# US 12,191,125 B2 · Removing metal contamination from surfaces of a processing chamber

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- Number: US 12,191,125 B2
- Document ID: US12191125B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 18/534,027
- Filed: 2023-12-08
- Published: 2024-04-04
- Granted: 2025-01-07
- Earliest claimed: 2018-10-05
- Assignees: Lam Research Corporation
- Applicants: Lam Research Corporation
- Inventors: Jengyi Yu; Samantha SiamHwa Tan; Seongjun Heo; Ge Yuan; Siva Krishnan Kanakasabapathy
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12191125B2

## CPC

- H01J 37/32862: {In situ cleaning of vessels and/or internal parts}
- H01J 37/3288: {Maintenance}
- C23C 16/4405: {Cleaning of reactor or parts inside the reactor by using reactive gases}
- H01J: ELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS (spark-gaps H01T; electric arc lamps H05B31/00; particle accelerators H05H)
- C23C: COATING METALLIC MATERIAL; COATING MATERIAL WITH METALLIC MATERIAL; SURFACE TREATMENT OF METALLIC MATERIAL BY DIFFUSION INTO THE SURFACE, BY CHEMICAL CONVERSION OR SUBSTITUTION; COATING BY VACUUM EVAPORATION, BY SPUTTERING, BY ION IMPLANTATION OR BY CHEMICAL VAPOUR DEPOSITION, IN GENERAL (making metal-coated products by extrusion B21C23/22; covering with metal by connecting pre-existing layers to articles, see the relevant places, e.g. B21D39/00, B23K; metallising of glass C03C; metallising mortars, concrete, artificial stone, ceramics or natural stone C04B41/00; enamelling of, or applying a vitreous layer to, metals C23D; treating metal surfaces or coating of metals by electrolysis or electrophoresis C25D; single-crystal film growth C30B; by metallising textiles D06M11/83; decorating textiles by locally metallising D06Q1/04)

## Abstract

A method for cleaning surfaces of a substrate processing chamber includes a) supplying a first gas selected from a group consisting of silicon tetrachloride (SiCl4), carbon tetrachloride (CCl4), a hydrocarbon (CxHy where x and y are integers) and molecular chlorine (Cl2), boron trichloride (BCl3), and thionyl chloride (SOCl2); b) striking plasma in the substrate processing chamber to etch the surfaces of the substrate processing chamber; c) extinguishing the plasma and evacuating the substrate processing chamber; d) supplying a second gas including fluorine species; e) striking plasma in the substrate processing chamber to etch the surfaces of the substrate processing chamber; and f) extinguishing the plasma and evacuating the substrate processing chamber.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method for cleaning surfaces of a substrate processing chamber, comprising:
a) supplying a first gas selected from a group consisting of silicon tetrachloride (SiCl4), carbon tetrachloride (CCl4), a hydrocarbon (CxHy where x and y are integers) and molecular chlorine (Cl2), boron trichloride (BCl3), and thionyl chloride (SOCl2), wherein the first gas is configured to selectively etch tin (Sn) relative to silicon (Si);
b) striking plasma in the substrate processing chamber with the first gas to selectively etch Sn relative to Si from the surfaces of the substrate processing chamber; and
c) extinguishing the plasma struck in b) and evacuating the substrate processing chamber.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising:
d) repeating a) to c) N times, where N is an integer greater than zero.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2, wherein a) to c) are performed without a substrate located on a substrate support in the substrate processing chamber.

### Claim 4 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2, further comprising pre-coating the surfaces of the substrate processing chamber with a material selected from a group consisting of silicon (Si) and silicon oxide (SiOx) after d).

### Claim 5 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2, further comprising:
prior to performing a) to d):
pre-coating a surface of the substrate processing chamber with a material selected from a group consisting of silicon (Si) and silicon oxide (SiOx); and
performing a substrate treatment; and
after d):
pre-coating the surface of the substrate processing chamber with a material selected from a group consisting of silicon (Si) and silicon oxide (SiOx); and
performing a substrate treatment.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The method of claim 5, wherein the substrate treatment comprises etching.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The method of claim 6, wherein the substrate includes tin (Sn) and wherein Sn contamination is less than 1e10/cm2 after d).

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising:
controlling a first pressure in the substrate processing chamber during b) within a first pressure range.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The method of claim 8, wherein the first pressure range is from 1 to 30 mT.

### Claim 10

A substrate processing system for treating a substrate, comprising:
a processing chamber comprising chamber walls and a substrate support;
a gas delivery system configured to selectively deliver gases to the processing chamber, the gas delivery system comprising a first gas source comprising a first gas, wherein the first gas is selected from a group consisting of silicon tetrachloride (SiCl4), carbon tetrachloride (CCl4), a hydrocarbon (CxHy where x and y are integers) and molecular chlorine (Cl2), boron trichloride (BCl3), and thionyl chloride (SOCl2), and wherein the first gas is configured to selectively etch tin (Sn) relative to silicon (Si);
a plasma generator configured to selectively generate plasma in the processing chamber; and
a controller configured to perform a processing chamber clean comprising:
a) supplying the first gas;
b) striking plasma in the processing chamber with the first gas to selectively etch Sn relative to Si from surfaces of the processing chamber; and
c) extinguishing the plasma struck in b) and evacuating the processing chamber.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The substrate processing system of claim 10, wherein the controller is further configured to control the gas delivery system and the plasma generator to:
d) repeat a) to c) N times, where N is an integer greater than zero.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The substrate processing system of claim 11, wherein the controller is configured to control a robot to remove the substrate from the substrate support prior to performing a) to d).

### Claim 13 (depends on 11)

The substrate processing system of claim 11, wherein the controller is configured to control the gas delivery system and the plasma generator to pre-coat the surfaces of the processing chamber with a material selected from a group consisting of silicon (Si) and silicon oxide (SiOx) after d).

### Claim 14 (depends on 11)

The substrate processing system of claim 11, wherein the controller is configured to control the gas delivery system and the plasma generator to:
prior to performing a) to d):
pre-coat the surfaces of the processing chamber with a material selected from a group consisting of silicon (Si) and silicon oxide (SiOx); and
perform a substrate treatment; and
after d):
pre-coat the surfaces of the processing chamber with a material selected from a group consisting of silicon (Si) and silicon oxide (SiOx); and
perform a substrate treatment.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The substrate processing system of claim 14, wherein the substrate treatment comprises etching.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The substrate processing system of claim 15, wherein the substrate includes tin (Sn) and wherein Sn contamination is less than 5e9/cm2 after d).

### Claim 17 (depends on 10)

The substrate processing system of claim 10, wherein the controller is configured to control the gas delivery system and the plasma generator to:
control a first pressure in the processing chamber during b) to a first pressure range.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The substrate processing system of claim 17, wherein the first pressure range is from 1 to 30 mT.