System level in-situ integrated dielectric etch process particularly useful for copper dual damascene

An integrated etch process performed in a multichamber substrate processing system having first and second chambers, said process comprising:

• transferring a substrate having formed thereon in a downward direction a photoresist mask patterned according to a pattern, a dielectric layer and a barrier layer into said first chamber, wherein an interior surface of said first chamber has a first surface roughness;
• etching said dielectric layer in said first chamber to transfer said pattern into said dielectric layer, wherein said etching process is run in a mode that encourages polymer formation on said interior surface of said first chamber;
• transferring the substrate from said first chamber to said second chamber under vacuum conditions, wherein an interior surface of said second chamber has a second surface roughness that is less than said first surface roughness;
• and
• in said second chamber, stripping the photoresist mask and subsequently etching said barrier layer prior to exposing said substrate to an ambient, wherein said barrier layer etching process is run in a mode that discourages polymer formation on said interior surface of said second chamber.

An integrated trench etch process performed in a multichamber substrate processing system having first and second chambers, said process comprising:

• transferring a substrate having formed thereon in a downward direction a patterned photoresist mask, a silica glass dielectric layer and a barrier layer into said first chamber, wherein said photoresist mask is patterned according to a wiring pattern and wherein an interior surface of said first chamber has a roughness of at least 100 Ra;
• etching said dielectric layer in said first chamber to transfer said wiring pattern into said dielectric layer, wherein said etching process is run in a mode that encourages polymer formation on said roughened interior surface of said first chamber;
• transferring the substrate from said first chamber to said second chamber under vacuum conditions, wherein an interior surface of said second chamber has a roughness of less than that of said interior surface of said first chamber;
• and
• in said second chamber, stripping the photoresist mask and subsequently etching said barrier layer prior to exposing said substrate to an ambient, wherein said barrier layer etching process is run in a mode that discourages polymer formation on said interior surface of said second chamber.

An integrated damascene trench etch process performed in a multichamber substrate processing system having first and second chambers, said process comprising:

• transferring a substrate having formed thereon in a downward direction a patterned photoresist mask, a carbon-doped silica glass dielectric layer and a stop layer into said first chamber, wherein said photoresist mask is patterned according to a wiring pattern wherein an interior surface of said first chamber that is prone to polymer accumulation has a roughness of at least 100 Ra,
• etching said dielectric layer in said first chamber to transfer said wiring pattern into said dielectric layer, wherein said etching process is run in a mode that encourages polymer formation on an interior surface of said first chamber and wherein said etching process is endpointed using interferometric signals detected by an optical sensor during said etching process;
• transferring the substrate from said first chamber to said second chamber under vacuum conditions, wherein an interior surface of said second chamber that is prone to polymer accumulation has a roughness less than that of said first chamber interior surface;
• and
• in said second chamber, stripping the photoresist mask and subsequently etching said stop layer prior to exposing said substrate to an ambient, wherein said stop layer etching process is run in a mode that discourages polymer formation on an interior surface of said second chamber.

An integrated etch process performed in a multichamber substrate processing system having first and second chambers, said process comprising:

• transferring a substrate having formed thereon in a downward direction a patterned photoresist mask, a dielectric layer and a barrier layer into said first chamber;
• etching said dielectric layer in said first chamber to transfer said pattern into said dielectric layer, wherein during said etching process an interior surface of said first chamber is cooled to a first temperature to encourage polymer formation on said interior surface of said first chamber;
• transferring the substrate from said first chamber to said second chamber under vacuum conditions;
• and
• in said second chamber, stripping the photoresist mask and subsequently etching said barrier layer prior to exposing said substrate to an ambient, wherein during said barrier layer etching a temperature of an interior surface of said second chamber is controlled to a second temperature to discourage polymer formation on said interior surface of said second chamber.

A multichamber substrate processing system comprising:

• a first plasma etch chamber having an interior wall that at least partially defines a plasma processing region of the first chamber, wherein said interior wall has a surface having a first surface roughness;
• a second plasma etch chamber having an interior wall that at least partially defines a plasma processing region of the second chamber, wherein said interior wall has a surface having a second surface roughness that is less than said first surface roughness;
• and
• a substrate transfer chamber coupled to the first and second plasma etch chambers;
• and
• a substrate handling member situated within the substrate transfer chamber, said substrate handling member adapted to transfer substrates to and from the first and second plasma etch chambers.