Method for cleaning a process chamber

• US 6,902,629 B2
• Filed: 04/12/2002
• Issued: 06/07/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/12/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Inventors: Singh, Vinita, Venkataraman, Shankar, Nemani, Srinivas D., Zheng, Yi, Lee, Ju-Hyung, Chen, Chen-An
• Primary Examiner(s): KORNAKOV, MIKHAIL
• Application Number:
  US10/122,481
• Publication Number:
  US 20030192568A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,152 Days
• Field of Search: 134/1.1, 134/22.1, 134/22.18, 134/26, 134/30, 134/31, 134/902, 216/63, 216/67, 216/68, 438/905
• US Class Current: 134/31
• CPC Class Codes: B08B 7/00 Cleaning by methods not provided for in a single other subclass or a single group in this subclass
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/4405 Cleaning of reactor or parts inside the reactor by using reactive gases
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 134/902 Semiconductor wafer
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 438/905 Cleaning of reaction chamber

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for cleaning deposition chambers are presented. The cleaning methods include the use of a remote plasma source to generate reactive species from a cleaning gas to clean deposition chambers. A flow of helium or argon may be used during chamber cleaning. Radio frequency power may also be used in combination with a remote plasma source to clean deposition chambers.

Claims

1. A method of cleaning a processing region of a deposition chamber, comprising:

introducing a cleaning gas into a remote plasma source connected to the deposition chamber;

striking a plasma in the remote plasma source using a power of about 2 kilowatts or greater;

increasing the power applied by the remote plasma source to the struck plasma to between about 5 kilowatts and about 8 kilowatts, wherein the struck plasma comprises reactive species;

introducing helium into the processing region;

introducing the cleaning gas from the remote plasma source into the processing region; and

delivering radio frequency (RF) power to the processing region.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the plasma is struck using a power of between about 2 kilowatts and about 3 kilowatts.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the plasma is struck using a power of about 3 kilowatts.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the remote plasma source provides about 6 kilowatts of power to the struck plasma.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the cleaning gas comprises NF₃.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the cleaning gas is flowed into the processing region at a rate of about 250 sccm or greater.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the cleaning gas is flowed into the processing region at a rate of between about 250 sccm and about 1250 sccm.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the helium is introduced into the processing region at a rate of between about 125 sccm and about 2500 sccm.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the radio frequency power is between about 150 watts and about 1000 watts.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the deposition chamber is a carbon-doped silicon oxide deposition chamber and carbon-doped silicon oxide is removed from interior surfaces of the processing region of the chamber.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein deposited material is removed from interior surfaces of the processing region of the chamber at a rate of between about 2 μ

m/minute and about 5 μ

m/minute.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising introducing argon into the remote plasma source before striking the plasma in the remote plasma source.

13. A method of cleaning a processing region of a deposition chamber, comprising:

introducing a cleaning gas into a remote plasma source connected to the deposition chamber;

striking a plasma in the remote plasma source, wherein the struck plasma comprises reactive species;

introducing the cleaning gas from the remote plasma source into the processing region;

delivering radio frequency (RF) power to the processing region;

terminating the radio frequency power in the processing region, and

flowing the cleaning gas from the remote plasma source into the processing region after terminating the radio frequency power.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the plasma is struck using a power of between about 2 kilowatts and about 3 kilowatts.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the plasma is struck using a power of about 3 kilowatts.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the cleaning gas comprises NF₃.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein the cleaning gas is introduced into the processing region at a rate of about 250 sccm or greater.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein the radio frequency power is between about 150 watts and about 1000 watts.

19. The method of claim 13, further comprising introducing helium into the processing region after striking a plasma in the remote plasma source.

20. The method of claim 13, wherein the deposition chamber is a carbon-doped silicon oxide deposition chamber and carbon-doped silicon oxide is removed from interior surfaces of the processing region of the chamber.

21. The method of claim 13, wherein deposited material is removed from interior surfaces of the processing region of the chamber at a rate of between about 2 μ

m/minute and about 4 μ

m/minute.

22. The method of claim 13, further comprising introducing argon into the remote plasma source before striking the plasma in the remote plasma source.

25. The method of claim 17, wherein the cleaning gas is introduced into the processing region at a rate of between about 250 sccm and about 2000 sccm.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the cleaning gas is introduced into the processing region at a rate of between about 250 sccm and about 1250 sccm.

27. The method of claim 19, wherein the helium is introduced into the processing region at a rate of between about 125 sccm and about 2500 sccm.

28. The method of claim 19, wherein the flow of helium into the processing region is terminated after the radio frequency power is terminated.

29. The method of claim 28, further comprising introducing argon into the processing region after the radio frequency power is terminated.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the cleaning gas is flowed into the processing region at a rate of between about 250 sccm and about 1250 sccm when the argon is introduced into the processing region.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein the argon is introduced into the processing region at a rate of between about 250 sccm and about 2500 sccm.

23. A method of cleaning a processing region of a deposition chamber, comprising:

introducing a cleaning gas into a remote plasma source connected to the deposition chamber;

striking a plasma in the remote plasma source, wherein the plasma is struck using a cower of about 2 kilowatts or greater in the remote plasma source, the struck plasma comprises reactive species, and wherein the power applied by the remote plasma source to the struck plasma is increased to between about 5 kilowatts and about 8 kilowatts;

introducing the cleaning gas from the remote plasma source into the processing region;

delivering radio frequency (RF) power to the processing region; and

terminating the radio frequency power in the processing region.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the remote plasma source provides about 6 kilowatts of power to the struck plasma.

32. A method of cleaning a processing region of a deposition chamber, comprising:

introducing an inert gas and a cleaning gas into a remote plasma source connected to the deposition chamber;

striking a plasma in the remote plasma source, wherein the struck plasma comprises reactive species, and the plasma is struck using a power of about 2 kilowatts or greater in the remote plasma source;

increasing the power applied by the remote plasma source to the struck plasma to between about 5 kilowatts and about 8 kilowatts;

introducing the cleaning gas from the remote plasma source into the processing region;

introducing helium into the processing region;

delivering radio frequency (RF) power to the processing region;

terminating the radio frequency power in the processing region;

terminating the flow of helium into the processing region; and

introducing argon into the processing region.