Biasing system for a plasma processing apparatus

• US 8,916,056 B2
• Filed: 10/11/2012
• Issued: 12/23/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/11/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Varian Semiconductor Equipment Associates Incorporated (Applied Materials Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Varian Semiconductor Equipment Associates Incorporated (Applied Materials Incorporated)
• Inventors: Koo, Bon-Woong, White, Richard M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ahmed, Shamim
• Application Number:
  US13/649,159
• Publication Number:
  US 20140106571A1
• Time in Patent Office: 803 Days
• Field of Search: 216/67, 438/710, 438/905, 134/1.1
• US Class Current: 216/67
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/321 the radio frequency energy being inductively coupled to the plasma
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32146 Amplitude modulation, includes pulsing
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32422 Arrangement for selecting ions or species in the plasma
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32706 Polarising the substrate
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32862 In situ cleaning of vessels and/or internal parts

Abstract

A plasma processing apparatus includes a process chamber housing defining a process chamber, a platen positioned in the process chamber for supporting a workpiece, a source configured to generate plasma in the process chamber, and a biasing system. The biasing system is configured to bias the platen to attract ions from the plasma towards the workpiece during a first processing time interval and configured to bias the platen to repel ions from the platen towards interior surfaces of the process chamber housing during a cleaning time interval. The cleaning time interval is separate from the first processing time interval and occurring after the first processing time interval.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

inputting a first process gas into a process chamber;

generating a first plasma from the first process gas;

attracting ions of the first plasma towards a workpiece by biasing a platen positioned in the process chamber on which the workpiece is disposed with a negatively biased DC signal during a first processing time interval;

stopping a flow of the first process gas into the process chamber;

inputting a cleaning gas into the process chamber;

generating a cleaning plasma from the cleaning gas; and

accelerating ions of the cleaning plasma towards interior surfaces of the process chamber housing during a cleaning time interval separate from the first processing time interval, by biasing the platen with a positively biased DC signal.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the positively biased DC signal comprises a pulsed DC signal having an amplitude equal to or greater than 1 kilovolt.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

stopping a flow of the cleaning gas into the process chamber;

inputting a second process gas into the process chamber after the cleaning time interval; and

generating a second plasma from the second process gas.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the first process gas comprises a p-type dopant and the second process gas comprises an n-type dopant.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising accelerating ions from the second plasma towards interior surfaces of the process chamber housing during a conditioning time interval, the conditioning time interval occurring after the cleaning time interval and before the second processing time interval to condition the interior surfaces of the process chamber before the second processing time interval.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the accelerating ions during the cleaning time interval comprises biasing the platen positioned in the process chamber with a positively biased pulsed DC signal having a first amplitude, and wherein the accelerating ions during the conditioning time interval comprises biasing the platen with a positively biased DC signal having a second amplitude less than the first amplitude.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising maintaining a pressure in the process chamber at less than or equal to 10 mTorr during the first processing time interval and the cleaning time interval.

8. A method comprising:

inputting a first process gas comprising a p-type dopant into a process chamber;

generating a first plasma from the first process gas;

attracting ions of the first plasma towards a workpiece by biasing a platen positioned in the process chamber on which the workpiece is disposed with a negatively biased DC signal during a first processing time interval;

stopping a flow of the first process gas into the process chamber;

inputting a cleaning gas into the process chamber;

generating a cleaning plasma from the cleaning gas;

accelerating ions of the cleaning plasma towards interior surfaces of the process chamber housing during a cleaning time interval separate from the first processing time interval, by biasing the platen with a positively biased DC signal of a first amplitude;

stopping a flow of the cleaning gas into the process chamber;

inputting a second process gas comprising a n-type dopant into a process chamber;

generating a second plasma from the second process gas;

accelerating ions of the second plasma towards interior surfaces of the process chamber housing during a conditioning time interval separate from the first processing time interval and the cleaning time interval, by biasing the platen with a positively biased DC signal of a second amplitude, less than the first amplitude; and

attracting ions of the second plasma towards a workpiece by biasing the platen with a negatively biased DC signal during a second processing time interval, separate from the first processing time interval, the cleaning time interval and the conditioning time interval.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the first amplitude is equal to or greater than 1 kilovolt.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the second amplitude is between 100 and 500 volts.