Cleaning process for removing boron-carbon residuals in processing chamber at high temperature

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017365450-A1
Application number	US-201715625721-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 16, 2017
Priority date	Jun 20, 2016
Publication date	Dec 21, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention generally relate to methods for removing a boron-carbon layer from a surface of a processing chamber using water vapor plasma treatment. In one embodiment, a method for cleaning a surface of a processing chamber includes positioning the pedestal at a first distance from the showerhead, and exposing a deposited boron-carbon layer to a first plasma process where the first plasma process comprises generating a plasma that comprises water vapor and a first carrier gas by biasing a showerhead that is disposed over a pedestal, and positioning the pedestal at a second distance from the showerhead and exposing the deposited boron-carbon layer to a second plasma process where the second plasma process comprises generating a plasma that comprises water vapor and a second carrier gas by biasing the showerhead and biasing a side electrode relative to the showerhead.

First claim

We claim:

1 . A method for removing a boron-carbon layer from a surface of a processing chamber, comprising:
exposing a deposited boron-carbon layer to a first plasma process, wherein the first plasma process comprises:
positioning a pedestal at a first distance from the showerhead;
generating a plasma that comprises water vapor and a first carrier gas by biasing a showerhead that is disposed over the positioned pedestal; and
exposing the deposited boron-carbon layer to a second plasma process, wherein the second plasma process comprises:
positioning the pedestal at a second distance from the showerhead; and
generating a plasma that comprises water vapor and a second carrier gas by biasing the showerhead and biasing a side electrode relative to the showerhead.

2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
exposing the deposited boron-carbon layer to a third plasma process, wherein the third plasma process comprises positioning the pedestal at a third distance from the showerhead and generating a plasma that comprises water vapor and a third carrier gas by biasing the showerhead and biasing a bottom electrode relative to the showerhead.

3 . The method of claim 2 , further comprising:
exposing the deposited boron-carbon layer to a fourth plasma process, wherein the fourth plasma process comprises generating a plasma that essentially consists of oxygen and a fourth carrier gas by biasing the showerhead that is disposed over a pedestal.

4 . The method of claim 3 , wherein the exposing the deposited boron-carbon layer to the fourth plasma process is provided between one or more of the first plasma process and second plasma process and the second plasma process and the third plasma process.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein generating the second plasma comprises biasing a bottom electrode relative to the showerhead.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the water vapor is generated by a liquid evaporator.

7 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the liquid evaporator comprises heating units to vaporize the water at high flow rates of up to 10 SLM or greater.

8 . A method for removing a boron-carbon film from a surface of chamber components within a processing chamber, comprising:
exposing a deposited boron-carbon film on a surface of chamber components within a processing chamber to a first plasma process, wherein the first plasma process comprises:
positioning a pedestal at a first distance from the showerhead;
generating a plasma that comprises water vapor and a first carrier gas by biasing a showerhead that is disposed over the positioned pedestal; and
exposing the deposited boron-carbon film to a second plasma process, wherein the second plasma process comprises:
positioning the pedestal at a second distance from the showerhead; and
generating a plasma that comprises water vapor and a second carrier gas by biasing the showerhead and biasing a side electrode relative to the showerhead.

9 . The method of claim 8 , further comprising:
exposing the deposited boron-carbon film to a third plasma process, wherein the third plasma process comprises positioning the pedestal at a third distance from the showerhead and generating a plasma that comprises water vapor and a third carrier gas by biasing the showerhead and biasing a bottom electrode relative to the showerhead.

10 . The method of claim 9 , further comprising:
exposing the deposited boron-carbon film to a fourth plasma process, wherein the fourth plasma process comprises generating a plasma that essentially consists of oxygen and a fourth carrier gas by biasing the showerhead that is disposed over a pedestal.

11 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the exposing the deposited boron-carbon film to the fourth plasma process is provided between one or more of the first plasma process and second plasma process and the second plasma process and the third plasma process.

12 . The method of claim 8 , wherein generating the second plasma comprises biasing a bottom electrode relative to the showerhead.

13 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the water vapor is generated by a liquid evaporator.

14 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the liquid evaporator comprises heating units to vaporize the water at high flow rates of up to 10 SLM or greater.

15 . A method for removing a film from a surface of chamber components within a processing chamber, comprising:
exposing a deposited boron-carbon film on a surface of chamber components within a processing chamber to a first plasma process, wherein the first plasma process comprises:
positioning a pedestal at a first distance from the showerhead;
generating a plasma that comprises water vapor and a first carrier gas by biasing a showerhead that is disposed over the positioned pedestal; and
exposing the deposited boron-carbon film to a second plasma process, wherein the second plasma process comprises:
positioning the pedestal at a second distance from the showerhead; and
generating a plasma that comprises water vapor and a second carrier gas by biasing the showerhead, biasing a bottom electrode and biasing a side electrode relative to the showerhead.

16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the biasing of the side electrode causes a higher current to flow through the side electrode versus the current flow through the bottom electrode.

17 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the biasing of the side electrode causes a lower current to flow through the side electrode versus the current flow through the bottom electrode.

18 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the positioning of the pedestal at a second distance is at a greater distance from the showerhead than the first distance.

19 . The method of claim 15 , wherein an amount of time the side electrode and the bottom electrode are biased is based on properties of the boron-carbon film.

20 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the side electrode and the bottom electrode are biased for a period of time during the exposing the deposited boron-carbon film to the second plasma process.

Assignees

• Applied Materials Inc

Inventors

• Bi Feng
• Kulshreshtha Prashant Kumar
• Lee Kwangduk Douglas
• Connors Paul

Classifications

• H05H1/46

  using applied electromagnetic fields, e.g. high frequency or microwave energy (H05H1/26 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H01J37/32862 Primary

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

• H01J37/32577

  Electrical connecting means · CPC title

• H01J37/32568

  Relative arrangement or disposition of electrodes; moving means · CPC title

• H01J37/3244

  Gas supply means · CPC title