Apparatus for cleaning plasma chambers

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12057300-B2
Application number	US-202017436109-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 6, 2020
Priority date	Mar 11, 2019
Publication date	Aug 6, 2024
Grant date	Aug 6, 2024

Abstract

Systems and methods for cleaning a processing chamber include supplying a pre-activated cleaning gas through a collar surrounding a showerhead stem into the processing chamber to clean the processing chamber. In other embodiments, a cleaning gas is supplied to the collar, and RF power is supplied to the showerhead or to a pedestal to generate plasma in the processing chamber to clean the processing chamber. In still other embodiments, an inert gas is supplied to the collar, a pre-activated cleaning gas is supplied to the showerhead stem, and RF power is supplied to the showerhead or to the pedestal to generate plasma in the processing chamber to clean the processing chamber.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system for cleaning a processing chamber, comprising:
a showerhead that is arranged above a pedestal in the processing chamber, wherein the showerhead includes:
a stem portion that is connected to a top plate of the processing chamber and that receives a process gas during processing of a substrate mounted on the pedestal; and
a head portion that includes a plurality of through holes to disperse the process gas during the processing of the substrate;

a collar that surrounds the stem portion of the showerhead, that defines a cavity, and that includes a plurality of slots extending outwardly from the cavity to disperse a purge gas during the processing of the substrate;
a manifold to supply the process gas;
a first gas source to supply the purge gas;
a second gas source to supply a cleaning gas;
a plasma generator external to the processing chamber to receive the cleaning gas from the second gas source and to generate plasma;
a plurality of valves connected between the showerhead and the collar and each of the manifold, the first and second gas sources, and the plasma generator; and
a controller programmed to control the plurality of valves to:
during substrate processing, turn on supply of the process gas from the manifold to the showerhead and supply of the purge gas from the first gas source to the collar, and turn off supply of the cleaning gas from the second gas source and supply of plasma from the plasma generator; and
during cleaning operation, turn off supply of the process gas from the manifold to the showerhead and supply of the purge gas from the first gas source to the collar, and turn on supply of the cleaning gas from the second gas source to the plasma generator and supply of the plasma from the plasma generator to the collar and into the processing chamber through the slots to clean areas around the showerhead and in the processing chamber.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the cleaning gas supplied during the cleaning is different than the purge gas supplied during the processing of the substrate.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the cleaning gas includes a halogen species.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the cleaning gas includes nitrogen trifluoride (NF 3 ) or tetrafluoroethylene (C 2 F 4 ).

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the controller is configured to supply the plasma for a predetermined period of time.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein prior to and subsequent to the cleaning of the processing chamber, the controller is configured to:
stop supplying the plasma to the collar; and
supply the process gas and the purge gas respectively to the stem portion of the showerhead and the collar to process the substrate.

7. A system for cleaning a processing chamber, comprising:
a showerhead that is arranged above a pedestal in the processing chamber, wherein the showerhead includes:
a stem portion that is connected to a top plate of the processing chamber and that receives a process gas during processing of a substrate mounted on the pedestal; and
a head portion that includes a plurality of through holes to disperse the process gas during the processing of the substrate;

a collar that surrounds the stem portion of the showerhead, that defines a cavity, and that includes a plurality of slots extending outwardly from the cavity to disperse a purge gas during the processing of the substrate;
a manifold to supply the process gas;
a first gas source to supply the purge gas;
a second gas source to supply a cleaning gas;
an RF generator to supply RF power; and
a plurality of valves connected between the showerhead and the collar and each of the manifold and the first and second gas sources; and
a controller programmed to control the plurality of valves to:
during substrate processing, turn on supply of the process gas from the manifold to the showerhead and supply of the purge gas from the first gas source to the collar, and turn off supply of the cleaning gas from the second gas source;
during cleaning operation, turn off supply of the process gas from the manifold to the showerhead and supply of the purge gas from the first gas source to the collar, and turn on supply of the cleaning gas from the second gas source to the collar and into the processing chamber through the slots of the collar; and
supply the RF power to the showerhead to generate plasma in the processing chamber to clean areas around the showerhead and in the processing chamber.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein the cleaning gas supplied during the cleaning is different than the purge gas supplied during the processing of the substrate.

9. The system of claim 7 wherein the cleaning gas includes a halogen species.

10. The system of claim 7 wherein the cleaning gas includes nitrogen trifluoride (NF 3 ) or tetrafluoroethylene (C 2 F 4 ).

11. The system of claim 7 wherein the controller is configured to supply the RF power to the showerhead for a predetermined period of time.

12. The system of claim 7 wherein the controller is configured to sequentially ground the top plate of the processing chamber, sidewalls of the processing chamber, and the pedestal.

13. The system of claim 7 wherein the controller is configured to ground the top plate of the processing chamber, sidewalls of the processing chamber, and the pedestal.

14. The system of claim 7 wherein prior to and subsequent to the cleaning of the processing chamber, the controller is configured to:
stop supplying the cleaning gas to the collar; and
supply the process gas and the purge gas respectively to the stem portion of the showerhead and the collar to process the substrate.

15. A system for cleaning a processing chamber, comprising:
a showerhead that is arranged above a pedestal in the processing chamber, wherein the showerhead includes:
a stem portion that is connected to a top plate of the processing chamber and that receives a process gas during processing of a substrate mounted on the pedestal; and
a head portion that includes a plurality of through holes to disperse the process gas during the processing of the substrate;

a collar that surrounds the stem portion of the showerhead, that defines a cavity, and that includes a plurality of slots extending outwardly from the cavity to disperse a purge gas during the processing of the substrate;
a manifold to supply the process gas;
gas sources to supply a cleaning gas and an inert gas;
a plasma generator external to the processing chamber to receive the cleaning gas and to generate a first plasma; and
an RF generator to supply RF power;
a plurality of valves connected between the showerhead and the collar and each of the manifold, the gas sources, and the plasma generator; and
a controller programmed to control the plurality of valves to:
during substrate processing, turn on supply of the process gas from the manifold to the showerhead and supply of the purge gas to the collar and turn off supply of the cleaning gas and supply of the first plasma; and
during cleaning operation, turn off supply of the process gas from the manifold to the showerhead and supply of the purge gas to the collar, and turn on supply of the first plasma to the stem portion of the showerhead and into the processing chamber through the plurality of through holes in the head portion of the showerhead;
turn on supply of the inert gas to the collar and into the processing chamber through the slots of the collar; and
supply the RF power to the showerhead to generate a second plasma in the processing chamber to clean areas around the showerhead and in the processing chamber.

Assignees

• Lam Res Corp

Inventors

• Lavoie Adrien
• Agarwal Pulkit
• Pasquale Frank Loren
• Kumar Purushottam

Classifications

• H01J37/32449

  Gas control, e.g. control of the gas flow · CPC title

• H01J37/32082

  Radio frequency generated discharge (H01J37/32357, H01J37/32366, H01J37/32394 and H01J37/32403 take precedence) · CPC title

• C23C16/45565

  Shower nozzles · CPC title

• C23C16/4405 Primary

  Cleaning of reactor or parts inside the reactor by using reactive gases · CPC title

• H01J37/32862 Primary

  In situ cleaning of vessels and/or internal parts · CPC title