Method to clean sno2 film from chamber

A method for patterning an SnO2 layer while reducing Sn powder formation on surfaces of a processing chamber of a plasma processing system, comprising:

• depositing a layer of SnO2 on a substrate and applying an etch mask to the layer of SnO2;
• introducing hydrocarbon gas and hydrogen gas into the plasma processing system;
• etching the layer of SnO2 where exposed by the etch mask using plasma generated by a plasma source, the etching the layer of SnO2 produces SnH4 gas, the SnH4 gas reacts with the hydrocarbon gas to produce an organotin compound that is volatilizable;
• and
• evacuating the processing chamber of the organotin compound, wherein said introducing the hydrocarbon gas along with the hydrogen gas at the ratio reduces a rate of SnH4 decomposition into Sn powder.

A plasma processing system, comprising:

• a hydrogen gas supply and a hydrocarbon gas supply;
• a processing chamber;
• a first mass flow controller (MFC) for controlling hydrogen gas flow into the processing chamber and a second MFC for controlling hydrocarbon gas flow into the processing chamber;
• a plasma source for generating plasma at the processing chamber, the plasma is for etching SnO2;
• and
• a controller for regulating the first MFC and the second MFC such that a ratio of hydrocarbon gas flow to the hydrogen gas flow into the processing chamber is between 1% and 60% so that when SnH4 is produced during said etching SnO2, the SnH4 reacts with hydrocarbon gas to produce an organotin compound that is volatilizable in a reaction that is more kinetically favorable than SnH4 decomposition into Sn powder, wherein producing the organotin compound enables suction of Sn out of the processing chamber to prevent Sn powder from being deposited on the surfaces of the processing chamber during said etching SnO2.