Semiconductor device fabrication chamber cleaning method and apparatus with recirculation of cleaning gas

A processing system comprising:

• a processing chamber having an inlet and an outlet;
• a remote plasma source having an inlet and having an outlet coupled to the inlet of the processing chamber;
• a first valve having an outlet coupled to the inlet of the remote plasma source, a first inlet and a second inlet;
• a flow controller having an inlet adapted to couple to a cleaning gas source and having an outlet coupled to the first inlet of the first valve;
• a second valve having an inlet coupled to the outlet of the processing chamber, a first outlet adapted to couple to an exhaust path, and a second outlet;
• a recirculation pump having an inlet coupled to the second outlet of the second valve, and an outlet;
• a separation unit having an inlet coupled to the outlet of the recirculation pump, and an outlet, the separation unit adapted to separate a reaction product from a gas flowed to the separation unit;
• a filtering mechanism having an inlet coupled to the outlet of the separation unit, and an outlet, the filtering mechanism adapted to filter particles from a gas flowed to the filtering mechanism;
• and
• a pressure adjustment mechanism having an inlet coupled to the outlet of the filtering mechanism and an outlet coupled to the second inlet of the first valve, the pressure adjustment mechanism adapted to adjust a pressure level of a gas flowed to the pressure adjustment mechanism.