Method of cleaning UV irradiation chamber

• US 7,789,965 B2
• Filed: 09/19/2007
• Issued: 09/07/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/19/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ASM Japan K.K. (ASM International NV)
• Original Assignee: ASM Japan K.K. (ASM International NV)
• Inventors: Matsushita, Kiyohiro, Fukuda, Hideaki, Kagami, Kenichi
• Primary Examiner(s): CARRILLO, BIBI SHARIDAN
• Application Number:
  US11/857,639
• Publication Number:
  US 20080066778A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,084 Days
• Field of Search: 134/1, 134/1.1, 134/1.2, 134/1.3, 134/19, 134/22.1, 134/26, 134/30, 134/37, 134/42, 134/902
• US Class Current: 134/1
• CPC Class Codes: B08B 7/0057 by ultraviolet radiation
• 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 16/482 using incoherent light, UV to IR, e.g. lamps
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 134/902 Semiconductor wafer

Abstract

A method of cleaning a UV irradiation chamber includes steps of: (i) after completion of irradiating a substrate with UV light transmitted through an optical transmitted window provided in the UV irradiation chamber, generating radical species of a cleaning gas outside the UV irradiation chamber; and (ii) introducing the radical species from the outside of the UV irradiation chamber into the UV irradiation chamber, thereby cleaning the optical transmitted window.

Claims

1. A method of semiconductor-processing by UV irradiation and cleaning a UV irradiation chamber for semiconductor-processing, the method comprising:

processing a semiconductor substrate placed on a susceptor provided in a UV irradiation chamber, by irradiating the substrate with an energy source consisting of UV light through an optical transmitted window provided in the UV irradiation chamber between the UV light and the susceptor while introducing gas through multiple ports from a vicinity of an outer periphery of the optical transmitted window towards a center of the optical transmitted window, wherein the multiple ports are arranged symmetrically to direct said gas in a radial direction towards the optical transmitted window; and

after completion of the processing step, introducing cleaning radicals consisting of radicals generated from O₂ gas from only a remote plasma unit outside of the UV irradiation chamber into a space defined between the optical transmitted window and the susceptor, wherein the cleaning radicals are ozonized by said UV light in the space, thereby increasing ozone production, wherein the ozone cleans the optical transmitted window, wherein the cleaning radicals are introduced into the UV irradiation chamber through a side wall of the UV irradiation chamber along a straight line extending from the remote plasma unit into the space of the UV irradiation chamber.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the UV light has a wavelength of 200 nm to 500 nm.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein in the processing step, a dielectric film or a silicon carboxide film is formed on the substrate.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein in the processing step, the substrate is irradiated through the optical transmitted window constituted by a crystal of CaF₂, MgF₂, BaF₂, or Al₂O₃.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein in the processing step, the substrate is irradiated through the optical transmitted window constituted by a synthetic quartz coated with CaF₂, MgF₂, BaF₂, or Al₂O₃.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising supplying O₂ gas and an inert gas to the remote plasma unit.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the inert gas comprises one or more selected from the group consisting of Ar, He, Kr, and Xe.