Method for cleaning plasma processing chamber and substrate

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9595448-B2
Application number	US-201514753735-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 29, 2015
Priority date	Jun 29, 2015
Publication date	Mar 14, 2017
Grant date	Mar 14, 2017

Abstract

A method for cleaning a plasma processing chamber is provided. The method includes introducing an organic gas into a plasma processing chamber. The organic gas includes an organic compound including carbon and hydrogen. The method includes generating an organic plasma by exciting the organic gas. The organic plasma reacts with metal compound residues over an interior surface of the plasma processing chamber to volatilize the metal compound residues into a gaseous metal compound. The method includes removing the gaseous metal compound from the plasma processing chamber.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for cleaning a plasma processing chamber, comprising:
introducing an organic gas into a plasma processing chamber, wherein the organic gas comprises an organic compound comprising carbon and hydrogen;
generating an organic plasma by exciting the organic gas, wherein the organic plasma reacts with metal compound residues over an interior surface of the plasma processing chamber to volatilize the metal compound residues into a gaseous metal compound; and
removing the gaseous metal compound from the plasma processing chamber.

2. The method for cleaning a plasma processing chamber as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising:
before the generation of the organic plasma, introducing a chain termination gas into the plasma processing chamber, wherein the chain termination gas is mixed with the organic gas, and the chain termination gas comprises hydrogen, carbon oxide, carbon dioxide, oxygen, or a combination thereof.

3. The method for cleaning a plasma processing chamber as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the metal compound residues comprise a Group III-A metal fluoride, a Group III-A metal oxide, a Group III-A metal nitride, a Group IV-B metal fluoride, a Group IV-B metal oxide, or a Group IV-B metal nitride.

4. The method for cleaning a plasma processing chamber as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the gaseous metal compound comprises metal organics.

5. The method for cleaning a plasma processing chamber as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the organic compound comprises a hydrocarbon compound or an alcohol compound.

6. The method for cleaning a plasma processing chamber as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising:
introducing a fluorine-containing gas into the plasma processing chamber;
generating a fluorine-containing plasma by exciting the fluorine-containing gas, wherein the fluorine-containing plasma reacts with silicon-containing residues over the interior surface to volatilize the silicon-containing residues into a gaseous silicon compound; and
removing the gaseous silicon compound from the plasma processing chamber.

7. The method for cleaning a plasma processing chamber as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the plasma processing chamber is substantially free of chlorine.

8. The method for cleaning a plasma processing chamber as claimed in claim 7 , further comprising:
processing a substrate in the plasma processing chamber, wherein a copper structure is formed over the substrate.

9. The method for cleaning a plasma processing chamber as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising:
before the generation of the organic plasma, introducing a dilution gas into the plasma processing chamber, wherein the dilution gas is mixed with the organic gas.

10. The method for cleaning a plasma processing chamber as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising:
before the introduction of the organic gas into the plasma processing chamber, providing a substrate into the plasma processing chamber; and
forming the metal compound residues over the substrate in the plasma processing chamber and the interior surface of the plasma processing chamber, wherein the organic plasma reacts with the metal compound residues over the substrate and the interior surface to volatilize the metal compound residues into the gaseous metal compound.

11. The method for cleaning a plasma processing chamber as claimed in claim 10 , wherein the formation of the metal compound residues comprises:
forming an etch stop layer over the substrate, wherein the etch stop layer comprises a metal compound;
forming a dielectric layer over the etch stop layer; and
performing a plasma etching process to remove a first portion of the dielectric layer and a second portion of the etch stop layer, wherein the metal compound residues are formed from the second portion and formed over at least one of the dielectric layer or the etch stop layer.

12. The method for cleaning a plasma processing chamber as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the plasma etching process forms an opening in the dielectric layer and a recess in the etch stop layer, the opening is over the recess, and the organic plasma removes the etch stop layer exposed by the opening.

13. The method for cleaning a plasma processing chamber as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the plasma etching process comprises a fluorine-containing plasma etching process.

14. The method for cleaning a plasma processing chamber as claimed in claim 10 , further comprising:
after the volatilization of the metal compound residues, generating an oxygen atom-containing plasma in the plasma processing chamber, wherein the oxygen atom-containing plasma reacts with organic compound residues formed over the substrate and the interior surface of the plasma processing chamber to volatilize the organic compound residues.

15. A method for cleaning a plasma processing chamber, comprising:
introducing an organic gas into a plasma processing chamber;
generating an organic plasma by exciting the organic gas, wherein the organic plasma reacts with metal compound residues over an interior surface of the plasma processing chamber to volatilize the metal compound residues into a gaseous metal compound;
removing the gaseous metal compound from the plasma processing chamber;
introducing an oxygen atom-containing gas into the plasma processing chamber;
generating an oxygen atom-containing plasma by exciting the oxygen atom-containing gas, wherein the oxygen atom-containing plasma reacts with organic compound residues over the interior surface to volatilize the organic compound residues into a gaseous carbon compound; and
removing the gaseous carbon compound from the plasma processing chamber.

16. The method for cleaning a plasma processing chamber as claimed in claim 15 , wherein the oxygen atom-containing gas comprises oxygen, carbon oxide, or carbon dioxide.

17. The method for cleaning a plasma processing chamber as claimed in claim 15 , further comprising:
introducing a fluorine-containing gas into the plasma processing chamber;
generating a fluorine-containing plasma by exciting the fluorine-containing gas, wherein the fluorine-containing plasma reacts with silicon-containing residues over the interior surface to volatilize the silicon-containing residues into a gaseous silicon compound; and
removing the gaseous silicon compound from the plasma processing chamber.

18. The method for cleaning a plasma processing chamber as claimed in claim 15 , further comprising:
before the generation of the organic plasma, introducing a chain termination gas into the plasma processing chamber, wherein the chain termination gas is mixed with the organic gas, and the chain termination gas comprises hydrogen, carbon oxide, carbon dioxide, oxygen, or a combination thereof.

19. The method for cleaning a plasma processing chamber as claimed in claim 15 , further comprising:
before the introduction of the organic gas, processing a semiconductor substrate in the plasma processing chamber; and
before the introduction of the organic gas, removing the semiconductor substrate from the plasma processing chamber, wherein there is no semiconductor substrate in the plasma processing chamber during the introduction of the organic gas and the generation of the organic plasma.

20. The method for cleaning a plasma processing chamber as claimed in claim 15 , further comprising:
before the introduction of the organic gas, processing a substrate in the plasma processing chamber, wherein the substrate is in the plasma processing chamber during the generation

Assignees

• Taiwan Semiconductor Mfg Co Ltd
• Taiwan Semiconductor Mfg Co Ltd

Inventors

• Hong Shih-Ping
• Liu Yu-Cheng

Classifications

• H10P72/0421

  for drying etching · CPC title

• H10P70/234

  the processing being the formation of vias or contact holes · CPC title

• H10P70/23

  during, before or after processing of insulating materials · CPC title

• H10P70/00

  Cleaning of wafers, substrates or parts of devices · CPC title

• H10P50/285

  of materials not containing Si, e.g. PZT or Al2O3 · CPC title