Remote plasma cleaning method for processing chambers

A method of removing deposits formed in a processing chamber as a result of deposition operations performed on a substrate disposed within the processing chamber, the method comprising the steps of:

• (a) activating a cleaning gas in a remote chamber separate from said processing chamber to form reactive species from said cleaning gas;
• (b) providing an inert gas which mixes with said reactive species to form a gas mixture comprising reactive species;
• (c) providing said gas mixture to said processing chamber while maintaining said processing chamber at a first pressure;
• (d) while maintaining said processing chamber at said first pressure, reacting said reactive species with said deposits to form volatile compounds and thereafter removing from said processing chamber said volatile compounds formed at said first pressure;
• (e) providing said gas mixture comprising reactive species to said processing chamber while maintaining said processing chamber at a second pressure that is different from said first pressure;
• (f) while maintaining said processing chamber at said second pressure, reacting said reactive species with said deposits to form volatile compounds and thereafter removing from said processing chamber said volatile compounds formed at said second pressure;
• and
• (g) conducting processing operations in said processing chamber to form a film on interior surfaces of said processing chamber without a substrate disposed within said chamber.

A method of removing deposits comprising Tantalum formed on interior surfaces of a processing chamber as a result of substrate processing operations conducted to deposit a film comprising Tantalum on a substrate, said processing chamber comprising a first processing region and a second processing region different from said first processing region, the method comprising the steps of:

• (a) initiating a plasma in a remote chamber outside of said processing chamber;
• (b) activating said cleaning gas with said plasma to generate reactive species from said cleaning gas;
• (c) providing an inert gas that mixes with said reactive species forming a gas mixture comprising inert gas and reactive species;
• (d) providing said gas mixture to the first processing region within said processing chamber;
• (e) while maintaining said processing chamber at a first pressure, reacting said reactive species with said film comprising Tantalum within said first processing region to form volatile compounds;
• (f) removing said volatile compounds formed within said first processing region from said processing chamber;
• (g) increasing the fluid communication between said first and said second processing regions;
• (h) providing said gas mixture to a second processing region within said processing chamber;
• (i) while maintaining said processing chamber at a second pressure, reacting said reactive species with said film comprising Tantalum within said second processing region to form volatile compounds;
• and
• (j) removing said volatile compounds formed within said second processing region from said processing chamber.