Method for cleaning a process chamber
First Claim
1. A method of cleaning a process chamber by removing silicon carbide and/or organosilicates layers formed on the interior surfaces of the process chamber, comprising:
- treating interior surfaces of the process chamber with a hydrogen-based plasma generated by providing a first gas mixture, having a hydrogen source, to the process chamber and applying an electric field to the first gas mixture; and
then treating interior surfaces of the process chamber with a fluorine-based plasma generated by providing a gas mixture, having a fluorine source, to the process chamber and applying an electric field to the gas mixture, wherein the hydrogen-based plasma and the fluorine-based plasma are each used to react with the silicon carbide and/or organosilicates layers formed on the interior surfaces of the process chamber and the hydrogen source and the fluorine source comprise one or more gases selected from the group consisting of hydrogen (H2), carbon tetrafluoride (CF4), nitrogen trifluoride (NF3), ammonia (NH3), methane (CH4), sulfur hexafluoride (SF6), and fluoroethane (C2F6).
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method for cleaning silicon carbide and/or organosilicate layers from interior surfaces of a process chamber is disclosed. In one aspect, silicon carbide and/or organosilicate layers are cleaned from interior surfaces of a process chamber by treating it with a hydrogen/fluorine-based plasma. In another aspect, silicon carbide and/or organosilicate layer are cleaned from interior surfaces of the process chamber by treating it with a hydrogen-based plasma followed by a fluorine-based plasma. Alternatively, silicon carbide and/or organosilicate layers are cleaned from interior surfaces of the chamber by treating it with a fluorine-based plasma followed by a hydrogen-based plasma.
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Citations
67 Claims
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1. A method of cleaning a process chamber by removing silicon carbide and/or organosilicates layers formed on the interior surfaces of the process chamber, comprising:
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treating interior surfaces of the process chamber with a hydrogen-based plasma generated by providing a first gas mixture, having a hydrogen source, to the process chamber and applying an electric field to the first gas mixture; and
thentreating interior surfaces of the process chamber with a fluorine-based plasma generated by providing a gas mixture, having a fluorine source, to the process chamber and applying an electric field to the gas mixture, wherein the hydrogen-based plasma and the fluorine-based plasma are each used to react with the silicon carbide and/or organosilicates layers formed on the interior surfaces of the process chamber and the hydrogen source and the fluorine source comprise one or more gases selected from the group consisting of hydrogen (H2), carbon tetrafluoride (CF4), nitrogen trifluoride (NF3), ammonia (NH3), methane (CH4), sulfur hexafluoride (SF6), and fluoroethane (C2F6). - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
purging the process chamber using an inert gas after interior surfaces of the process chamber have been plasma cleaned.
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12. The method of claim 11 wherein the inert gas is selected from the group consisting of helium (He), argon (Ar), and nitrogen (N2).
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13. The method of claim 1 wherein the process chamber is a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) chamber.
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14. The method of claim 1 wherein the process chamber is a plasma etch chamber.
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15. The method of claim 1 wherein the hydrogen/fluorine-based plasma is provided to the process chamber from a remotely located plasma chamber.
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16. A method of cleaning a process chamber, comprising:
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treating interior surfaces of the process chamber with a hydrogen-based plasma generated by providing a gas mixture, having a hydrogen source, to the process chamber and applying an electric field to the gas mixture; and
thentreating interior surfaces of the process chamber with a fluorine-based plasma generated by providing a gas mixture, having a fluorine source, to the process chamber and applying an electric field to the gas mixture, wherein the hydrogen-based plasma and the fluorine-based plasma are each used to remove material layers formed on interior surfaces the process chamber and generated using gases selected from the group consisting of hydrogen (H2), carbon tetrafluoride (CF4), nitrogen trifluoride (NF3), ammonia (NH3), methane (CH4), sulfur hexafluoride (SF5), and fluoroethane (C2F6). - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
purging the process chamber using an inert gas after interior surfaces of the process chamber have been plasma cleaned.
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27. The method of claim 26 wherein the inert gas is selected from the group consisting of helium (He), argon (Ar), and nitrogen (N2).
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28. The method of claim 16, wherein each plasma is provided to the process chamber from one or more remotely located plasma chambers.
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29. A method of cleaning a process chamber, comprising:
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treating interior surfaces of the process chamber with a fluorine-based plasma generated by providing a gas mixture, having a fluorine source, to the process chamber and applying an electric field to the gas mixture; and
thentreating interior surfaces of the process chamber with a hydrogen-based plasma generated by providing a gas mixture, having a hydrogen source, to the process chamber and applying an electric field to the gas mixture, wherein the fluorine-based plasma and the hydrogen-based plasma are used to remove material layers formed on interior surfaces of the process chamber and generated using gases selected from the group consisting of hydrogen (H2), carbon tetrafluoride (CF4), nitrogen trifluoride (NF3), ammonia (NH3), methane (CH4), sulfur hexafluoride (SF6), and fluoroethane (C2F6). - View Dependent Claims (30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41)
purging the process chamber using an inert gas after interior surfaces of the process chamber have been plasma cleaned.
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40. The method of claim 39 wherein the inert gas is selected from the group consisting of helium (He), argon (Ar), and nitrogen (N2).
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41. The method of claim 29, wherein each plasma is provided to the process chamber from one or more remotely located plasma chambers.
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42. A computer storage medium containing a software routine that, when executed, causes a general purpose computer to control a process chamber using a cleaning method to remove silicon carbide and/or organosilicates layers formed on the interior surfaces of the process chamber, comprising:
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treating interior surfaces of the process chamber with a fluorine-based plasma generated by providing a gas mixture, having a fluorine source, to the process chamber and applying an electric field to the gas mixture; and
thentreating interior surfaces of the process chamber with a hydrogen-based plasma generated by providing a gas mixture, having a hydrogen source, to the process chamber and applying an electric field to the gas mixture, wherein the hydrogen-based plasma and the fluorine-based plasma are each used to react with the silicon carbide and/or organosilicates layers formed on the interior surfaces of the process chamber and the hydrogen source and the fluorine source comprise one or more gases selected from the group consisting of hydrogen (H2), carbon tetrafluoride (CF4), nitrogen trifluoride (NF3), ammonia (NH3), methane (CH4), sulfur hexafluoride (SF6), and fluoroethane (C2F6). - View Dependent Claims (43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55)
purging the process chamber using an inert gas after interior surfaces of the process chamber have been plasma cleaned.
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54. The computer storage medium of claim 53 wherein the inert gas is selected from the group consisting of helium (He), argon (Ar), and nitrogen (N2).
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55. The computer storage medium of claim 42 wherein the hydrogen/fluorine-based plasma is provided to the process chamber from a remotely located plasma chamber.
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56. A method of cleaning a process chamber, comprising:
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treating interior surfaces of the process chamber with an oxygen-based plasma generated by providing a gas mixture, having an oxygen source, to the process chamber, and applying an electric field to the gas mixture; and
thentreating interior surfaces of the process chamber with a plasma comprising hydrogen and fluorine generated by providing a gas mixture using gases selected from the group consisting of hydrogen (H2), fluoromethane (CH3F), carbon tetrafluoride (CF4), ammonia (NH3), methane (CH4), sulfur hexafluoride (SF6), and fluoroethane (C2F6) to the process chamber, and applying an electric field to the gas mixture, wherein the oxygen-based plasma and the plasma comprising hydrogen and fluorine are used to remove material layers formed on interior surfaces of the process chamber. - View Dependent Claims (57, 58)
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59. A method of cleaning a process chamber, comprising:
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treating interior surfaces of the process chamber with an oxygen-based plasma generated by providing a gas mixture, having an oxygen source, to the process chamber, and applying an electric field to the gas mixture; and
thentreating interior surfaces of the process chamber with a hydrogen/fluorine-based plasma generated by providing a gas mixture, having a hydrogen source and fluorine source, to the process chamber, and applying an electric field to the gas mixture, wherein the oxygen-based plasma and the hydrogen/fluorine-based plasma are used to remove material layers formed on interior surfaces of the process chamber; and
thentreating interior surfaces of the process chamber with a fluorine-based plasma generated by providing a nitrogen trifluoride (NF3) gas to the process chamber and applying an electric field to the nitrogen trifluoride to increase the removal of the material layers formed on interior surfaces of the process chamber. - View Dependent Claims (60, 61)
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62. A method of cleaning a process chamber to remove silicon carbide and/or organosilicates layers formed on interior surfaces of the process chamber, comprising:
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treating interior surfaces of the process chamber with an oxygen-based plasma generated by providing a gas mixture, having an oxygen source, to the process chamber, and applying an electric field to the gas mixture; and
thentreating interior surfaces of the process chamber with a hydrogen/fluorine-based plasma generated by providing a gas mixture using gases selected from the group consisting of hydrogen (H2), fluoromethane (CH3F), carbon tetrafluoride (CF4), ammonia (NH3), methane (CH4), sulfur hexafluoride (SF6), and fluoroethane (C2F6) to the process chamber, and applying an electric field to the gas mixture, wherein the oxygen-based plasma and the hydrogen/fluorine-based plasma are used to react with the silicon carbide and/or organosilicates layers formed on interior surfaces of the process chamber so as to remove such layers therefrom. - View Dependent Claims (63, 64)
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65. A method of cleaning a process chamber to remove silicon carbide and/or organosilicates layers formed on interior surfaces of the process chamber, comprising:
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treating interior surfaces of the process chamber with an oxygen-based plasma generated by providing a gas mixture, having an oxygen source, to the process chamber, and applying an electric field to the gas mixture; and
thentreating interior surfaces of the process chamber with a hydrogen/fluorine-based plasma generated by providing a gas mixture, having a hydrogen source and a fluorine source, to the process chamber, and applying an electric field to the gas mixture, wherein the oxygen-based plasma and the hydrogen/fluorine-based plasma are used to react with the silicon carbide and/or organosilicates layers formed on interior surfaces of the process chamber so as to remove such layers therefrom; and
thentreating interior surfaces of the process chamber with a fluorine-based plasma generated by providing a nitrogen trifluoride (NF3) gas to the process chamber and applying an electric field to the nitrogen trifluoride to increase the removal of the silicon carbide and/or organosilicates layers formed on interior surfaces of the process chamber. - View Dependent Claims (66, 67)
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Specification