Chamber Cleaning and Semiconductor Etching Gases

a technology of chamber cleaning and semiconductor etching, applied in the field of perfluoroalkyne compositions, can solve the problems of reducing the productive capacity of the chamber, releasing the cleaning gas, and present cleaning gases with significant amounts of components with high global warming potential, so as to reduce the environmental impact

Inactive Publication Date: 2018-12-20
THE CHEMOURS CO FC LLC
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  • Summary
  • Abstract
  • Description
  • Claims
  • Application Information

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The solution achieves high etching rates for nitride films with reduced environmental impact, lower GWP, and decreased EHS risks, while being energy-efficient and cost-effective.

Problems solved by technology

This cleaning process reduces the productive capacity of the chamber since the chamber is out of active service during a cleaning cycle.
In addition, present cleaning gases have significant amounts of components with high global warming potentials.
Moreover, even when processes are optimized, there is the potential for release of the cleaning gases.
Finally, given the chemical stability of these gases, their activation can be energy intensive.
However, it is understood that that these gases may generate relatively high amounts of toxic waste gases, which may pose additional GWP or Environmental, Health, and Safety (EHS) issues apart from the GWP of the cleaning or etch gas itself.

Method used

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Examples

Experimental program
Comparison scheme
Effect test

example 1 to example 7

[0021]In examples 1 to 7, the remote plasma source is a commercial toroidal-type MKS ASTRON®ex reactive gas generator unit make by MKS Instruments, Andover, Mass., USA. The feed gases (e.g. oxygen, hydrofluoroolefin, and carrier gas) are introduced into the remote plasma source and passed through the toroidal discharge where they were discharged by the 400 kHz radio-frequency power to form an activated gas mixture. The oxygen is manufactured by Airgas with 99.999% purity. The hydrofluoroolefin is selected from Table 1. Argon is manufactured by Airgas with a grade of 5.0. Typically, Ar gas is used to ignite the plasmas, after which timed flows for the feed gases were initiated, after Ar flow was halted. The activated gas mixture then is passed through an aluminum water-cooled heat exchanger to reduce the thermal loading of the aluminum process chamber. The surface deposits covered wafer is placed on a temperature controlled mounting in the process chamber. The neutral temperature is ...

example 1

[0022]This example illustrates the effect of the addition of hydrofluoroolefin HFO-1234yf with oxygen on the silicon nitride etch rate. In this experiment, the feed gas is composed of oxygen and HFO-1234yf. at molar ratios of 02 to HFO of 0.4 to 1, 0.6 to 1, 1 to 1, and 1.2 to 1. Process chamber pressure is 5 torr. Total gas flow rate is from 1500-2000 sccm, with flow rates for the individual gases set proportionally as required for each experiment. The feeding gas is activated by the 400 kHz 5.9-8.7 kW RF power to an effective neutral temperature. The activated gas then enters the process chamber and etches the silicon nitride surface deposits on the mounting with the temperature controlled at 50° C. The etch rate is over 1900 A / min. The same phenomena is observed in all wafer temperatures tested: 50° C., 100° C. and 150° C.

example 2

[0023]This example illustrates the effect of the addition of hydrofluoroolefin HFO-1336mzz with oxygen on silicon nitride etch rate. In this experiment, the feed gas is composed of oxygen and HFO-1336mzz, at molar ratios of 02 to HFO of 0.4 to 1, 0.6 to 1, 1 to 1, and 1.2 to 1. Process chamber pressure is 5 torr. Total gas flow rate is from 1500-2000 sccm, with flow rates for the individual gases set proportionally as required for each experiment. The feeding gas is activated by the 400 kHz 5.9-8.7 kW RF power to an effective neutral temperature. The activated gas then enters the process chamber and etches the silicon nitride surface deposits on the mounting with the temperature controlled at 50° C. The etch rate is over 2050 A / min. The same phenomena is observed in all wafer temperatures tested: 50° C., 100° C. and 150° C.

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Abstract

The present invention relates to fluoroolefin compositions useful as gases for CVD semiconductor manufacture, particularly for etching applications including methods for removing surface deposits from the interior of a chemical vapor deposition chamber by using an activated gas mixture, and methods for etching the surface of a semiconductor.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0001]The present invention relates to perfluoroalkyne compositions useful in semiconductor manufacturing applications, such as etching semiconductors and as cleaning gases for removing surface deposits in CVD and PECVD chambers. The invention further relates to methods for removing surface deposits from the interior of a chemical vapor deposition chamber by using an activated gas mixture created by activating a gas mixture in the chamber or in a remote chamber, where the gas mixture includes a fluoroolefin, such as a perfluoroalkyne, and oxygen.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0002]Etching gases and cleaning gases are to manufacture semiconductors. For example, chemical vapor deposition (CVD) and plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) chambers need to be regularly cleaned to remove deposits from the chamber walls and platens. This cleaning process reduces the productive capacity of the chamber since the chamber is out of active service during a cleaning ...

Claims

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Application Information

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Patent Type & AuthorityApplications(United States)
IPC IPC(8): H01L21/311C09K13/08H01L21/3065C23G5/00C09K13/00C23C16/44H01J37/32
CPCC09K13/08H01L21/3065C23G5/00H01J2237/334Y02P70/605H01L21/31116C09K13/00C23C16/4405H01J37/3244H01J2237/3321H01J37/32009Y02C20/30H01L21/31144Y02P70/50
InventorPENG, SHENGLOH, GARYOOSAKI, YOSHIMASA
OwnerTHE CHEMOURS CO FC LLC