Single wafer in-situ dry clean and seasoning for plasma etching process
AssigneeChartered Semiconductor Manufacturing Ltd.
InventorsDai Xuechun, Liang Chen, Aik Kwang Ng, Young Tsai
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Abstract
A new method is provided for the cleaning and seasoning of a Plasma Etch chamber. The wafer that is to be processed by the chamber is inserted into the chamber. The process of plasma clean is first performed on the Plasma Etch Chamber followed by a seasoning process of the Plasma Etch Chamber. The wafer is processed (etched) and removed from the chamber after the etch process has been completed. The cycle is then repeated starting with the step of loading the wafer into the plasma etch chamber followed by plasma clean and chamber seasoning of the plasma etch chamber.
Claims16
A method for single wafer in-situ cleaning and seasoning of polymer depositions in a plasma etch chamber by a continuous in-stream processing sequence, comprising the steps of:
- providing a plasma etch chamber;
- providing a dummy semiconductor wafer;
- entering said dummy wafer into said plasma etch chamber;
- cleaning said plasma etch chamber by setting initial conditions for said cleaning inside said plasma etch chamber, by then raising pressure inside said plasma etch chamber while simultaneously entering cleaning gasses into said plasma etch chamber, by then applying first time rf power to said plasma etch chamber, by then removing said first time rf power applied to said plasma etch chamber, by then applying second time rf power to said plasma etch chamber and by then removing said second time rf power applied to said plasma etch chamber while simultaneously stopping the flow of cleaning gasses into said plasma etch chamber while simultaneously introducing He into said plasma etch chamber;
- seasoning said plasma etch chamber;
- unloading said dummy wafer from said plasma etch chamber upon completion of said etch process.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.