# US 2014/0196746 A1 · In situ chamber clean with inert hydrogen helium mixture during wafer process

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- Number: US 2014/0196746 A1
- Document ID: US20140196746A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 13/743,646
- Filed: 2013-01-17
- Published: 2014-07-17
- Earliest claimed: 2013-01-17
- Assignees: Applied Materials, Inc.
- Applicants: Applied Materials, Inc.
- Inventors: Robert Dinsmore; John C. Forster; Song-Moon Sun; Cheng-Hsiung Tsai; Glen T. Mori
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140196746A1

## CPC

- H10P 70/234: {the processing being the formation of vias or contact holes}
- H10P 70/27: {during, before or after processing of conductive materials, e.g. polysilicon or amorphous silicon layers}
- H10W 72/01225: {in solid form, e.g. by using a powder or by stud bumping}
- H10W 72/01971: {Cleaning, e.g. oxide removal}
- H10W 72/29: Bond pads specially adapted therefor
- H10W 72/923: {Bond pads having multiple stacked layers}
- H10W 72/952: {comprising metals or metalloids, e.g. PbSn, Ag or Cu}
- H10P: GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10
- H10W: GENERIC PACKAGES, INTERCONNECTIONS, CONNECTORS OR OTHER CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10

## Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention generally relate to a method for cleaning a processing chamber during substrate processing. During a first substrate processing step, a plasma is formed from a gas mixture of argon, helium, and hydrogen in the processing chamber. In a second substrate processing step, an argon plasma is formed in the processing chamber.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method for cleaning a processing chamber, comprising:
forming a plasma of a gas mixture of argon gas, helium gas, and hydrogen gas in the processing chamber during a first substrate processing step, wherein a temperature of a substrate is less than about 120° C. during the first substrate processing step; and
forming an argon plasma in the processing chamber during a second substrate processing step.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the first substrate processing step removes a native oxide from an aluminum contact pad and a polyimide compound from a surface of the substrate.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the first substrate processing step is performed for about 1 second to about 60 seconds.

### Claim 4

(canceled)

### Claim 5

The method of 2, wherein a lesser amount of the polyimide compound is deposited on an interior surface of the chamber during the first substrate processing step as compared to the second substrate processing step.

### Claim 6

The method of 2, wherein the hydrogen gas reacts with the polyimide compound to form a hydrocarbon compound.

### Claim 7

The method of 6, wherein the polyimide compound removed from the surface of the substrate reacts with the hydrogen gas before the polyimide compound can be deposited on an interior surface of the chamber.

### Claim 8

The method of 6, wherein the hydrogen gas reacts with a polyimide compound previously deposited on an interior surface of the chamber.

### Claim 9

The method of 6, wherein the hydrocarbon compound is subsequently evacuated from the chamber.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein a portion of the gas mixture comprising helium and hydrogen provides a helium to hydrogen ratio between about 95:5 and about 5:95.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the gas mixture plasma and the argon plasma comprise an RF plasma.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the second substrate processing step is performed for about 10 seconds to about 20 seconds.

### Claim 13

(canceled)

### Claim 14 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the second substrate processing step cleans an aluminum contact pad on a surface of the substrate for a subsequent packaging process.