# US 12,601,051 B2 · Oxidation resistant protective layer in chamber conditioning > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,601,051 B2 - Document ID: US12601051B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 18/447,199 - Filed: 2023-08-09 - Published: 2023-11-30 - Granted: 2026-04-14 - Earliest claimed: 2017-12-07 - Assignees: Lam Research Corporation - Applicants: Lam Research Corporation - Inventors: Fengyuan Lai; Bo Gong; Guangbi Yuan; Chen-Hua Hsu; Bhadri Varadarajan - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12601051B2 ## CPC - C23C 16/401: {containing silicon} - C23C 16/4404: {Coatings or surface treatment on the inside of the reaction chamber or on parts thereof} - C23C 16/455: characterised by the method used for introducing gases into reaction chamber or for modifying gas flows in reaction chamber - C23C 16/45536: {Use of plasma, radiation or electromagnetic fields} - C23C 16/505: using radio frequency discharges - H10P 14/24: using chemical vapour deposition [CVD] - H01J 37/32522: {Temperature} - H01J 37/32816: {Pressure} - 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) - H10P: GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10 - H01J: ELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS (spark-gaps H01T; electric arc lamps H05B31/00; particle accelerators H05H) ## Abstract In some examples, a method for conditioning a wafer processing chamber comprises setting a pressure in the chamber to a predetermined pressure range, setting a temperature of the chamber to a predetermined temperature, and supplying a process gas mixture to a gas distribution device within the chamber. A plasma is struck within the chamber and a condition in the chamber is monitored. Based on a detection of the monitored condition meeting or transgressing a threshold value, a chamber conditioning operation is implemented. The chamber conditioning operation may include depositing a preconditioning film onto an internal surface of the chamber, depositing a silicon oxycarbide (SiCO) film onto the preconditioning film, and depositing a protective layer onto the SiCO film. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for conditioning a substrate processing chamber, the method comprising: depositing, in a substrate processing chamber, a preconditioning film by atomic layer deposition (ALD) onto internal surfaces of the substrate processing chamber, depositing a multi-layer composite protective film onto the preconditioning film of the substrate processing chamber, comprising: depositing, in the substrate processing chamber and without a wafer inside the substrate processing chamber, a silicon oxycarbide (SiCO) layer by remote plasma chemical vapor deposition (RPCVD) onto the internal surfaces of the substrate processing chamber; and depositing, in the substrate processing chamber and without a wafer inside the substrate processing chamber, a protective layer by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) onto the SiCO layer, wherein the protective layer comprises silicon, oxygen, and carbon, and has a different carbon content than the SiCO layer. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: detecting a monitored condition meeting or transgressing a threshold value in the substrate processing chamber, wherein depositing the preconditioning film, depositing the SiCO layer, and depositing the protective layer occur in response to detection of the monitored condition meeting or transgressing the threshold value. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein the monitored condition includes a film stress value or defect performance of the substrate processing chamber. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein the monitored condition includes a thickness of a film accumulation on the internal surface of the substrate processing chamber. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: striking an oxygen-based plasma in the substrate processing chamber prior to depositing the preconditioning film. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: repeating the depositing of the SiCO layer and the protective layer successively to form paired layers of an SiCO layer and a protective layer to form the multi-layer composite protective film, the multi-layer composite protective film comprising the preconditioning film and successive paired layers of the SiCO layer and the protective layer. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: repeating the depositing of the protective layer onto the SiCO layer. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, further comprising: detecting film accumulation on the internal surfaces of the substrate processing chamber has reached a threshold amount, wherein repeating the depositing of the protective layer occurs in response to detection of film accumulation reaching the threshold amount. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the protective layer has a greater carbon content than the SiCO layer and is oxidation-resistant. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the protective layer has a thickness between about 50 nm and about 1 μm. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein a chemical used in a reaction of the CVD for deposition of the protective layer includes a silicon-containing species. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein the silicon-containing species includes silane or disilane. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the protective layer is an oxidation-resistant protective layer including 30% to 45% by weight carbon. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein a pressure in the substrate processing chamber during deposition of the protective layer is between 0.1 Torr and 10 Torr, and wherein a temperature of the substrate processing chamber during deposition of the protective layer is between 100° C. and 600° C.