KR-102962242-B1 - Method for cleaning the chamber

KR102962242B1KR 102962242 B1KR102962242 B1KR 102962242B1KR-102962242-B1

Abstract

A method for cleaning a plasma processing chamber comprising one or more cycles is provided. Each cycle comprises the steps of performing an oxygen-containing plasma cleaning phase, performing a volatile chemical type residue cleaning phase, and performing a fluorine-containing plasma cleaning phase.

Inventors

린, 란
양, 웬빙
무케르지, 타말
유, 정이
탄, 사만다 시암화
판, 양
판, 이웬

Assignees

램 리써치 코포레이션

Dates

Publication Date: 20260507
Application Date: 20210608
Priority Date: 20200615

Claims (20)

A method for cleaning a plasma processing chamber comprising one or more cycles, wherein each cycle is, i) a step of performing an oxygen-containing plasma cleaning phase; ii) a step of performing a volatile chemical type residue cleaning phase, A step of heating the plasma processing chamber to a temperature of at least 100°C; and A step of performing a volatile chemical type residue cleaning phase, comprising a step of flowing ligand vapor into the plasma processing chamber, wherein the ligand vapor forms a ligand complex with at least one metal-containing residue and the ligand complex vaporizes at a temperature of at least 100°C; and iii) A method for cleaning a plasma processing chamber, comprising the step of performing a fluorine-containing plasma cleaning phase.
In Article 1, A plasma processing chamber cleaning method, wherein the above cleaning is performed after processing a first wafer in the plasma processing chamber and before processing a second wafer in the plasma processing chamber.
In Article 1, A plasma processing chamber cleaning method in which a covering is placed inside the plasma processing chamber before the above cleaning.
In Article 1, A plasma processing chamber cleaning method comprising the steps of: flowing an oxygen-containing gas into the plasma processing chamber and forming the oxygen-containing gas into plasma.
In Article 1, A plasma processing chamber cleaning method comprising the steps of: flowing a fluorine-containing gas into the plasma processing chamber and forming the fluorine-containing gas into plasma.
A method for cleaning a plasma processing chamber comprising one or more cycles, wherein each cycle is, i) a step of performing an oxygen-containing plasma cleaning phase; ii) a step of performing a volatile chemical type residue cleaning phase; iii) a step of performing a fluorine-containing plasma cleaning phase; and iv) A method for cleaning a plasma processing chamber, comprising the step of performing a metal halide type residue cleaning phase after the fluorine-containing plasma cleaning phase.
In Article 6, The above metal halide type residue cleaning phase is, A step of flowing a hydrogen-containing gas into the plasma processing chamber; and A method for cleaning a plasma processing chamber, comprising the step of forming the above hydrogen-containing gas into plasma.
In Article 6, A plasma processing chamber cleaning method in which the above metal halide type residue cleaning phase further includes metal halide pumping out.
In Article 1, A plasma processing chamber cleaning method, wherein the step of cleaning the plasma processing chamber further includes a fluorine residue pumping out phase after the fluorine-containing plasma cleaning phase.
In Article 1, A plasma processing chamber cleaning method further comprising a volatile chemical type residue pumping out phase after the above volatile chemical type residue cleaning phase.
In Article 1, A plasma processing chamber cleaning method in which the above oxygen-containing plasma cleaning phase volatilizes ruthenium-containing residues and oxidizes metal-containing residues, such as iron or cobalt.
In Article 1, The above volatile chemical type residue cleaning phase is, A step of flowing a chlorine-containing gas into the plasma processing chamber; and A method for cleaning a plasma processing chamber, comprising the step of forming the above-mentioned chlorine-containing gas into plasma.
A method for cleaning a plasma processing chamber comprising one or more cycles, wherein each cycle is, i) a step of performing an oxygen-containing plasma cleaning phase; ii) a step of performing a volatile chemical type residue cleaning phase, A step of flowing a chlorine-containing gas into the plasma processing chamber; and A step of performing the volatile chemical type residue cleaning phase, comprising the step of forming the chlorine-containing gas into plasma; and iii) including the step of performing a fluorine-containing plasma cleaning phase, and A method for cleaning a plasma processing chamber , wherein the chlorine-containing gas comprises (i) Cl₂ , BCl₃ , TiCl₄ , SiCl₄ , SiHCl₃ , SiH₂Cl₂ , SiH₃Cl , or PF₃ , or any combination thereof, and (ii) PCl₃ .
delete
In Article 1, A method for cleaning a plasma processing chamber, wherein the above-mentioned ligand vapor comprises at least one of acetylacetone (acac), hexafluoroacetylacetone (hfac), metal acetylacetonates, and amidines.
A method for cleaning a plasma processing chamber comprising one or more cycles, wherein each cycle is, i) a step of performing an oxygen-containing plasma cleaning phase; ii) a step of performing a volatile chemical type residue cleaning phase, A step of flowing a volatile chemical gas comprising CO, H₂O , MeOH, or formic acid, or any combination thereof, into the plasma processing chamber; and A step of performing the volatile chemical type residue cleaning phase, comprising the step of forming the volatile chemical gas into plasma; and iii) A method for cleaning a plasma processing chamber, comprising the step of performing a fluorine-containing plasma cleaning phase.
A method for cleaning a plasma processing chamber comprising one or more cycles, wherein each cycle is, i) a step of performing an oxygen-containing plasma cleaning phase; ii) a step of performing a volatile chemical type residue cleaning phase, wherein a volatile chemical gas comprising CO, H₂O , NH₃ , methanol (MeOH), or formic acid, or any combination thereof, is flowed into the plasma processing chamber; and A step of performing the volatile chemical type residue cleaning phase, comprising the step of forming the volatile chemical gas into plasma; and iii) A method for cleaning a plasma processing chamber, comprising the step of performing a fluorine-containing plasma cleaning phase.
In Article 4, A method for cleaning a plasma processing chamber, wherein the oxygen-containing gas comprises O₂ , O₃ , CO, CO₂ , or H₂O , or any combination thereof.
In Article 1, The above volatile chemical type residue cleaning phase is a plasma processing chamber cleaning method that volatilizes at least one metal-containing residue.
In Article 5, A method for cleaning a plasma processing chamber, wherein the fluorine-containing gas comprises NF3 , SF6 , or CF4 , or any combination thereof.

Description

Method for cleaning the chamber The description of the background technology provided in this specification is intended to provide the general context of the present disclosure. The work of the inventors named in this specification to the extent described in this background technology section, as well as aspects of the technology that may not otherwise be recognized as prior art at the time of filing, are not explicitly or implicitly recognized as prior art to the present disclosure. The present disclosure relates to methods for fabricating semiconductor devices. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to methods for cleaning plasma processing chambers for fabricating semiconductor devices. Metal-conductive paths exist extensively within via holes and trenches, and metal etching removes multiple types of active or inert metals to reveal circuit patterns. In addition to interconnects, metal etching has important applications in advanced memory devices. For example, patterning a wide variety of magnetic materials in MRAM (magnetoresistive random access memory) stacks is still difficult. These stacks contain various metal-containing layers. As a result of etching these stacks, various metal residues remain on the plasma-facing surfaces of plasma processing chambers after processing. Plasma etching processes cause the accumulation of metal residues on the plasma-facing surfaces of plasma processing chambers. Effective metal cleaning procedures are required to clean multiple etching species, including metallic and compound metals and silicon species, from wafer or mask materials. Contaminants on the chamber wall surfaces will cause serious production problems. Therefore, an effective chamber cleaning process becomes important for improving productivity. Current sequential cleaning processes still have multiple problems that hinder chamber cleaning efficiency. Cross-reference regarding related applications This application claims the benefit of priority of U.S. Patent Application No. 63/039,303 filed on June 15, 2020, which is incorporated herein by reference for all purposes. To achieve the foregoing and according to the purpose of the present disclosure, a method for cleaning a plasma processing chamber comprising one or more cycles is provided. Each cycle comprises the steps of performing an oxygen-containing plasma cleaning phase, performing a volatile chemical type residue cleaning phase, and performing a fluorine-containing plasma cleaning phase. In another embodiment, a method for processing a plurality of process wafers in a plasma processing chamber comprising a plurality of cycles is provided. Each cycle comprises the steps of processing a plurality of process wafers in a plasma processing chamber and cleaning the plasma processing chamber, including an oxygen-containing plasma phase, a volatile chemical type residue cleaning phase, and a fluorine-containing plasma phase. These and other features of the present disclosure will be described in more detail in the specific details for carrying out the invention of the present disclosure below, together with the drawings below. The present disclosure is illustrated by the drawings of the attached drawings, in which similar reference numbers refer to similar elements, as an example rather than a limitation. FIG. 1 is a high-level flowchart of one embodiment. FIGS. 2A and FIGS. 2B are schematic cross-sectional views of a stack processed according to one embodiment. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of a plasma processing chamber that may be used in one embodiment. FIGS. 4a through 4f are enlarged schematic cross-sectional views of parts of a plasma processing chamber. FIG. 5 is a more detailed flowchart of the cleaning step used in one embodiment. FIG. 6 is a computer system that may be used in one embodiment. The present disclosure will now be described in detail with reference to some preferred embodiments of the disclosure as illustrated in the accompanying drawings. In the following description, numerous specific details are provided to provide a complete understanding of the present disclosure. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the present disclosure may be practiced without some or all of these specific details. In other examples, well-known process steps and/or structures have not been described in detail so as not to unnecessarily obscure the present disclosure. Metal-conductive paths exist extensively within via holes and trenches, and metal etching removes multiple types of active or inert metals to reveal circuit patterns. In addition to interconnects, metal etching has important applications in advanced memory devices. For example, patterning a wide variety of magnetic materials in a magnetic-resistive random access memory (MRAM) stack is still difficult when such a stack includes titanium nitride (TiN), ruthenium (Ru), copper-iron-boron alloy (CoFeB), magnesium oxide (MgO), cobalt-platinum (CoPt), platinum-mangan