System, method and apparatus for self-cleaning dry etch
AssigneeLam Research Corporation
InventorsAndrew Bailey, Shrikant Lohokare, Arthur Howald, Yunsang Kim
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method for cleaning a processing chamber that includes heating an inner surface of the processing chamber to a first temperature. The first temperature can be sufficient to cause a first species to become volatile. The first species can be one of several species deposited on the inner surface. A cleaning chemistry is injected into the processing chamber. The cleaning chemistry can be reactive with a second one of the species to convert the second species to the first species. The volatilized first species can also be output from the processing chamber. A system for cleaning the process chamber is also described.
Claims17
A processing chamber comprising:
- a plurality of inner surfaces, a plurality of deposits thereon;
- a gas inlet;
- an outlet;
- a condensing surface proximate to the outlet;
- a heat source capable heating at least one of the plurality of inner surfaces to a first temperature, the first temperature being sufficient to cause a first species to become volatile, the first species being one of a plurality of byproducts of a first process, the plurality of byproducts also including a plurality of species deposited on the inner surface;
- and
- a cleaning chemistry source coupled to the processing chamber, the cleaning chemistry being reactive with a second one of the plurality of species to convert the second species to the first species and the condensing surface having a second temperature less than the first temperature.
A processing chamber comprising:
- a plurality of inner surfaces, a plurality of deposits thereon;
- a substrate to be processed;
- a gas inlet;
- an outlet;
- a condensing surface proximate to the outlet;
- a heat source capable heating at least one of the plurality of inner surfaces to a first temperature, the first temperature being sufficient to cause a first species to become volatile, the first species being one of a plurality of byproducts of a first process, the plurality of byproducts also including a plurality of species deposited on the inner surface, wherein the heat source is a plasma;
- and
- a cleaning chemistry source coupled to the processing chamber, the cleaning chemistry being reactive with a second one of the plurality of species to convert the second species to the first species and the condensing surface having a second temperature less than the first temperature, wherein a surface of the substrate is etched at substantially the same time as the cleaning chemistry is present in the processing chamber, and wherein the cleaning chemistry is operable to reduce the second one of the plurality of specie.
A processing chamber comprising:
- a plurality of inner surfaces, a plurality of deposits thereon;
- a gas inlet;
- an outlet;
- a condensing surface proximate to the outlet;
- a heat source capable heating at least one of the plurality of inner surfaces to a first temperature, wherein the first temperature is in the range of about 200 to about 400 degrees C, the first temperature being sufficient to cause a first species to become volatile, the first species being one of a plurality of byproducts of a first process, the plurality of byproducts also including a plurality of species deposited on the inner surface;
- and
- a cleaning chemistry source coupled to the processing chamber, the cleaning chemistry being reactive with a second one of the plurality of species to convert the second species to the first species and the condensing surface having a second temperature less than the first temperature, wherein the condensing surface is actively cooled to the second temperature.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.