Method for cleaning a plasma enhanced CVD chamber

• US 7,207,339 B2
• Filed: 12/17/2003
• Issued: 04/24/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited
• Inventors: Chen, Sheng-Wen, Wang, Ying-Lang, Jangjian, Shiu-Ko, Chang, Hung-Jui
• Primary Examiner(s): Barr; Michael
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chaudhry; Saeed
• Application Number:
  US10/738,740
• Publication Number:
  US 20050133059A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,224 Days
• Field of Search: 134/1.1, 134/1.2, 134/26, 134/902, 134/22.1, 134/2, 438/905
• US Class Current: 134/1.1
• 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: H01L 21/67069 for drying etching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 134/902 Semiconductor wafer
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 438/905 Cleaning of reaction chamber

Abstract

A method for plasma cleaning a CVD reactor chamber including providing a plasma enhanced CVD reactor chamber comprising residual deposited material; performing a first plasma process comprising an oxygen containing plasma; performing a second plasma process comprising an argon containing plasma; and, performing a third plasma process comprising a fluorine containing plasma.

Claims

1. A method for plasma cleaning a CVD reactor chamber to reduce a required cleaning time and an amount of fluorine containing gas comprising the steps of:

providing a plasma enhanced CVD reactor chamber comprising residual deposited material and a plasma treatment volume;

performing a first plasma process comprising an oxygen containing plasma formed from plasma source gases free of nitrogen and fluorine;

performing a second plasma process comprising an argon containing plasma following said first plasma process; and

,

performing a third plasma process comprising a fluorine containing plasma following said second plasma process.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the third plasma process comprises a plasma source gas comprising nitrogen trifluoride (NF₃).

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the plasma source gas comprises greater than about 90% by volume of nitrogen trifluoride (NF₃) with respect to said plasma treatment volume.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the plasma source gas consists essentially of nitrogen trifluoride (NF₃).

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first plasma process plasma source gases comprise greater than about 80% by volume of oxygen (O₂) with respect to said plasma treatment volume.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the second plasma process comprises a plasma formed from plasma source gases free of nitrogen and fluorine.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the first plasma process plasma source gases comprises an inert gas selected from the group consisting of argon and helium.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first plasma process source gases consist essentially of oxygen (O₂) gas.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the second plasma process comprises a plasma formed front plasma source gases comprising argon at greater than about 90% by volume with respect to said plasma treatment volume.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the second plasma process comprises a plasma formed from a plasma source gas consisting essentially of argon.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the residual deposited material comprises material selected from the group consisting of organo-silanes, organo-siloxanes, and organo-silicate glass (OSG).

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the plasma enhanced CVD reactor chamber comprises one of a PECVD, HDP-CVD, and downstream plasma reactor chamber.

13. A method for plasma cleaning a CVD reactor chamber to reduce a required cleaning time and an amount of fluorine containing gas comprising the steps of:

providing a plasma enhanced CVD reactor chamber comprising residual deposited material and a plasma treatment volume;

performing a first plasma process comprising an oxygen containing plasma formed from plasma source gases free of fluorine and nitrogen;

performing in-situ following said first plasma process a second plasma process comprising an argon containing plasma formed from plasma source gases free of fluorine and nitrogen; and

,

performing in-situ following said second plasma process a third plasma process comprising a plasma formed from a nitrogen-fluoride (N_xF_y) containing plasma source gas.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the nitrogen-fluoride containing plasma source gas comprises nitrogen trifluoride (NF₃) at greater than about 90% by volume with respect to said plasma treatment volume.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the first plasma process plasma source gases comprise greater than about 80% by volume of oxygen (O₂) with respect to said plasma treatment volume.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the first plasma process plasma source gases consists essentially of oxygen (O₂).

17. The method of claim 13, wherein the second plasma process plasma source gases comprise argon at greater than about 90% by volume with respect to said plasma treatment volume.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein the second plasma process plasma source gases consist essentially of argon.

19. The method of claim 13, wherein the residual deposited material comprises material selected from the group consisting of organo-silanes, organo-siloxanes, and organo-silicate glass (OSG).

20. The method of claim 13, wherein the plasma enhanced CVD reactor chamber comprises one of a PECVD, HDP-CVD, and downstream plasma reactor chamber.