Method and apparatus for cleaning a CVD chamber

• US 7,500,445 B2
• Filed: 01/27/2003
• Issued: 03/10/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/27/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Inventors: Venkataraman, Shankar, Rocha-Alvarez, Juan Carlos, Shmurun, Inna, Lee, Ju-Hyung, Zhao, Maosheng, Sen, Soova, Lim, Mao D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hassanzadeh; Parviz
• Assistant Examiner(s): Crowell; Michelle
• Application Number:
  US10/354,214
• Publication Number:
  US 20040144490A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,234 Days
• Field of Search: 118/723.R, 118/723.E, 156/345.43, 156/345.44, 156/345.45, 156/345.46, 156/345.47, 315/111.21, 134/1.1, 216/67, 438/710
• US Class Current: 118/723.00E
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/4405 Cleaning of reactor or parts inside the reactor by using reactive gases
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/458 characterised by the method used for supporting substrates in the reaction chamber
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/46 characterised by the method used for heating the substrate C23C16/48, C23C16/50 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32082 Radio frequency generated discharge H01J37/32357, H01J37/32366, H01J37/32394 and H01J37/32403 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32862 In situ cleaning of vessels and/or internal parts
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67103 mainly by conduction

Abstract

The present invention is a method and apparatus for cleaning a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) chamber using cleaning gas energized to a plasma in a gas mixing volume separated by an electrode from a reaction volume of the chamber. In one embodiment, a source of RF power is coupled to a lid of the chamber, while a switch is used to couple a showerhead to ground terminals or the source of RF power.

Claims

1. A semiconductor substrate processing system comprising a chamber for processing a substrate, said chamber comprises:

a first portion comprising a substrate support pedestal;

a second portion comprising a blocking plate electrode and a source of radio-frequency power;

a showerhead electrode electrically isolated from the first portion and the second portion; and

a switch that couples the showerhead electrode to the first portion or the second portion, wherein the switch couples the showerhead electrode to the first portion during plasma cleaning the chamber.

2. A semiconductor substrate processing system comprising a chamber for processing a substrate, said chamber comprises:

a first portion comprising a substrate support pedestal;

a second portion comprising a blocking plate electrode and a source of radio-frequency power;

a showerhead electrode electrically isolated from the first portion and the second portion; and

a switch that couples the showerhead electrode to the first portion or the second portion, wherein the switch is a double-throw switch having a common terminal coupled to the showerhead electrode and selectable terminals coupled to the first portion and the second portion, respectively.