which is 1.05 to 1.44 times that of the lower electrode;

supplying a mixed gas consisting of F₂ gas and an inert gas as a cleaning gas to the remote plasma-discharge device, by supplying the F₂ gas from a gas cylinder which is filled with F₂ gas and diluting the F₂ gas at a given concentration by the inert gas upstream of the remote plasma-discharge device;

activating the cleaning gas inside the remote plasma-discharge device; and

bringing the activated cleaning gas into the processing chamber while controlling the upper electrode at a temperature of 200°

C. to 400°

C.

7. The method as claimed in claim 6, wherein the mixed gas contains the F₂ gas at a concentration of 20% or higher.

8. A method of cleaning a CVD processing chamber equipped with upper and lower parallel flat plate electrodes after processing a wafer, using a remote plasma-discharge device, comprising:

selecting as the upper and lower electrodes a lower electrode having a surface area which is 1.08 to 1.38 times that of the wafer, and an upper electrode having a surface area which is 1.05 to 1.44 times that of the lower electrode;

supplying a mixed gas consisting of F₂ gas and an inert gas as a cleaning gas to the remote plasma-discharge device, by supplying the F₂ gas diluted at a given concentration by mixing the inert gas supplied from an inert gas cylinder in F₂ gas generated by an F₂ generator, upstream of the remote plasma-discharge device;

activating the cleaning gas inside the remote plasma-discharge device; and

bringing the activated cleaning gas into the processing chamber while controlling the upper electrode at a temperature of 200°

C. to 400°

C.

9. The method as claimed in claim 8, wherein the mixed gas contains the F₂ gas at a concentration of 50% or higher.