Method for conditioning a processing chamber for steady etching rate control

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10177017-B1
Application number	US-201715641963-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Jul 5, 2017
Priority date	Jul 5, 2017
Publication date	Jan 8, 2019
Grant date	Jan 8, 2019

Abstract

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide methods for conditioning a plasma processing chamber to maintain a reliable and predicable processing conditions while performing a oxide removal process on a substrate. In one embodiment, a method for conditioning a plasma processing chamber includes supplying a first gas mixture including an inert gas into a processing chamber a first period of time in absent of a substrate, supplying a second gas mixture including an inert gas, a hydrogen containing gas and a halogen containing gas for a second period of time in absent of the substrate, and supplying a third gas mixture including an inert gas and a hydrogen containing gas for a third period of time in absent of the substrate in the processing chamber.

First claim

I claim:

1. A method for conditioning a plasma processing chamber, comprising:
supplying a first gas mixture including an inert gas into a processing chamber a first period of time in absent of a substrate;
supplying a second gas mixture including an inert gas, a hydrogen containing gas and a halogen containing gas for a second period of time in absent of the substrate;
maintaining a first processing pressure in the plasma processing chamber when supplying the first gas mixture and maintaining a second processing pressure when supplying a second gas mixture, wherein the second processing pressure is greater than the first processing pressure and the first processing pressure are between about 5 mTorr and about 70 mTorr; and
supplying a third gas mixture including an inert gas and a hydrogen containing gas for a third period of time in absent of the substrate in the processing chamber.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second processing pressure is about 20 percent and about 50 percent greater than the first processing pressure.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first gas mixture comprises Ar gas.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the halogen containing gas supplied in the second gas mixture is selected from the group consisting of NF 3 and carbon fluoride containing gas.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the nitrogen containing gas supplied in the second gas mixture is selected from a group consisting N 2 , NH 3 and NF 3 .

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second gas mixture includes Ar, NH 3 and NF 3 .

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the third gas mixture includes Ar and H 2 .

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
performing a native oxide removal process on a substrate transferred into the processing chamber after the third gas mixture is terminated from the processing chamber.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the substrate includes a material comprising a IV group material or group III-V material.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
maintaining a first temperature of a substrate support pedestal disposed in the plasma processing chamber when supplying the first gas mixture while maintaining a second temperature of the substrate support pedestal when supplying a second gas mixture.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the second temperature is greater than the first temperature.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the second temperature is about 20 percent and about 50 percent higher from the first temperature.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the second temperature is maintained greater than 50 degrees Celsius.

14. A method for conditioning a plasma processing chamber, comprising:
applying a RF power to a plasma processing chamber having a first gas mixture, a second gas mixture and a third gas mixture sequentially supplied thereto to condition the plasma processing chamber in absent a substrate disposed therein, wherein the first, the second and the third gas mixtures includes at least an inert gas; and
maintaining a first processing pressure in the plasma processing chamber when supplying the first gas mixture and maintaining a second processing pressure when supplying a second gas mixture, wherein the second processing pressure is greater than the first processing pressure and the first processing pressure are between about 5 mTorr and about 70 mTorr.

15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising:
maintaining a substrate support temperature at a higher range while supplying the second gas mixture than when supplying the first gas mixture.

16. The method of claim 14 , wherein the third gas mixture includes an inert gas and hydrogen containing gas.

17. A method for conditioning a plasma processing chamber, comprising:
sequentially supplying a first gas mixture, a second gas mixture and a third gas mixture into a plasma processing chamber to form a plasma therein in absent a substrate disposed therein; and
maintaining a first processing pressure in the plasma processing chamber when supplying the first gas mixture and maintaining a second processing pressure when supplying a second gas mixture, wherein the second processing pressure is greater than the first processing pressure and the first processing pressure are between about 5 mTorr and about 70 mTorr.

Assignees

• Applied Materials Inc

Inventors

• Yan Chun

Classifications

• H10P72/1924

  characterised by atmosphere control · CPC title

• H10P72/722

  Details of electrostatic chucks · CPC title

• H10P72/0434

  mainly by convection · CPC title

• H10P72/72

  using electrostatic chucks · CPC title

• H10P72/0474 Primary

  comprising at least one lithography chamber · CPC title