System for in-situ generation of fluorine radicals and/or fluorine-containing interhalogen (XFn) compounds for use in cleaning semiconductor processing chambers

Abstract

A system for in-situ generation of fluorine radicals and / or fluorine-containing interhalogen compounds XFn (wherein X is Cl, Br, or I, and n is an odd integer). Such system comprises a fluorine source, a halogen source for supplying halogen species other than fluorine, a chamber for mixing fluorine with halogen species other than fluorine, and an energy source to supply energy to such chamber to facilitate reaction between fluorine and the halogen species other than fluorine. The chamber may be a semiconductor processing chamber, wherein the in situ generated fluorine radicals and / or fluorine-containing interhalogens are employed for cleaning the processing chamber.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0001] 1. Field of the Invention [0002] The invention relates to a system and method for in-situ generation of fluorine radicals and / or fluorine-containing interhalogen compounds for use in semiconductor manufacturing processes, such as removal of solid residues or particles from semiconductor equipment. [0003] 2. Description of the Related Art [0004] Semiconductor processing generally involves decomposition of relatively volatile precursors containing silicon (Si), tungsten (W), titanium (Ti), or tantalum (Ta) to form complex metal oxides or silicates. Such volatile precursors are notorious for forming solid residues inside the semiconductor processing chamber or on other internal components of the processing chamber, such as wafer carders, wafer transport mechanisms, and wafer platens. [0005] As such, solid residues accumulate on the internal surfaces of the processing chamber, and solids occasionally flake off from the solid residue deposits to yield f...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The present invention is about a system and method for generating fluorine and fluorine-containing compounds in semiconductor manufacturing processes. The system includes a fluorine source, a halogen source, a processing chamber, and an energy source. The energy source can be a UV light source or other type of photoenergy or thermal energy. The processing chamber can be a separate chamber or a part of the same chamber as the fluorine source and halogen source. The system can also include a mixing chamber, a separate holding chamber, an exhaust / abatement system, and a bypassing line for flowing the fluorine gas and halogen species without passing through the processing chamber. The invention allows for the in-situ generation of fluorine and fluorine-containing compounds, which can be used to remove solid residues in the processing chamber. The system can provide efficient control over the reaction process and can be used in various semiconductor manufacturing processes.

Problems solved by technology

These free particles, when landing on semiconductor wafers, result in wafer contamination.

Such approach has many inherent problems, including: the labor and time required for disassembling, cleaning, and reassembly; the high Mean-Time Off Line (MTOL) as a concomitant of the duration of the cleaning operation; the high volume of hazardous chemicals used; the risk of residual contamination; the incidence of excessive surface wear during the cleaning process; and the potential health issues related to worker exposure to hazardous chemicals.

Moreover, most chamber cleaning systems utilizing plasma-enhanced cleaning techniques have low gas decomposition rates, resulting in high levels of PFC gases being released into the atmosphere.

The use of fluorine radicals or fluorine-containing interhalogens for cleaning of semiconductor processing equipment, however, faces practical problems of implementation and commercial viability.

For example, the supply of fluorine radicals or fluorine-containing interhalogens, including ClF3, are highly corrosive, and issues such as compatibility of storage and dispensing vessels, and associated process piping and componentry, require substantial attention and costly solutions.

Further, interhalogen compounds are extremely irritating to human respiratory tracts.

Inadvertent leakage of such highly toxic fluid is therefore highly hazardous to human health.

Further, most interhalogen compounds are liquids at room temperature and are transported in the liquid phase, and the inherent high density of liquids over gases accentuates many of the risks associated with transporting such compounds.

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