# US 12,002,664 B2 · Cleaning method and plasma processing apparatus

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- Number: US 12,002,664 B2
- Document ID: US12002664B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/985,085
- Filed: 2022-11-10
- Published: 2023-03-09
- Granted: 2024-06-04
- Earliest claimed: 2019-07-05
- Assignees: Tokyo Electron Limited
- Applicants: Tokyo Electron Limited
- Inventors: Masahiro Yamazaki
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12002664B2

## CPC

- H01J 37/32862: {In situ cleaning of vessels and/or internal parts}
- B08B 5/00: Cleaning by methods involving the use of air flow or gas flow (cleaning hollow articles by methods or apparatus specially adapted thereto B08B9/00)
- B08B 9/08: Cleaning containers, e.g. tanks
- H01J 37/3244: {Gas supply means}
- H10P 72/0421: {for drying etching}
- B08B 7/0057: {by ultraviolet radiation}
- H01J 2237/335: Cleaning
- H01J: ELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS (spark-gaps H01T; electric arc lamps H05B31/00; particle accelerators H05H)
- B08B: CLEANING IN GENERAL; PREVENTION OF FOULING IN GENERAL
- H10P: GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10

## Abstract

A cleaning method is provided. In the cleaning method, residues of elements of a group for a common semiconductor material in a chamber are removed with plasma of a halogen-containing gas. Residues of metal elements of groups 12 and 13 and groups 14 and 15 in the chamber are removed with plasma of a hydrocarbon-containing gas. A C-containing material in the chamber is removed with plasma of an O-containing gas. Further, the removing with the plasma of the halogen-containing gas, the removing with the plasma of the hydrocarbon-containing gas, and the removing with the plasma of the O-containing gas are performed in that order or the removing with the plasma of the hydrocarbon-containing gas, the removing with the plasma of the O-containing gas, and the removing with the plasma of the halogen-containing gas are performed in that order X times where X≥1.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A cleaning method comprising:
performing a first cleaning process in which a first residue in a chamber is removed and a second residue in the chamber is halogenated with a plasma of a first gas comprising a halogen-containing compound, wherein the first residue comprises one or more elements from a group consisting of silicon, germanium, boron, phosphorus, arsenic, nitrogen, carbon, sulfur, selenium, and tellurium and the second residue comprises one or more elements from a group consisting of germanium, tin, lead, antimony, and bismuth; and
after the first cleaning process, performing a second cleaning process in which the halogenated second residue is hydrogen-reduced by a plasma of a second gas comprising an H-containing compound to generate a hydride of the halogenated second residue and the hydride of the halogenated second residue is removed,
wherein the first cleaning process and the second cleaning process are performed in that order X times, wherein X is a natural greater than or equal to 1, and
wherein the first gas comprises a first composition, wherein the second gas comprises a second composition, and wherein the first composition is different than the second composition.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The cleaning method of claim 1, wherein the first gas comprises at least one of NF3, SF6, CF4, Cl2, BCl3, HBr and HI.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The cleaning method of claim 1, wherein the first cleaning process and the second cleaning process are performed in that order multiple times.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The cleaning method of claim 1, wherein the second gas includes H2.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The cleaning method of claim 1, wherein the first cleaning process and the second cleaning process are performed consecutively.

### Claim 6

A cleaning method comprising:
performing a first cleaning process in which a first residue in a chamber is removed and a second residue in the chamber is halogenated with a plasma of a first gas comprising a halogen-containing compound, wherein the first residue comprises one or more elements from a group consisting of silicon, germanium, boron, phosphorus, arsenic, nitrogen, carbon, sulfur, selenium, and tellurium and the second residue comprises one or more elements from a group consisting of tin, lead, antimony, and bismuth; and
after the first cleaning process, performing a second cleaning process in which the halogenated second residue is hydrogen-reduced by a plasma of a second gas comprising an H-containing compound to generate a hydride of the halogenated second residue and the hydride of the halogenated second residue is removed,
wherein the first cleaning process and the second cleaning process are performed in that order X times, wherein X is a natural greater than or equal to 1, and
wherein the first gas comprises a first composition, wherein the second gas comprises a second composition, and wherein the first composition is different than the second composition.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The cleaning method of claim 6, wherein the first cleaning process and the second cleaning process are performed consecutively.