阅读说明：本技术 处理室表面移除金属污染物 (Removal of metal contaminants from chamber surfaces ) 是由 游正义 萨曼莎·西亚姆华·坦 徐相俊 袁格 西瓦·克里希南·卡纳卡萨巴帕蒂 于 2019-10-03 设计创作，主要内容包括：一种用于清洁衬底处理室的表面的方法包含：a)供应第一气体,所述第一气体选自由下列各项所组成的群组：四氯化硅(SiCl-4)、四氯化碳(CCl-4)、碳氢化合物(C-xH-y,其中x与y为整数)和分子氯(Cl-2)、三氯化硼(BCl-3)、以及亚硫酰氯(SOCl-2)；b)在所述衬底处理室中激励等离子体,以蚀刻所述衬底处理室的表面；c)将所述等离子体熄灭,并将所述衬底处理室排空；d)供应包含氟物质的第二气体；e)在所述衬底处理室中激励等离子体,以蚀刻所述衬底处理室的表面；以及f)将该等离子体熄灭,并将所述衬底处理室排空。(A method for cleaning a surface of a substrate processing chamber comprising: a) supplying a first gas selected from the group consisting of: silicon tetrachloride (SiCl) 4 ) Carbon tetrachloride (CCl) 4 ) Hydrocarbon compound (C) x H y Where x and y are integers) and molecular chlorine (Cl) 2 ) Boron trichloride (BCl) 3 ) And thionyl chloride (SOCl) 2 ) (ii) a b) Exciting a plasma in the substrate processing chamber to etch a surface of the substrate processing chamber; c) extinguishing the plasma and evacuating the substrate processing chamber; d) supplying a second gas comprising a fluorine species; e) energizing a plasma in the substrate processing chamber to etch the substrateA surface of a bottom processing chamber; and f) extinguishing the plasma and evacuating the substrate processing chamber.)

1. A method for cleaning a surface of a substrate processing chamber, comprising:

a) supplying a first gas selected from the group consisting of: silicon tetrachloride (SiCl)₄) Carbon tetrachloride (CCl)₄) Hydrocarbon compound (C)_xH_yWhere x and y are integers) and molecular chlorine (Cl)₂) Boron trichloride (BCl)₃) And thionyl chloride (SOCl)₂)；

b) Exciting a plasma in the substrate processing chamber to etch a surface of the substrate processing chamber;

c) extinguishing the plasma and evacuating the substrate processing chamber;

d) supplying a second gas comprising a fluorine species;

e) exciting a plasma in the substrate processing chamber to etch a surface of the substrate processing chamber; and

f) the plasma is extinguished and the substrate processing chamber is evacuated.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

repeating a) to c) and d) to f) N times, wherein N is an integer greater than zero.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the second gas is selected from the group consisting of: nitrogen trifluoride (NF)₃) Sulfur hexafluoride (SF)₆) And carbon tetrafluoride (CF)₄)。

4. The method of claim 2, wherein a) through g) are performed without a substrate on a substrate support in the substrate processing chamber.

5. The method of claim 2, further comprising pre-coating the surface of the substrate processing chamber with a material after g), wherein the material is selected from the group consisting of silicon (Si) and silicon oxide (SiO)_x) The group consisting of.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein a) to c) are performed after d) to f) during each of the N times.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein during each of said N times steps a) to c) are carried out before d) to f).

8. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

before carrying out a) to g):

pre-coating the surfaces of the substrate processing chamber with a material selected from the group consisting of silicon (Si) and silicon oxide (SiO)_x) The group consisting of; and is

Carrying out substrate treatment; and

after g):

pre-coating the surfaces of the substrate processing chamber with a material selected from the group consisting of silicon (Si) and silicon oxide (SiO)_x) The group consisting of; and is

And carrying out substrate processing.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the substrate processing comprises etching.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the substrate comprises tin (Sn), and wherein Sn contamination after g) is less than l e¹⁰/cm²。

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

controlling a first pressure in the substrate processing chamber during b) within a first pressure range; and

controlling a second pressure in the substrate processing chamber during e) within a second pressure range, wherein the first pressure range is less than the second pressure range.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the first pressure range is 1 to 30mT, and wherein the second pressure range is 30 to 150 mT.

13. A substrate processing system for processing a substrate, comprising:

a substrate processing chamber comprising a chamber wall and a substrate support;

a gas delivery system for selectively delivering gas to the substrate processing chamber;

a plasma generator for selectively generating plasma in the substrate processing chamber; and

a controller configured to control the gas delivery system and the plasma generator to:

a) supplying a first gas selected from the group consisting of: silicon tetrachloride (SiCl)₄) Carbon tetrachloride (CCl)₄) Hydrocarbon compound (C)_xH_yWhere x and y are integers) and molecular chlorine (Cl)₂) Boron trichloride (BCl)₃) And thionyl chloride (SOCl)₂)；

b) Energizing a plasma in the substrate processing chamber to etch the surface of the substrate processing chamber;

c) extinguishing the plasma and evacuating the substrate processing chamber;

d) supplying a second gas comprising a fluorine species;

e) energizing a plasma in the substrate processing chamber to etch the surface of the substrate processing chamber; and

f) the plasma is extinguished and the substrate processing chamber is evacuated.

14. The substrate processing system of claim 13, wherein the controller is further configured to:

repeating a) to c) and d) to f) N times, wherein N is an integer greater than zero.

15. The substrate processing system of claim 13, wherein the second gas is selected from the group consisting of: nitrogen trifluoride (NF)₃) Sulfur hexafluoride (SF)₆) And carbon tetrafluoride (CF)₄)。

16. The substrate processing system of claim 14, wherein the controller is configured to remove a substrate from the substrate support prior to performing a) through g).

17. The substrate processing system of claim 14, wherein the controller is configured to pre-coat the surface of the substrate processing chamber with a material after g), wherein the material is selected from the group consisting of silicon (Si) and silicon oxide (SiO)_x) The group consisting of.

18. The substrate processing system of claim 13, wherein the controller is configured to perform a) through c) after d) through f) during each of the N times.

19. The substrate processing system of claim 13, wherein the controller is configured to perform a) through c) before d) through f) during each of the N times.

20. The substrate processing system of claim 14, wherein the controller is configured to:

before carrying out a) to g):

pre-coating the surfaces of the substrate processing chamber with a material selected from the group consisting of silicon (Si) and silicon oxide (SiO)_x) The group consisting of;and is

Carrying out substrate treatment; and

after g):

pre-coating the surface of the substrate processing chamber with a material selected from the group consisting of silicon (Si) and silicon oxide (SiO)_x) The group consisting of; and is

And carrying out substrate processing.

21. The substrate processing system of claim 20, wherein the substrate processing comprises etching.

22. The substrate processing system of claim 21, wherein the substrate comprises tin (Sn), and wherein Sn contamination after g) is less than 5e⁹/cm²。

23. The substrate processing system of claim 13, wherein the controller is configured to:

controlling a first pressure in the substrate processing chamber during b) to be within a first pressure range; and

controlling a second pressure in the substrate processing chamber during e) to be within a second pressure range, wherein the first pressure range is less than the second pressure range.

24. The substrate processing system of claim 23, wherein the first pressure range is 1 to 30mT, and wherein the second pressure range is 30 to 100 mT.

Technical Field

The present disclosure relates to substrate processing systems, and more particularly, to systems and methods for removing metal contaminants from process chamber surfaces.

Background

The background description provided herein is for the purpose of generally presenting the context of the disclosure. Work of the presently named inventors, to the extent it is described in this background section, as well as aspects of the description that may not otherwise qualify as prior art at the time of filing, are neither expressly nor impliedly admitted as prior art against the present disclosure.

The substrate processing system may be used to perform etching, deposition, and/or other processing of a substrate, such as a semiconductor wafer. During processing, a substrate is placed on a substrate support in a processing chamber. One or more gases are introduced into the process chamber through a gas delivery system. A plasma may be ignited during processing to promote chemical reactions within the processing chamber. An RF bias may also be applied to the substrate support to control ion energy.

For example, etching may be performed using Inductively Coupled Plasma (ICP) generated by an induction coil disposed outside the process chamber adjacent to the dielectric window. A process gas flowing within the process chamber is ignited to generate a plasma. RF bias power may also be applied to the electrode in the substrate support.

During substrate processing (e.g., deposition or etching), residues may be deposited on surfaces of the process chamber (e.g., chamber walls). The residue may cause defects during substrate processing. A cleaning operation may be performed to remove the residue.

Disclosure of Invention

A method for cleaning a surface of a substrate processing chamber comprising: a) supplying a first gas selected from the group consisting of: silicon tetrachloride (SiCl)₄) Carbon tetrachloride (CCl)₄) Hydrocarbon compound (C)_xH_yWhere x and y are integers) and molecular chlorine (Cl)₂) Boron trichloride (BCl)₃) And thionyl chloride (SOCl)₂) (ii) a b) Exciting a plasma in the substrate processing chamber to etch a surface of the substrate processing chamber; c) extinguishing the plasma and evacuating the substrate processing chamber; d) supplying a second gas comprising a fluorine species; e) exciting a plasma in the substrate processing chamber to etch a surface of the substrate processing chamber; and f) extinguishing the plasma and evacuating the substrate processing chamber.

In other features, the method comprises: g) repeating a) to c) and d) to f) N times, wherein N is an integer greater than zero. The second gas is selected from the group consisting of: nitrogen trifluoride (NF)₃) Sulfur hexafluoride (SF)₆) And carbon tetrafluoride (CF)₄) And a) through g) are performed without a substrate on a substrate support in the substrate processing chamber.

In other features, the method comprises: pre-coating the surface of the substrate processing chamber with a material after g), wherein the material is selected from the group consisting of silicon (Si) and silicon oxide (SiO)_x) The group consisting of.

In other features, during each of the N times, a) to c) are performed after d) to f), and during each of the N times, steps a) to c) are performed before d) to f).

In other features, prior to performing a) through g), the method comprises: pre-coating the surfaces of the substrate processing chamber with a material selected from the group consisting of silicon (Si) and silicon oxide (SiO)_x) The group consisting of; and substrate processing is performed. In other features, the method comprises: after g), pre-coating the surfaces of the substrate processing chamber with a material selected from the group consisting of silicon (Si) and silicon oxide (SiO)_x) The group consisting of; and substrate processing is performed.

In other features, the substrate processing comprises etching. The substrate includes tin (Sn).

In other features, the method comprises: controlling a first pressure in the substrate processing chamber during b) within a first pressure range; and controlling a second pressure in the substrate processing chamber during e) to be within a second pressure range. The first pressure range is less than the second pressure range.

In other features, the first pressure range is 1 to 30mT and the second pressure range is 30 to 150 mT.

A substrate processing system for processing a substrate includes a substrate processing chamber including a chamber wall and a substrate support. A gas delivery system selectively delivers gas to the substrate processing chamber. A plasma generator selectively generates plasma in the substrate processing chamber. A controller is configured to control the gas delivery system and the plasma generator to: a) supplying a first gas selected from the group consisting of: silicon tetrachloride (SiCl)₄) Carbon tetrachloride (CCl)₄) Hydrocarbon compound (C)_xH_yWhere x and y are integers) and molecular chlorine (Cl)₂) Boron trichloride (BCl)₃) And thionyl chloride (SOCl)₂) (ii) a b) Exciting a plasma in the substrate processing chamber to etch a surface of the substrate processing chamber; c) extinguishing the plasma and evacuating the substrate processing chamber; d) supply includesA second gas of fluorine species; e) exciting a plasma in the substrate processing chamber to etch a surface of the substrate processing chamber; and f) extinguishing the plasma and evacuating the substrate processing chamber.

In other features, the controller is further configured to: g) repeating a) to c) and d) to f) N times, wherein N is an integer greater than zero. The second gas is selected from the group consisting of: nitrogen trifluoride (NF)₃) Sulfur hexafluoride (SF)₆) And carbon tetrafluoride (CF)₄). The controller is configured to remove a substrate from the substrate support prior to performing a) through g). The controller is configured to pre-coat the surface of the substrate processing chamber with a material after g), wherein the material is selected from the group consisting of silicon (Si) and silicon oxide (SiO)_x) The group consisting of. The controller is configured to perform a) through c) after d) through f) during each of the N times. The controller is configured to perform a) through c) before d) through f) during each of the N times.

In other features, the controller is configured to: pre-coating the surfaces of the substrate processing chamber with a material selected from the group consisting of silicon (Si) and silicon oxide (SiO) prior to performing a) through g)_x) The group consisting of; and substrate processing is performed. After g), the controller is configured to: pre-coating the surfaces of the substrate processing chamber with a material selected from the group consisting of silicon (Si) and silicon oxide (SiO)_x) The group consisting of; and substrate processing is performed.

In other features, the substrate processing comprises etching. The substrate includes tin (Sn).

In other features, the controller is configured to: controlling a first pressure in the substrate processing chamber during b) to be within a first pressure range; and controlling a second pressure in the substrate processing chamber during e) to be within a second pressure range. The first pressure range is less than the second pressure range.

In other features, the first pressure range is 1 to 30mT and the second pressure range is 30 to 150 mT.

Further scope of applicability of the present disclosure will become apparent from the detailed description, claims and drawings. The detailed description and specific examples are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.

Drawings

The present disclosure will become more fully understood from the detailed description and the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram of an example of a substrate processing system incorporating a cleaning system according to the present invention;

FIGS. 2A through 2D illustrate surface cleaning of a substrate processing system according to the present invention;

FIGS. 3A through 3E illustrate another example of surface cleaning of a substrate processing system according to the present invention; and

FIG. 4 is a flow chart of an example of a method for cleaning a surface of a substrate processing system in accordance with the present invention.

In the drawings, reference numbers may be repeated to identify similar and/or identical elements.

Detailed Description

The present invention relates to systems and methods for cleaning surfaces of a processing chamber, such as chamber walls, to reduce metal cross-contamination. The cleaning methods described herein are more effective at removing metal contaminants such as tin (Sn), aluminum (Al), yttrium (Y), iron (Fe), and/or other metals than conventional cleaning methods. The cleaning system and method according to the present invention can be used to periodically reset the process chamber to its original cleaning state.

Metal contamination in the process chamber can cause process shift, such as etch rate variation. Metal contamination can also lead to defects that adversely affect device performance. Standard specifications require less than 5e of metal contamination in the process chamber¹⁰/cm². Conventional chamber cleaning methods result in metal contamination levels of about 1e¹¹/cm²To 1e¹²/cm². The cleaning systems and methods described herein can substantially reduce metal contamination to less than 5e¹⁰/cm²。

For example, in generalUsing e.g. silicon (Si) or silicon oxide (SiO)_x) Such layers pre-coat the surfaces of the inductively coupled plasma processing chamber. Tin oxide (SnO) after etching a substrate containing Sn_x) Etch byproducts or residues are deposited on the surfaces of the process chamber. The cleaning operation may include the use of molecular chlorine (Cl)₂) And using nitrogen trifluoride (NF)₃) And (4) a second plasma treatment step. However, this chemistry has very slow SnO_xEtch rate due to non-volatile etch byproducts. In other words, halide of Sn (SnF)_x、SnCl_xAnd SnBr_x) Is non-volatile. The contamination level was maintained at 1e even in the case of a relatively long etching period of up to 300 seconds¹¹/cm²To 1e¹²/cm²Or higher.

Using molecular hydrogen (H)₂) Alternative cleaning of the plasma to etch Sn or SnO_xTo form volatile tin hydride (SnH)_x). However, SnH_xAre unstable at high temperatures and tend to dissociate back into metallic Sn and redeposit on surfaces in the process chamber.

Systems and methods according to the present invention are used to clean surfaces in a process chamber to reduce metal contamination. In some examples, a material such as Si or SiO is utilized_xSuch a layer pre-coats the surfaces of the process chamber. The processing chamber is used to process one or more substrates. After removing the substrate from the processing chamber, the systems and methods supply a first gas selected from the group consisting of: silicon tetrachloride (SiCl)₄) Hydrocarbon compound (C)_xH_yWhere x and y are integers) and molecular chlorine (Cl)₂) Carbon tetrachloride (CCl)₄) Boron trichloride (BCl)₃) And thionyl chloride (SOCl)₂). In some examples, an inert gas (e.g., argon (Ar), helium (He), neon (N) may also be supplied_e) Or molecular nitrogen (N)₂) To dilute the etching gas. The plasma is energized for a first predetermined period of time and then extinguished.

The first etching step selectively etches Sn with respect to Si.Formation of volatile Compound SnR_xO_yCl_z(wherein R ═ boron (B), carbon (C), sulfur (S), silicon (Si), and the like). After etching is performed, the process chamber is evacuated and then a second gas containing fluorine species is supplied. In some examples, the second gas is selected from the group consisting of: nitrogen trifluoride (NF)₃) Sulfur hexafluoride (SF)₆) And carbon tetrafluoride (CF)₄). In some examples, an inert gas may also be supplied. The plasma is energized for a second predetermined period of time. The second etching step selectively etches Si with respect to Sn. The order of the first and second steps may be reversed.

In some examples, the first and second etching steps are not repeated, or the first and second etching steps are repeated one or more times until the precoat layer is completely or substantially removed. After multiple cycles, metal contamination levels can be reduced to less than 1e¹⁰/cm². Then, the surfaces of the processing chamber are precoated again, and the substrate processing is performed again.

In some examples, the pressure in the process chamber is adjusted to different pressures during the first step and the second step. In other examples, the pressure in the process chamber is the same during the first step and the second step. Additional details are further described below.

Referring now to FIG. 1, an example of a substrate processing system 110 according to the present disclosure is shown. Although the present disclosure is described in the context of an Inductively Coupled Plasma (ICP) processing chamber, other types of processing chambers may be used.

The substrate processing system 110 includes a coil drive circuit 111. The pulsing circuit 114 may be used to pulse the RF power on and off, or to vary the amplitude or level of the RF power. The tuning circuit 113 may be directly connected to one or more induction coils 116. The tuning circuit 113 tunes the output of the RF source 112 to a desired frequency and/or a desired phase, matches the impedance of the coils 116, and distributes power between the coils 116. In some examples, the coil drive circuit 111 is replaced with one of the drive coils described further below in conjunction with controlling the RF bias.

In some examples, the plenum 120 may be disposed between the coil 116 and the dielectric window 124 to control the temperature of the dielectric window 124 by hot and/or cold air flow. A dielectric window 124 is disposed along one side of the process chamber 128. The processing chamber 128 also includes a substrate support (or susceptor) 132. The substrate support 132 may comprise an electrostatic chuck (ESC), or a mechanical chuck, or other type of chuck. Process gases are supplied to the process chamber 128 and a plasma 140 is selectively generated within the process chamber 128. Plasma 140 etches the exposed surface of substrate 134. The drive circuit 152 may be used to provide an RF bias to the electrodes in the substrate support 132 during operation.

The gas delivery system 156 may be used to supply process gases (e.g., etching gases, precursor gases, inert gases, etc.) to the process chamber 128. The gas delivery system 156 may include a gas source 157, a gas metering system 158 (e.g., valves and mass flow controllers), and a manifold 159. The gas delivery system 160 may be used to deliver gas 162 to the plenum 120 via a valve 161. The gas may comprise a cooling gas (air) for cooling the coil 116 and the dielectric window 124. The heater/cooler 164 may be used to heat/cool the substrate support 132 to a predetermined temperature. The exhaust system 165 includes a valve 166 and a pump 167 to remove reactants from the process chamber 128 through a purge or drain operation. A valve 166 and pump 167 can be used to control the pressure in the process chamber.

The pressure sensor 153 may be used to sense the pressure inside the process chamber. The controller 154 may be used to control the etch process. The controller 154 monitors system parameters (e.g., temperature and pressure). The controller 154 controls: gas delivery, plasma excitation, maintenance and extinction, reactant removal, supply of cooling gas, etc. The controller 154 may control the valve 166 and the pump 167 to vary the pressure in the process chamber. Further, as described in detail below, the controller 154 may control the cleaning processes described herein.

Referring now to fig. 2A-2D, surfaces of the process chamber 210 are shown during cleaning using the cleaning systems and methods described herein. In FIG. 2A, a surface 220 of a process chamber 210, such as a chamber wall, is shown. The pre-coat layer 224 may be utilized for processing prior to substrate processingThe surface 220 of the chamber 210 is processed. In some examples, the precoat layer 224 includes silicon (Si) or silicon oxide (SiO)_x) However, other precoats 224 may be used.

During substrate processing (e.g., deposition or etching), the residue 226 contaminates the precoat layer 224. For example, it is possible to deposit SnO on the precoat_x. Steps were taken to remove the residue. In fig. 2B, a first gas is supplied to the process chamber 210, and the plasma is energized for a first predetermined period of time and then extinguished. In some examples, the first gas is selected from the group consisting of: silicon tetrachloride (SiCl)₄) Carbon tetrachloride (CCl)₄) Hydrocarbon compound (C)_xH_yWhere x and y are integers) and molecular chlorine (Cl)₂) Boron trichloride (BCl)₃) And thionyl chloride (SOCl)₂). The first gas selectively etches tin (Sn) with respect to silicon (Si).

The process chamber 210 is evacuated after a first predetermined period of time. In fig. 2C, a second gas containing fluorine species is supplied to the process chamber 210 and the plasma is energized for a second predetermined period of time and then extinguished. In some examples, the second gas is selected from the group consisting of: nitrogen trifluoride (NF)₃) Sulfur hexafluoride (SF)₆) And carbon tetrafluoride (CF)₄). The second gas selectively etches Si relative to Sn. In this example, only one cycle is performed.

In FIG. 2D, silicon or silicon oxide (SiO)_x) The precoat layer is applied over the remainder of the previous precoat layer. For example, a precursor gas (e.g., silicon tetrachloride (SiCl)) is supplied₄) Silane (SiH4), or other silicon (Si) or silicon oxide (SiO)_x) Precursor gas) for a predetermined period of time and energizing the plasma. In some examples, molecular oxygen (O) is also added₂) Gas is supplied to the process chamber. After the pre-coat is deposited, the substrate processing may continue. In some examples, Plasma Enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposition (PECVD) is utilized to deposit the precoat layer.

Referring now to fig. 3A-3E, the surfaces of the process chamber 310 are shown during cleaning using the cleaning systems and methods described herein. In FIG. 3A, a surface 320 of a process chamber 310, such as a chamber wall, is shown. The pre-coat layer 324 may be deposited on the surface 320 of the process chamber 310 prior to substrate processing. In some examples, the precoat 324 comprises silicon or silica, although other types of precoat 324 may be used.

During substrate processing (e.g., during deposition or etching), residue 326 (e.g., Sn or SnO)_x) Contaminating the precoat layer 324. In order to avoid process drift or defects, the contaminated precoat is etched. In fig. 3B, a first gas is supplied to the process chamber 310 and the plasma is energized for a first predetermined period of time. In some examples, the first gas is selected from the group consisting of: silicon tetrachloride (SiCl)₄) Carbon tetrachloride (CCl)₄) Boron trichloride (BCl)₃) Hydrocarbon compound (C)_xH_yWhere x and y are integers) and molecular chlorine (Cl)₂) And thionyl chloride (SOCl)₂). The plasma etches tin (Sn) selectively to silicon (Si).

The process chamber 310 is evacuated after a first predetermined period of time. In fig. 3C, a second gas containing fluorine species is supplied to the process chamber 310 and the plasma is energized for a second predetermined period of time. In some examples, the second gas is selected from the group consisting of: nitrogen trifluoride (NF)₃) Sulfur hexafluoride (SF)₆) And carbon tetrafluoride (CF)₄). The plasma etches Si selectively to Sn. The steps shown in fig. 3B and 3C may be repeated one or more times. In some examples, the steps are repeated until the precoat and residue are removed from the surface.

In FIG. 3D, the surfaces of the process chamber are shown after the precoat and residue are removed. In FIG. 3E, silicon oxide (SiO) is again coated_x) The coating is pre-coated and the process chamber is ready to perform substrate processing again.

Referring now to FIG. 4, a method 410 for cleaning a surface of a substrate processing system is shown. The pre-coat layer is applied to the surfaces of the process chamber prior to substrate processing. At 414, one or more substrate processes are performed on the substrate. During substrate processing, residues are formed on the surfaces of the process chamber. In some examples, substrate processing includes deposition, etching, cleaning, or other processing.

At 418, the method determines whether the chamber is to be cleaned. Chamber cleaning may be performed periodically, for example every P processing cycles (where P is an integer greater than zero), upon an event (e.g., when an event occurs), or with other criteria. If a chamber clean is to be performed at 418, the substrate is removed from the processing chamber at 422 (if needed). At 426, the chamber pressure is set to a first pressure value within a first pressure range. At 430, a first gas (or a second gas) is supplied to the process chamber and a plasma is energized for a first predetermined period of time. In some examples, the first gas is selected from the group consisting of: silicon tetrachloride (SiCl)₄) Carbon tetrachloride (CCl)₄) Boron trichloride (BCl)₃) Hydrocarbon compound (C)_xH_yWhere x and y are integers) and molecular chlorine (Cl)₂) And thionyl chloride (SOCl)₂). In some examples, the second gas is selected from the group consisting of: nitrogen trifluoride (NF)₃) Sulfur hexafluoride (SF)₆) And carbon tetrafluoride (CF)₄)。

At 434, the chamber pressure is set to a second pressure value within a second pressure range. At 438, a second gas (or first gas) is supplied to the process chamber and the plasma is energized for a second predetermined period of time. At 442, the process may be repeated one or more times. After one or more cycles are completed, the process chamber is pre-coated, and then additional substrate processing can be performed in the process chamber.

In some examples, the chamber pressure during the chlorine species etch is maintained within a predetermined range of 1 to 30mT (milliTorr). In other examples, the chamber pressure during the chlorine species etch is maintained within a predetermined range of 4 to 12 mT. In other examples, the chamber pressure during the chlorine species etch is maintained within a predetermined range of 7 to 9 mT. In other examples, the chamber pressure during the chlorine species etch is maintained at 8 mT.

In some examples, the chamber pressure during the fluorine species etch is maintained within a predetermined range of 30 to 150 mT. In other examples, the chamber pressure during the fluorine species etch is maintained within a predetermined range of 50 to 80 mT. In other examples, the chamber pressure during the fluorine species etch is maintained within a predetermined range of 60 to 70 mT. In other examples, the chamber pressure during the fluorine species etch is maintained at 65 mT.

In some examples, the etching period of the chlorine and fluorine etching species is in the range of 1 to 30 seconds. In some examples, the etching period of the chlorine and fluorine etching species is in the range of 1 to 10 seconds. In some examples, the etching period of the chlorine and fluorine etching species is in a range of 3 to 7 seconds. In some examples, the etching period of the chlorine and fluorine etching species is 5 seconds. It is understood that the etch period will vary depending on the process chamber, the concentration of the etching gas, and the type of plasma used. In addition, the etching period may also vary according to the plasma power. Higher plasma power increases the etch rate and decreases the etch period.

In some examples, the plasma power during the chlorine and fluorine etch is in the range of 100W to 3000W. In some examples, the plasma power during the chlorine and fluorine etch is in the range of 500W to 2500W. In some examples, the plasma power during the chlorine and fluorine etch is in the range of 1300W to 2300W. In some examples, the plasma power during the chlorine and fluorine etch is 1800W. In some examples, the plasma power during pre-coating is in the range of 500W to 2000W. In some examples, the plasma power during pre-coating is in the range of 500W to 1500W. In some examples, the plasma power during pre-coating is 1000W.

In some examples, 100 to 300 standard cubic centimeters (sccm) of a gas containing a chlorine species or a fluorine species is supplied during a respective etching step. In some examples, 200sccm of a gas containing a chlorine species or a fluorine species is supplied during a respective etch step.

The foregoing description is merely illustrative in nature and is in no way intended to limit the disclosure, its application, or uses. The broad teachings of the disclosure can be implemented in a variety of forms. Therefore, while this disclosure includes particular examples, the true scope of the disclosure should not be so limited since other modifications will become apparent upon a study of the drawings, the specification, and the following claims. It should be understood that one or more steps of the method may be performed in a different order (or simultaneously) without altering the principles of the present disclosure. Furthermore, while each embodiment is described above as having certain features, any one or more of those features described with respect to any embodiment of the present disclosure may be implemented in and/or combined with the features of any other embodiment, even if the combination is not explicitly described. In other words, the described embodiments are not mutually exclusive, and substitutions of one or more embodiments with one another remain within the scope of the present disclosure.

Various terms are used to describe spatial and functional relationships between elements (e.g., between modules, circuit elements, between semiconductor layers, etc.), including "connected," joined, "" coupled, "" adjacent, "" immediately adjacent, "" on top, "" above, "" below, "and" disposed. Unless a relationship between first and second elements is explicitly described as "direct", when such a relationship is described in the above disclosure, the relationship may be a direct relationship, in which no other intermediate elements are present between the first and second elements, but may also be an indirect relationship, in which one or more intermediate elements are present (spatially or functionally) between the first and second elements. As used herein, the phrase "at least one of A, B and C" should be interpreted to mean logic (a OR B OR C) using a non-exclusive logic OR (OR), and should not be interpreted to mean "at least one of a, at least one of B, and at least one of C".

In some implementations, the controller is part of a system, which may be part of the above example. Such systems may include semiconductor processing equipment including one or more processing tools, one or more chambers, one or more platforms for processing, and/or specific processing components (wafer susceptors, gas flow systems, etc.). These systems may be integrated with electronics for controlling the operation of semiconductor wafers or substrates before, during, and after their processing. The electronic device may be referred to as a "controller," which may control various components or subcomponents of one or more systems. Depending on the process requirements and/or type of system, the controller can be programmed to control any of the processes disclosed herein, including the delivery of process gases, temperature settings (e.g., heating and/or cooling), pressure settings, vacuum settings, power settings, Radio Frequency (RF) generator settings, RF matching circuit settings, frequency settings, flow rate settings, fluid delivery settings, position and operation settings, wafer transfer in and out of tools and other transfer tools, and/or load locks connected or interfaced with specific systems.

In general terms, a controller may be defined as an electronic device having various integrated circuits, logic, memory, and/or software to receive instructions, issue instructions, control operations, enable cleaning operations, enable endpoint measurements, and the like. An integrated circuit may include a chip in firmware that stores program instructions, a Digital Signal Processor (DSP), a chip defined as an Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC), and/or one or more microprocessors or microcontrollers that execute program instructions (e.g., software). The program instructions may be instructions that are sent to the controller in the form of various individual settings (or program files) that define operating parameters for performing specific processes on or for a semiconductor wafer or system. In some embodiments, the operating parameters may be part of a recipe defined by a process engineer to complete one or more process steps during fabrication of one or more layer(s), material, metal, oxide, silicon dioxide, surface, circuitry, and/or die of a wafer.

In some implementations, the controller can be part of or coupled to a computer that is integrated with, coupled to, otherwise networked to, or a combination of the systems. For example, the controller may be in the "cloud" or all or part of a fab (fab) host system, which may allow remote access to wafer processing. The computer may implement remote access to the system to monitor the current progress of the manufacturing operation, check the history of past manufacturing operations, check trends or performance criteria for multiple manufacturing operations, change parameters of the current process, set processing steps to follow the current process, or begin a new process. In some examples, a remote computer (e.g., a server) may provide the process recipe to the system over a network (which may include a local network or the internet). The remote computer may include a user interface that enables parameters and/or settings to be entered or programmed and then transmitted from the remote computer to the system. In some examples, the controller receives instructions in the form of data specifying parameters for each process step to be performed during one or more operations. It should be understood that the parameters may be specific to the type of process to be performed and the type of tool with which the controller is configured to interface or control. Thus, as described above, the controllers can be distributed, for example, by including one or more discrete controllers networked together and operating toward a common purpose (e.g., the processes and controls described herein). An example of a distributed controller for such a purpose is one or more integrated circuits on a chamber that communicate with one or more integrated circuits that are remote (e.g., at a platform level or as part of a remote computer), which combine to control a process on the chamber.

Example systems can include, but are not limited to, a plasma etch chamber or module, a deposition chamber or module, a spin rinse chamber or module, a metal plating chamber or module, a cleaning chamber or module, a bevel edge etch chamber or module, a Physical Vapor Deposition (PVD) chamber or module, a Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD) chamber or module, an Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD) chamber or module, an Atomic Layer Etch (ALE) chamber or module, an ion implantation chamber or module, a track chamber or module, and any other semiconductor processing system that can be associated with or used in the manufacture and/or preparation of semiconductor wafers.

As described above, depending on the process step or steps to be performed by the tool, the controller may communicate with one or more other tool circuits or modules, other tool components, cluster tools, other tool interfaces, neighboring tools, tools located throughout the factory, a host computer, another controller, or a tool used in the material transport that transports wafer containers to and from tool locations and/or load ports in a semiconductor manufacturing facility.