Method for treating residues in semiconductor processing chambers
AssigneeMicron Technology, Inc.
InventorsGurtej S. Sandhu, Sujit Sharan
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Abstract
Metal-based residues in semiconductor processing chambers are treated using treatment gases to neutralize and/or facilitate removal of the residues. The treatment gases may neutralize reactive residues by conversion to essentially stable materials. The treatment gases may facilitate removal of residues by converting the residues to materials that are not strongly bound to semiconductor processing chamber surfaces.
Claims34
A method for treating a metal-based residue in a semiconductor processing chamber, comprising the step of:
- introducing a treatment gas into the processing chamber during a cleaning process, wherein said treatment gas interacts with the metal-based residue to form a removable treatment product that is substantially stable when exposed to air as compared with the metal-based residue;
- and
- opening the processing chamber to remove the treatment product.
A method for treating a metal-based residue present in a semiconductor processing chamber, comprising the steps of:
- introducing a treatment gas into the processing chamber during a cleaning process under conditions effective to cause the treatment gas to interact with the metal-based residue to form a removable treatment product that is substantially stable when exposed to air as compared with the metal-based residue;
- and
- opening the processing chamber and removing at least a portion of the removable treatment product from the semiconductor processing chamber.
A method for neutralizing and removing a residue comprising at least one chloride of titanium from a cold wall CVD reactor chamber, comprising the steps of:
- providing an ammonia treatment gas;
- introducing the ammonia treatment gas into the cold wall CVD chamber during a cleaning process so that an adduct salt of at least one chloride of titanium and ammonia is formed;
- and
- removing at least a portion of the adduct salt from the cold wall CVD reactor.
A method for neutralizing a metal-based residue in a semiconductor processing chamber, comprising the step of:
- introducing a treatment gas into the processing chamber during a cleaning process, wherein said treatment gas reduces the reactivity in air of the metal-based residue to produce a neutralized metal-based residue and
- opening the processing chamber to remove the neutralized metal-based residue.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.