Plasma abatement of compounds containing heavy atoms

• US 9,649,592 B2
• Filed: 03/04/2015
• Issued: 05/16/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/06/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Inventors: Dickinson, Colin John, Fisher, Paul E., Tanaka, Yutaka, Cox, Michael S., Yuan, Zheng, McIntosh, Monique
• Primary Examiner(s): Mayes, Melvin C
• Assistant Examiner(s): Davis, Sheng H
• Application Number:
  US14/638,871
• Publication Number:
  US 20150251133A1
• Time in Patent Office: 804 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2251/00 Reactants
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2251/10 Oxidants
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2251/102 Oxygen
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2251/104 Ozone
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2251/108 Halogens or halogen compounds hydrogen halides B01D2251/50
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2251/20 Reductants
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2251/202 Hydrogen
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2251/204 Carbon monoxide
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2251/2062 Ammonia
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2251/208 Hydrocarbons
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2251/502 Hydrochloric acid
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2252/103 Water
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2257/55 Compounds of silicon, phosphorus, germanium or arsenic
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2257/553 Compounds comprising hydrogen, e.g. silanes
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2257/556 Organic compounds
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2257/60 Heavy metals or heavy metal compounds
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2257/7025 Methane
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2257/93 Toxic compounds not provided for in groups B01D2257/00 - B01D2257/708
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2258/0216 from CVD treatment or semi-conductor manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2259/818 Employing electrical discharges or the generation of a plasma
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 53/32 : by electrical effects other than those provided for in group B01D61/00
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 53/54 : Nitrogen compounds
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 53/64 : Heavy metals or compounds thereof, e.g. mercury
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 53/70 : Organic halogen compounds
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 53/76 : Gas phase processes, e.g. by using aerosols
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 19/088 : giving rise to electric discharges for heating purposes H05B7/00; for the production of ozone C01B13/11, H01T19/00
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/0815 : involving stationary electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/0875 : Gas
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/0894 : Processes carried out in the presence of a plasma
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 2237/002 : Cooling arrangements of objects being observed or treated H01J2237/2001
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 2237/335 : Cleaning
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32091 : the radio frequency energy being capacitively coupled to the plasma
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/321 : the radio frequency energy being inductively coupled to the plasma
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/3244 : Gas supply means
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32522 : Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32669 : Particular magnets or magnet arrangements for controlling the discharge
• CPC Class Codes: H05H 1/24 : Generating plasma nuclear fusion reactors G21B1/00; gas-filled discharge reactors H01J37/32
• CPC Class Codes: H05H 1/473 : Cylindrical electrodes, e.g. rotary drums
• CPC Class Codes: Y02C 20/20 : of methane
• CPC Class Codes: Y02C 20/30 : of perfluorocarbons [PFC], hydrofluorocarbons [HFC] or sulfur hexafluoride [SF6]

Abstract

A plasma abatement process for abating effluent containing compounds from a processing chamber is described. A plasma abatement process takes gaseous foreline effluent from a processing chamber, such as a deposition chamber, and reacts the effluent within a plasma chamber placed in the foreline path. The plasma dissociates the compounds within the effluent, converting the effluent into more benign compounds. Abating reagents may assist in the abating of the compounds. The abatement process may be a volatizing or a condensing abatement process. Representative volatilizing abating reagents include, for example, CH₄, H₂O, H₂, NF₃, SF₆, F₂, HCl, HF, Cl₂, and HBr. Representative condensing abating reagents include, for example, H₂, H₂O, O₂, N₂, O₃, CO, CO₂, NH₃, N₂O, CH₄, and combinations thereof.

Claims

1. A method of abating effluent from a processing chamber, the method comprising:

flowing an effluent from a processing chamber into a plasma source, wherein the effluent comprises at least one material to be abated;

flowing an abating reagent comprising methane into the plasma source; and

reacting the material in the effluent with the abating reagent in the presence of a plasma formed in the plasma source to convert the material in the effluent to a different material.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the material to be abated in the effluent comprises a heavy atom at least as heavy as an aluminum atom.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising performing a deposition process or an etch process in the processing chamber.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the abating reagent is a volatilizing abating reagent.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the material to be abated in the effluent comprises at least one of aluminum, silicon, tungsten, or titanium.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the volatilizing abating reagent further comprises at least one of H₂, H₂O, or ammonia.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the effluent is substantially free of fluorocarbons.

8. The method of claim 4, wherein the volatilizing abating reagent further comprises at least one of BCl₃, CCl₄, SiCl₄, NF₃, SF₄, SF₆, or SF₈.

9. The method of claim 4, wherein the volatizing abating reagent further comprises at least one of F₂, Cl₂, Br₂, or I₂.

10. The method of claim 4, wherein the volatizing abating reagent comprises at least one of HCl, HF, HBr, or HI.

11. A method of abating effluent from a processing chamber, the method comprising:

flowing an effluent from a processing chamber into a plasma source, wherein the effluent comprises at least one material to be abated, and the at least one material comprises Si, W, or a Ti-containing compound;

flowing an abating reagent comprising methane into the plasma source;

reacting the at lest one material in the effluent with the abating reagent in the presence of a plasma formed in the plasma source to convert the at least one material in the effluent to a methylated compound, wherein the plasma source is a magnetically enhanced capacitively coupled plasma source.