Method of reducing aluminum fluoride deposits in plasma etch reactor
US6770214B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Mar 30, 2001 |
| Grant date | Aug 3, 2004 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jul 31, 2022 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH01J2237/022
- WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A method of reducing aluminum fluoride deposits in a plasma etch reactor. The deposits can be reduced during a cleaning step wherein the cleaning gas includes BCl3 energized into a plasma such that dissociated and undissociated BCl3 are formed and the undissociated BCl3 reacts with aluminum fluoride deposits and forms volatile products which are removed from the chamber. The introduction of Cl2 into the cleaning gas allows control of the degree of BCl3 dissociation. The deposits can also be reduced during etching of an aluminum layer by controlling the amount of fluorocarbon used in the main etch and adding BCl3 during the overetch. The cleaning step may be performed without a substrate in the chamber and may be followed by a conditioning step.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.