Method of in-situ cleaning and deposition of device structures in a high density plasma environment

A method of in-situ cleaning and deposition of a device structure, comprising:

• locating the device structure in a reaction chamber containing a sputter target;
• generating a high density plasma containing ionized gas particles in the reaction chamber;
• accelerating the ionized gas particles toward the device structure during a first cleaning phase, wherein the device structure is etched and by-products are produced from contact between the ionized gas particles and the device structure;
• providing power to the sputter target during a second cleaning phase sufficient to remove at least a portion of the by-products deposited on the sputter target during the first cleaning phase, the power provided at a level that results in substantially no deposition of sputter target material on the device structure;
• evacuating at least a portion of the by-products produced during the first and second cleaning phases from the reaction chamber;
• and
• accelerating ionized gas particles toward the sputter target during a deposition phase so that a layer of the sputter target material is deposited on at least a portion of the device structure, wherein the deposition phase occurs after the completion of the second cleaning phase.

A method of in-situ cleaning and deposition of a device structure, comprising:

• locating the device structure in a reaction chamber containing a sputter target;
• generating a high density plasma containing ionized gas particles comprising at least 1011 particles per cubic centimeters in the reaction chamber;
• accelerating the ionized gas particles toward the device structure during a first cleaning phase to etch the device structure;
• providing power of about 0-1 watt/cm2 to the sputter target during a second cleaning phase so as to substantially preclude deposition of sputter target material on the device structure, the second cleaning phase occurring after the completion of the first cleaning phase;
• evacuating at least a portion of the by-products produced during the first and second cleaning phases from the reaction chamber;
• and
• accelerating ionized gas particles toward the sputter target during a deposition phase so that a layer of sputter target material is deposited on at least a portion of the device structure, wherein the deposition phase occurs after the completion of the second cleaning phase.

A method of in-situ cleaning and deposition of a device structure, comprising:

• locating the device structure in a reaction chamber containing a sputter target;
• introducing a first ion containing gas into the reaction chamber;
• generating a high density plasma containing ionized gas particles from the first ion containing gas;
• during a cleaning phase, accelerating the ionized gas particles toward the device structure to etch the device structure and then providing power to the sputter target at a level sufficient to remove at least some by-products deposited on the sputter target and at a level that results in substantially no deposition of sputter target material on the device structure;
• substantially evacuating the reaction chamber;
• introducing a second ion containing gas into the reaction chamber;
• generating a high density plasma containing ionized gas particles from the second ion containing gas;
• and
• accelerating ionized gas particles toward the sputter target during a deposition phase so that a layer of sputter target material is deposited on at least a portion of the device structure, wherein the deposition phase occurs after the completion of the cleaning phase.

A method of in-situ cleaning and deposition of a device structure, comprising:

• locating the device structure in a reaction chamber containing a sputter target;
• introducing a first ion containing gas into the reaction chamber;
• generating a high density plasma containing ionized gas particles from the first ion containing gas;
• accelerating the ionized gas particles toward the device structure during a first cleaning phase to etch the device structure, wherein by-products are produced from contact between the ionized gas particles and the device structure;
• providing power to the sputter target during a second cleaning phase, the power sufficient to remove at least a portion of by-products deposited on the sputter target during the first cleaning phase, wherein the power provided is at a level that results in substantially no deposition of sputter target material on the device structure;
• substantially evacuating the reaction chamber;
• introducing a second ion containing gas into the reaction chamber;
• generating a high density plasma containing ionized gas particles from the second ion containing gas;
• and accelerating ionized gas particles toward the sputter target during a deposition phase so that a layer of sputter target material is deposited on at least a portion of the device structures wherein the deposition phase occurs after the completion of the second cleaning phase.