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US 5,417,826 AGranted
Removal of carbon-based polymer residues with ozone, useful in the cleaning of plasma reactors
AssigneeMicron Technology, Inc.
InventorGuy T. Blalock
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method for removing carbon-based polymer residues to effect a cleaning of a reactor, such as a planar plasma reactor, by exciting an ozone containing atmosphere in the reactor, which atmosphere is reactive with the carbon-based residues thereby forming volatile end products, which end products can be evacuated from the reactor.
Claims19
A process for removing carbon-based residues from surfaces of a reactor, the process comprising the following steps of:
- introducing a flow of gases comprising ozone into the reactor, which ionizes in an RF electric field to form oxygen molecules and elemental oxygen, wherein said ozone is generated from oxygen in a concentration of approximately 1-4 percent by molecular weight of total gas flow through the reactor;
- exciting an atmosphere by establishing an RF electric field to form a plasma in the reactor, said ozone containing plasma being reactive with the carbon-based residues on the surface of the reactor, thereby forming volatile end products;
- evaluating said volatile end products from the reactor.
A process for cleaning a reaction chamber, said process comprising the steps of:
- providing a first atmosphere in the reaction chamber by introducing gases, said first atmosphere containing ozone;
- exciting said first atmosphere to form a first plasma, said first plasma for cleaning the reaction chamber thereby creating a flowable residue;
- increasing pressure on said first atmosphere thereby creating a second atmosphere;
- exciting said second atmosphere to form a second plasma, said second plasma for further cleaning the reaction chamber thereby creating more of said flowable residue;
- and
- removing said flowable residue from the reaction chamber through a pump.
3 more elements
A method for cleaning a planar plasma reactor chamber, comprising the following steps:
- providing a plasma etch reactor, said reactor having an interior and an exterior, said interior of said reactor being covered with a residue, said residue being a carbon-based polymer;
- introducing a flow of gases into the reactor, said flow consisting of a mixture of oxygen and ozone and at least one of NF.sub.3 and CF.sub.4 into the planar plasma reactor, thereby creating an atmosphere;
- exciting a plasma in said atmosphere, said plasma being reactive, said plasma reacting with said carbon-based polymer to form volatile end products;
- and
- evacuating said interior of said reactor.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.