US5983906A — Methods and apparatus for a cleaning process in a…

Claim 1

Independent Claim 75 words

A process for cleaning unwanted deposits formed, at a process temperature, on surfaces in a processing chamber of the type having a heater and a showerhead spaced-apart from said heater, said process comprising: maintaining said heater at said process temperature; reducing thermal communication between said heater and said showerhead subsequent to formation of said unwanted deposits; introducing a chlorine-containing gas into said chamber; and applying RF energy to provide a plasma in said processing chamber.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 75 words

A process for cleaning unwanted deposits formed, at a process temperature, on surfaces in a processing chamber of the type having a heater and a showerhead spaced-apart from said heater, said process comprising: maintaining said heater at said process temperature; reducing thermal communication between said heater and said showerhead subsequent to formation of said unwanted deposits; introducing a chlorine-containing gas into said chamber; and applying RF energy to provide a plasma in said processing chamber.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 15 words

The process of claim 1 wherein said process temperature is no less than 500° C.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 23 words

The process of claim 1 further including establishing said processing chamber to be at a pressure in the range of 0.1-10 Torr, inclusive.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 15 words

The process of claim 3 wherein said process temperature is no less that 500° C.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 24 words

The process of claim 2 wherein said chlorine-containing gas is introduced into said chamber at a rate in the range of 300-400 sccm, inclusive.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 18 words

The process of claim 3 wherein said chlorine-containing gas is introduced into said chamber at about 200 sccm.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 19 words

The process of claim 1 wherein reducing thermal commmunication includes increasing a distance between said heater and said showerhead.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 17 words

The process of claim 7 wherein increasing said distance occurs before applying energy to form said plasma.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 29 words

The process of claim 1 further including introducing, in said processing chamber, a plasma gas selected from the group consisting of inert gas, BCl 3 and ClF 3 .

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 13 words

The process of claim 1 wherein said pressure is less than 5 torr.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 23 words

The process of claim 1 wherein reducing thermal communication includes establishing said processing chamber to be at a pressure within a predetermined range.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 28 words

The process of claim 1 further comprising the step of: reducing said RF energy from a first power level to a second power level while maintaining said plasma.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 24 words

The process of claim 1 further comprising heating said heater to a second temperature, with said second temperature being greater than said process temperature.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 19 words

The process of claim 13 wherein said second temperature is greater than said process temperature by at least 1%.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 13 words

The process of claim 11 wherein said predetermined range is 0.1-10 Torr, inclusive.

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 240 words

A substrate processing apparatus comprising: a chamber having a chamber volume and a showerhead disposed within said chamber volume; a gas delivery system in fluid communication with said chamber, said gas delivery system including a plurality of gas sources, a supply of chlorine gas and a supply of plasma-assisting gas; a heating system comprising a heater pedestal with said heater pedestal being disposed within said chamber volume and spaced-apart from said showerhead; a plasma system in electrical communication with said chamber and comprising an RF generator and an RF plane; a vacuum system in fluid communication with said chamber; and a control system in data communication with said heating system, vacuum system, gas delivery system and plasma system comprising a processor and a memory comprising a computer-readable medium having a computer-readable program embodied therein, coupled to said processor, said computer-readable program comprising: (i) a first set of instructions for controlling said heating system and said vacuum system to maintain said heater pedestal at a first temperature while reducing thermal communication between said showerhead and said heater, (ii) a second set of instructions for controlling said gas delivery system to deliver said chlorine gas at a first flow rate and to deliver said plasma-assisting gas, and (iii) a third set of instructions for controlling said plasma system to form said plasma from said chlorine gas and said plasma-assisting gas to clean unwanted deposits from a deposition process performed in said chamber.

Claim 18

Dependent Claim 240 words

A substrate processing apparatus comprising: a chamber having a chamber volume and a showerhead disposed within said chamber volume; a gas delivery system in fluid communication with said chamber, said gas delivery system including a plurality of gas sources, a supply of chlorine gas and a supply of plasma-assisting gas; a heating system comprising a heater pedestal with said heater pedestal being disposed within said chamber volume and spaced-apart from said showerhead; a plasma system in electrical communication with said chamber and comprising an RF generator and an RF plane; a vacuum system in fluid communication with said chamber; and a control system in data communication with said heating system, vacuum system, gas delivery system and plasma system comprising a processor and a memory comprising a computer-readable medium having a computer-readable program embodied therein, coupled to said processor, said computer-readable program comprising: (i) a first set of instructions for controlling said heating system and said vacuum system to maintain said heater pedestal at a first temperature while reducing thermal communication between said showerhead and said heater, (ii) a second set of instructions for controlling said gas delivery system to deliver said chlorine gas at a first flow rate and to deliver said plasma-assisting gas, and (iii) a third set of instructions for controlling said plasma system to form said plasma from said chlorine gas and said plasma-assisting gas to clean unwanted deposits from a deposition process performed in said chamber.

Claim 19

Dependent Claim 26 words

The substrate processing apparatus of claim 16 wherein said heater pedestal includes a surface spaced-apart from said plane a distance is less than about 60 mil.

Claim 20

Dependent Claim 16 words

The substrate processing apparatus of claim 16 wherein said first temperature is at least 500° C.

Claim 21

Dependent Claim 16 words

The substrate processing apparatus of claim 18 wherein said first temperature is at least 600° C.

Claim 22

Dependent Claim 16 words

The substrate processing apparatus of claim 16 wherein said first temperature is at least 600° C.

Claim 23

Dependent Claim 78 words

The substrate processing apparatus of claim 16 wherein said first set of instructions comprises a first subset of instructions for controlling said heating system to heat said heater pedestal to said first temperature at a first time period and a second subset of instructions for controlling said heating system to heat said heater pedestal to a second temperature at a second time period after said first time period, with said first temperature being lower than said second temperature.

Claim 24

Dependent Claim 32 words

The substrate processing apparatus of claim 21 wherein said second temperature is less than about 5% greater than said first temperature, and said second time period is less than about 20 seconds.

Claim 25

Dependent Claim 15 words

The substrate processing apparatus of claim 16 wherein said plasma-assisting gas is comprised of argon.

Claim 26

Dependent Claim 97 words

A substrate processing apparatus of the type having a chamber and a heater and a showerhead, spaced-apart from said heater, said apparatus comprising: means, in communication with said heater, for maintaining said heater at a process temperature; means, connected to said apparatus, for reducing thermal communication between said heater and said showerhead; means for monitoring and controlling said means for reducing thermal communication; means, in fluid communication with said chamber, for introducing a chlorine-containing gas into said chamber; and means, in electrical communication with said chamber, for applying RF energy to provide a plasma in said chamber.

Claim 27

Dependent Claim 97 words

A substrate processing apparatus of the type having a chamber and a heater and a showerhead, spaced-apart from said heater, said apparatus comprising: means, in communication with said heater, for maintaining said heater at a process temperature; means, connected to said apparatus, for reducing thermal communication between said heater and said showerhead; means for monitoring and controlling said means for reducing thermal communication; means, in fluid communication with said chamber, for introducing a chlorine-containing gas into said chamber; and means, in electrical communication with said chamber, for applying RF energy to provide a plasma in said chamber.

Claim 28

Dependent Claim 162 words

The apparatus as recited in claim 24 wherein said introducing means includes a gas delivery system having a plurality of gas sources, said means for maintaining said heater includes a heating system, said applying means includes a plasma system, and further including means for maintaining said chamber at a pressure of between about 0.1-10 Torr that includes a vacuum system, with at least one of said plurality of gas sources including said chlorine-containing gas at a flow rate for use in said chamber and another one of said plurality of gas sources supplying a plasma-assisting gas, said heating system having a heater pedestal including a surface capable of supporting a substrate and an assembly capable of resistively heating said pedestal to a temperature of at least 400° C. in a plasma comprising chlorinated species, said plasma system having an RF generator and an RF plane disposed in said heater pedestal, with said vacuum system being adapted to control exhaust from said chamber.

Claim 29

Dependent Claim 147 words

The apparatus as recited in claim 25 wherein said means for monitoring and controlling is in data communication with said heating system, said plasma system, and said vacuum system and includes a processor and a memory with a computer-readable medium having a computer-readable program embodied therein for directing operation of the apparatus, coupled to said processor, said computer-readable program comprising: (i) a first set of instructions for controlling said heating system to heat and maintain said heater pedestal to at least 400° C., (ii) a second set of instructions for controlling said gas delivery system to deliver said chlorine gas at a first flow rate and to deliver said plasma-assisting gas, and (iii) a third set of instructions for controlling said plasma system to form said plasma from said chlorine gas and said plasma-assisting gas to clean unwanted deposits from a deposition process performed in said chamber.

Claim 30

Dependent Claim 33 words

The process of claim 1 wherein reducing thermal communications includes establishing said processing chamber to be at a pressure within a predetermined range and increasing a distance between said heater and said showerhead.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	2002-11-15	2003-05-17	2003-11-16	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	2006-11-15	2007-05-17	2007-11-16	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	2010-11-15	2011-05-17	2011-11-16	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Methods and apparatus for a cleaning process in a high temperature, corrosive, plasma environment

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