Plasma cleaning apparatus and method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9552968-B2
Application number	US-201414277010-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 13, 2014
Priority date	Oct 23, 2008
Publication date	Jan 24, 2017
Grant date	Jan 24, 2017

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention generally include an apparatus for plasma cleaning and a method for plasma cleaning. The apparatus can include a lid body having a first surface for facing a pedestal during cleaning and a second surface opposite the first surface and substantially parallel to the first surface, the second surface having a first indentation sized to receive a magnet assembly, one or more handles coupled to the second surface of the lid body, and the magnet assembly resting in the first indentation. The method can include removing a sputtering target from the processing chamber, sealing the processing chamber, introducing a gas into the processing chamber, applying an RF bias to a pedestal within the processing chamber, maintaining the pedestal at a substantially constant temperature, and removing material from the pedestal to clean the pedestal.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for cleaning a processing chamber, comprising:
removing a sputtering target from the processing chamber;
sealing the processing chamber;
introducing a gas into the processing chamber;
applying an RF bias to a pedestal within the processing chamber;
maintaining the pedestal at a substantially constant temperature; and
removing material from the pedestal to clean the pedestal.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the gas is selected from the group consisting of argon, hydrogen, oxygen containing gas and combinations thereof.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the processing chamber is maintained at a pressure of between about 1 mTorr and about 15 mTorr.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the gas is argon, the substantially constant temperature is between about 25 degrees Celsius and about 100 degrees Celsius, and the RF bias is between about 0.4 W/cm 2 to about 4.0 W/cm 2 .

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the method is performed for a time period of between about 8000 seconds and about 8500 seconds.

6. A method for cleaning a processing chamber, comprising:
removing a sputtering target from the processing chamber;
sealing the processing chamber;
introducing a gas into the processing chamber;
applying an RF bias to a pedestal within the processing chamber;
maintaining the pedestal at a substantially constant temperature;
cleaning the processing chamber for a first period of time of between about 5 seconds to about 10 seconds while maintaining the pedestal at a temperature of between about 25 degrees Celsius to about 100 degrees Celsius and flowing argon at a flow rate of between about 80 sccm/L and about 100 sccm/L to remove material from the pedestal;
cleaning the processing chamber for a second period of time of between about 5 seconds to about 10 seconds while argon is flowed at a rate of about 80 sccm/L to about 100 sccm/L and about 0.4 W/cm 2 to about 4.0 W/cm 2 of power is applied to the pedestal to remove material from the pedestal; and
cleaning the processing chamber for a third period of time of between about 8000 seconds and about 8500 seconds while argon is introduced at a flow rate of about 24 sccm/L to about 30 sccm/L and while about 0.4 W/cm 2 to about 4.0 W/cm 2 of power is delivered to the pedestal to remove material from the pedestal.

7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising repeating the cleaning of the processing chamber for the first period of time, second period of time and third period of time.

8. The method of claim 7 , further comprising permitting the chamber to remain idle for a period of time of about 4 minutes to about 6 minutes prior to the repeating.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the sealing the processing chamber comprises placing a lid onto the chamber and placing a stationary magnet assembly on a surface of the lid.

10. A method for cleaning a processing chamber, comprising:
removing a sputtering target from the processing chamber;
sealing the processing chamber;
introducing a gas into the processing chamber;
applying an RF bias to a pedestal within the processing chamber;
maintaining the pedestal at a substantially constant temperature;
cleaning the processing chamber for a first period of time of between about 5 seconds and about 10 seconds while maintaining the pedestal at a temperature of between about 90 degrees Celsius and about 110 degrees Celsius and while introducing argon and hydrogen at a flow rate of between about 20 sccm/L and about 25 sccm/L to remove material from the pedestal;
cleaning the processing chamber for a second period of time of between about 5 seconds and about 10 seconds while maintaining the pedestal at a temperature of between about 90 degrees Celsius and about 110 degrees Celsius and while introducing argon to the chamber at a flow rate of between about 190 sccm/L to about 210 sccm/L to remove material from the pedestal;
cleaning the processing chamber for a third period of time of between about 10 seconds and about 15 seconds while maintaining the pedestal at a temperature of between about 90 degrees Celsius and about 110 degrees Celsius and while introducing argon at a flow rate of between about 200 sccm/L and about 210 sccm/L for a time period of between about 10 seconds and about 15 seconds and while power is delivered to the pedestal at about 0.4 W/cm 2 to about 4.0 W/cm 2 to remove material from the pedestal;
cleaning the processing chamber for a fourth period of time of between about 180 seconds to about 190 seconds while introducing argon at a rate of between about 150 sccm/L and about 160 sccm/L while about 0.4 W/cm 2 to about 4.0 W/cm 2 of power is delivered to the pedestal to remove material from the pedestal; and
cleaning the processing chamber for a fifth period of time of between about 180 seconds and about 190 seconds while introducing argon at a rate of between about 50 sccm/L to about 60 sccm/L while about 0.4 W/cm 2 to about 4.0 W/cm 2 of power is delivered to the pedestal to remove material from the pedestal.

11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising repeating the cleaning the processing chamber for the first, second, third, fourth and fifth times.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising permitting the chamber to remain idle for a period of time of about 4 minutes to about 6 minutes prior to the repeating.

13. The method of claim 1 , further comprising coupling the sputtering target to the processing chamber after the removing material from the pedestal to clean the pedestal.

14. The method of claim 6 , further comprising coupling the sputtering target to the processing chamber after the cleaning the processing chamber for the third period of time.

15. The method of claim 10 , further comprising coupling the sputtering target to the processing chamber after the cleaning the processing chamber for the fifth period of time.

Assignees

• Applied Materials Inc

Inventors

• Deehan Martin
• Tsai Matt Cheng-Hsiung
• Lu Nan
• Or David T
• Chang Mei

Classifications

• H10P72/0421

  for drying etching · CPC title

• B08B7/0035 Primary

  by radiant energy, e.g. UV, laser, light beam or the like · CPC title

• H01L21/67069

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H01J37/32862 Primary

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