Method for cleaning a process chamber

US6242347A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• Applied Materials, Inc. · US

Inventors

• Anand Vasudev · Menlo Park, US
• Toshio Itoh · Susono, JP
• Ramanujapuram A. Srinivas · San Jose, US
• Frederick Wu · Cupertino, US
• Li Wu · Fremont, US
• Brian Boyle · Farmington Hills, US
• Mei Chang · San Jose, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Sep 30, 1998
• Grant date: Jun 5, 2001
• Expiry date: Sep 30, 2018

Classification

• Technology area (CPC Y): Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
• CPC primary: Y10S438/906
• WIPO field: Semiconductors
• WIPO sector: Electrical engineering

Abstract

A method for the in situ cleaning of a semiconductor deposition chamber utilized for the deposition of a semiconductor material such as titanium or titanium nitride comprising, between wafers, introducing chlorine gas into the chamber at elevated temperature, purging the chamber with an inert gas and evacuating it before introduction of the next wafer. A two-stage between wafer cleaning process is carried out by introducing chlorine into the chamber at elevated temperature, thereafter initiating a plasma without removing the chlorine, purging the chamber with an inert gas and evacuating it before introduction of the next wafer. In a preferred embodiment, a thin protective film of titanium is deposited on the inner surfaces of the chamber prior to utilizing the chamber for the deposition of such material. The protective layer is replenished following each two-stage cleaning.