KR-102962515-B1 - Methods and devices for passivating a target

Abstract

The present invention provides methods and apparatus for passivating a target. For example, the method comprises: a) supplying an oxidizing gas into the inner volume of a process chamber; b) igniting the oxidizing gas to form a plasma and oxidize at least one of a target material or a target disposed on a process kit within the inner volume of the process chamber; and c) performing a cycle purge; wherein the cycle purge comprises: c1) providing air into the process chamber to react with at least one of the target material or a target disposed on the process kit; c2) maintaining a predetermined pressure within the process chamber for a predetermined time to produce a toxic byproduct caused by the reaction of air with at least one of the target material or a target disposed on the process kit; and c3) exhausting the process chamber to remove the toxic byproduct.

Inventors

• 두, 차오
• 첸, 싱
• 밀러, 키이스 에이.
• 라말링감, 조틸링감
• 레이, 지안신

Assignees

• 어플라이드 머티어리얼스, 인코포레이티드

Dates

Publication Date

20260507

Application Date

20210408

Priority Date

20200413

Claims (20)

1. As a method for passivating the surfaces of a process chamber, a) a step of supplying an oxidizing gas into the inner volume of the process chamber; b) a step of igniting the oxidation gas to form a plasma and oxidize at least one of the target material or target deposited on the process kit disposed within the inner volume of the process chamber; and c) includes a step of performing a cycle purge, wherein the cycle purge is: c1) providing air into the process chamber to react with at least one of the target material or target deposited on the process kit; c2) maintaining a predetermined pressure within the process chamber for a predetermined time to produce toxic byproducts caused by the reaction of the air with at least one of the target material or target deposited on the process kit; and c3) including exhausting the process chamber to remove the above toxic by-products, A method for passivating the surfaces of a process chamber.
2. In Article 1, The method further comprises the step of supplying a non-reactive gas into the inner volume of the process chamber and igniting the non-reactive gas before supplying the oxidizing gas into the process chamber. A method for passivating the surfaces of a process chamber.
3. In Article 2, The above oxidizing gas is oxygen, and the above non-reactive gas is an inert gas, A method for passivating the surfaces of a process chamber.
4. In Paragraph 3, The above inert gas is at least one of argon, helium, krypton, neon, radon, or xenon, A method for passivating the surfaces of a process chamber.
5. In Article 1, The above-determined pressure is 600 Torr to 760 Torr, A method for passivating the surfaces of a process chamber.
6. In Article 1, The above predetermined time is 5 to 30 minutes, A method for passivating the surfaces of a process chamber.
7. In Article 1, The method further comprises the step of cooling the target after step b) and before step c), and then repeating steps a) and b). A method for passivating the surfaces of a process chamber.
8. In Article 1, After step c3), further comprising a step of repeating steps c1) to c3), A method for passivating the surfaces of a process chamber.
9. In Article 1, The above target is manufactured from at least one of arsenic, boron, carbon, gallium, germanium, selenium, silicon, tellurium, titanium, or tungsten, A method for passivating the surfaces of a process chamber.
10. In any one of paragraphs 1 through 9, The method further comprises at least one of the steps of measuring the amount of the toxic byproduct within the inner volume of the process chamber after steps a) to c3), or measuring the amount of the toxic byproduct within the inner volume of the process chamber during steps a) to c3). A method for passivating the surfaces of a process chamber.
11. As a non-transient computer-readable storage medium in which instructions are stored, The above instructions, when executed by a processor, perform a method of passivating surfaces in a process chamber, and the method, a) a step of supplying an oxidizing gas into the inner volume of the process chamber; b) a step of igniting the oxidation gas to form a plasma and oxidize at least one of the target material or target deposited on the process kit disposed within the inner volume of the process chamber; and c) includes a step of performing a cycle purge, wherein the cycle purge is: c1) Providing air into the process chamber to react with at least one of the target material or target deposited on the process kit; c2) maintaining a predetermined pressure within the process chamber for a predetermined time to generate a toxic byproduct caused by the reaction of at least one of the target material or target deposited on the process kit with the air; and c3) including exhausting the process chamber to remove the above toxic by-products, Non-transient computer-readable storage media.
12. In Article 11, The method further comprises the step of supplying a non-reactive gas into the inner volume of the process chamber and igniting the non-reactive gas before supplying the oxidizing gas into the process chamber. Non-transient computer-readable storage media.
13. In Article 12, The above oxidizing gas is oxygen, and the above non-reactive gas is an inert gas, Non-transient computer-readable storage media.
14. In Article 13, The above inert gas is at least one of argon, helium, krypton, neon, radon, or xenon, Non-transient computer-readable storage media.
15. In Article 11, The above-determined pressure is 600 Torr to 760 Torr, Non-transient computer-readable storage media.
16. In Article 11, A non-transient computer-readable storage medium in which the above-mentioned predetermined time is 5 to 30 minutes.
17. In Article 11, The method further comprises the step of cooling the target after step b) and before step c), and repeating steps a) and b). Non-transient computer-readable storage media.
18. In Article 11, After step c3), further comprising a step of repeating steps c1) to c3), Non-transient computer-readable storage media.
19. In any one of paragraphs 11 through 18, The above target is manufactured from one or more of arsenic, boron, carbon, gallium, germanium, selenium, silicon, tellurium, titanium, or tungsten, Non-transient computer-readable storage media.
20. As a process chamber for passivating the surfaces of a process chamber, A target disposed within the process chamber for sputtering a target material onto a substrate disposed within the process chamber during processing; A gas source connected to the process chamber and configured to supply oxidizing gas into the inner volume of the process chamber, and configured to supply air into the inner volume of the process chamber without opening the process chamber; At least one of an RF power source or a DC power source configured to ignite the oxidizing gas to form plasma within the process chamber; A pump configured to maintain a predetermined pressure and to exhaust the process chamber; A gas detection system configured to measure the amount of toxic byproducts within the inner volume of the process chamber; and It includes a controller; the controller is said to be the process chamber, a) supplying the oxidation gas from the gas source into the inner volume of the process chamber; b) ignite the oxidizing gas to form the plasma and oxidize at least one of the target material or target deposited on the process kit disposed within the inner volume of the process chamber; and c) configured to control the execution of a cycle purge, and said cycle purge is: c1) Providing air into the process chamber to react with at least one of the target material or target deposited on the process kit; c2) maintaining the predetermined pressure within the process chamber for a predetermined time to produce the toxic byproduct caused by the reaction of the air with at least one of the target material or target deposited on the process kit; and c3) including exhausting the process chamber to remove the above toxic by-products, A process chamber for passivating the surfaces of a process chamber.

Description

Methods and devices for passivating a target [0001] The embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to methods and apparatus for passivating a target. [0002] Process chambers, such as physical vapor deposition (PVD) chambers, are often used for the fabrication of ovonic threshold switches (OTS). OTS contain various types of compounds that exhibit specific electrical behavior, thus making OTS suitable for forming critical layers (e.g., selectors) within memory products (e.g., PCRAM, ReRAM, etc.) (but are not limited thereto). Compounds (e.g., constituting target materials) may contain different elements with different atomic weight percentages, but almost always contain arsenic (As), which makes the compounds highly toxic and active. For example, target materials containing As can be highly reactive and may react with, for example, indoor air, and if the target material is not completely passivated, may produce toxic byproducts, such as hydrides and arsines. In this regard, caution needs to be exercised when performing preventive maintenance (PM) on process chambers previously used for OTS production (e.g., containing OTS targets). For instance, PM typically requires passivating the OTS targets and/or monitoring the hydrides to ensure that PM can be performed in a safe manner. [0003] Current state-of-the-art passivation techniques typically have very low efficiency and can last for more than 5 days. Furthermore, such passivation techniques can expose the process chamber cavity (where the OTS target is placed, for example) to the environment, which can ultimately be harmful to the individual(s). [0004] Accordingly, the inventors have provided improved methods and apparatus for passivating an OTS target. [0005] Methods and apparatus for passivating a target are provided herein. In some embodiments, the method comprises: a) supplying an oxidizing gas into the inner volume of a process chamber; b) igniting the oxidizing gas to form a plasma and oxidize at least one of a target material or a target disposed on a process kit disposed within the inner volume of the process chamber; and c) performing a cycle purge; the cycle purge comprises: c1) supplying air into the process chamber to react with at least one of the target material or a target disposed on the process kit; c2) maintaining a predetermined pressure within the process chamber for a predetermined time to produce a toxic byproduct caused by the reaction of air with at least one of the target material or a target disposed on the process kit; and c3) exhausting the process chamber to remove the toxic byproduct. [0006] According to at least some embodiments, a non-transient computer-readable storage medium is provided that stores instructions for performing a method of passivating surfaces in a process chamber when executed by a processor, the method comprises: a) supplying an oxidizing gas into an inner volume of the process chamber; b) igniting the oxidizing gas to form a plasma and oxidize at least one of a target material or target deposited on a process kit disposed within the inner volume of the process chamber; and c) performing a cycle purge; the cycle purge comprises: c1) supplying air into the process chamber to react with at least one of the target material or target deposited on the process kit; c2) maintaining a predetermined pressure in the process chamber for a predetermined time to produce a toxic byproduct caused by the reaction of air with at least one of the target material or target deposited on the process kit; and c3) exhausting the process chamber to remove the toxic byproduct. [0007] According to at least some embodiments, a process chamber for passivating the surfaces of a process chamber comprises: a target placed in the process chamber for sputtering a target material on a substrate placed in the process chamber during processing; a gas source connected to the process chamber and configured to supply an oxidizing gas into the inner volume of the process chamber and configured to supply air into the inner volume of the process chamber without opening the process chamber; at least one of an RF power source or a DC power source configured to ignite the oxidizing gas to form a plasma in the process chamber; a pump configured to maintain a predetermined pressure and to exhaust the process chamber; a gas detection system configured to measure the amount of toxic byproducts in the inner volume of the process chamber; and a controller, wherein the controller enables the process chamber to: a) supply an oxidizing gas from a gas source into the inner volume of the process chamber; b) ignite the oxidizing gas to form a plasma and oxidize at least one of a target material or a target deposited on a process kit placed in the inner volume of the process chamber; And c) configured to control the performance of a cycle purge, wherein the cycle purge comprises: c1) providing air into a process chamber to react with at least one of a tar