Chamber cleaning method

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a chamber cleaning method, and more particularly, to a cleaning method capable of cleaning a chamber contaminated during a thin film deposition step on a substrate. According to one embodiment, a chamber cleaning method, wherein a thin film is deposited in the chamber, comprises: primarily cleaning the chamber with a first gas plasma-formed in the chamber; and providing a second gas plasma-formed outside the chamber into the chamber to activate the plasma-formed first gas, thereby secondarily cleaning the chamber. The second gas comprises a gas that does not react with the first gas.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a chamber cleaning method, and more particularly to a chamber cleaning method capable of cleaning a chamber contaminated during a step of depositing a thin film on a substrate. Background Art

[0002] Generally speaking, semiconductor devices are manufactured by depositing various materials in the form of thin films on a substrate and patterning the deposited thin films. To this end, several stages of different steps (e.g., deposition, etching, cleaning, and drying) are performed. Here, the deposition step is performed to form a thin film on the substrate having the characteristics required for a semiconductor device. However, during the deposition step of forming the thin film, byproducts including the deposited material are deposited not only on the desired area of the substrate but also within the chamber where the deposition step is performed.

[0003] If the thickness of byproducts deposited within the chamber increases, they may flake off, generating particles. These particles can be introduced into thin films formed on substrates or adhere to the surfaces of these films, potentially causing defects in semiconductor devices and increasing product defect rates. Therefore, it is necessary to remove byproducts deposited within the chamber before they flake off.

[0004] In the case of metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD), a chamber cleaning step is periodically performed to remove byproducts deposited in the chamber during the deposition step. In the case of a substrate processing apparatus that performs MOCVD, byproducts in the chamber can be removed by a wet etching method using a cleaning liquid or a dry etching method using a cleaning gas. When the byproducts deposited in the chamber include metal, dry etching using a cleaning gas is generally not simple. Therefore, in the case of a substrate processing apparatus that performs MOCVD, the interior of the chamber is mainly cleaned by wet etching. Cleaning using wet etching is mostly performed to allow the operator to manually clean the chamber directly while the chamber is open. Therefore, the cost of cleaning increases, and it is difficult to ensure the reproducibility and operation rate of the equipment.

[0005] (Related technical documents)

[0006] (Patent Document 1) KR10-2011-7011433A Summary of the Invention

[0007] Technical issues

[0008] The present disclosure provides a chamber cleaning method capable of efficiently cleaning a chamber in which byproducts are deposited after thin film deposition.

[0009] The present disclosure also provides a chamber cleaning method capable of efficiently removing byproducts deposited in a chamber of a substrate processing apparatus performing a metal organic chemical vapor deposition process, wherein the byproducts include metals.

[0010] Technical means

[0011] According to one embodiment, a method for cleaning a chamber for thin film deposition includes: performing primary cleaning of the chamber using a first gas plasma-formed in the chamber; and providing a second gas plasma-formed outside the chamber into the chamber to activate the plasma-formed first gas, thereby performing secondary cleaning of the chamber, wherein the second gas includes a gas that does not react with the first gas.

[0012] The primary clean of the chamber may be performed by generating a direct plasma within the chamber, and the secondary clean of the chamber may be performed by providing a remote plasma into the chamber.

[0013] The first gas may include a chlorine component, and the second gas may include at least one of nitrogen, argon, helium, and oxygen.

[0014] A gas injection unit for injecting the first gas may be installed in the chamber, and the main cleaning and the secondary cleaning of the chamber may be performed by controlling a temperature of the gas injection unit to be above 200 degrees Celsius.

[0015] The main cleaning of the chamber may include: separating a first component gas and a second component gas from each other in the chamber to provide separated first component gas and second component gas; plasma-forming the first component gas and the second component gas in the chamber to react to generate the plasma-formed first gas; and mainly removing a plurality of byproducts with the plasma-formed first gas in the chamber.

[0016] In generating the plasma-formed first gas, the first component gas may be plasma-formed outside the gas injection unit, and the second component gas may be plasma-formed inside the gas injection unit.

[0017] The plasma-formed first component gas and the second component gas may react with each other outside the gas injection unit.

[0018] After the secondary cleaning of the chamber, the chamber cleaning method may further include removing the chlorine component remaining in the chamber.

[0019] The film and the plurality of byproducts within the chamber may include metal oxides.

[0020] Beneficial effects

[0021] According to an embodiment of the method for cleaning a chamber, the chamber can be first cleaned using a first gas plasma-formed within the chamber. Then, a second gas plasma-formed outside the chamber can be supplied into the chamber to activate the first gas plasma-formed within the chamber, thereby performing a secondary cleaning of the chamber. Consequently, various byproducts remaining in the chamber can be removed step by step to maximize cleaning efficiency. In particular, metal-containing byproducts deposited in a chamber of a substrate processing apparatus performing metal organic vapor phase deposition can be efficiently cleaned.

[0022] Furthermore, the chamber cleaning method of the embodiment can remove byproducts within the chamber without excessively increasing the chamber temperature. Specifically, activation energy can be provided to the plasmatized first gas, which has been plasmatized by the second gas, to remove byproducts while maintaining the chamber interior at a relatively low temperature. Therefore, this method is particularly effective in substrate processing equipment used in packaging steps that require maintaining a low temperature.

[0023] Furthermore, the chamber cleaning method of this exemplary embodiment can perform in-situ cleaning without opening the chamber during a chemical vapor deposition process that requires frequent cleaning, thereby improving work efficiency and ensuring high reproducibility and operation rate of the device. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0024] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a substrate processing apparatus according to one embodiment;

[0025] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of a gas injection unit according to one embodiment;

[0026] Figure 3 yes Figure 2 An exploded view of the gas injection unit is shown;

[0027] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of a state of generating direct plasma according to one embodiment; and

[0028] Figure 5 FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a chamber cleaning method according to one embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0029] Several exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention should not be construed as limited to the exemplary embodiments described herein, but may be implemented in various forms. These embodiments are provided to make the present invention more clear and complete, and to fully convey the scope of the present invention to those skilled in the art. In the accompanying drawings, the dimensions of layers and regions may be exaggerated for clarity. Throughout the text, the same reference symbols represent the same elements.

[0030] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a substrate processing apparatus according to an embodiment. Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of a gas injection unit according to one embodiment, and Figure 3 yes Figure 2 An exploded view of the gas injection unit is shown.

[0031] refer to Figures 1 to 3 According to one embodiment, a substrate processing apparatus includes a chamber 10 and a gas injection unit 300 installed within the chamber 10 to define a gas supply passage through which gas is supplied. Furthermore, the substrate processing apparatus may further include a power supply unit (not shown) connected to the gas injection unit 300 to power the gas injection unit 300 and a plasma generating unit 400 installed outside the chamber 10. Furthermore, the substrate processing apparatus may further include a first gas supply unit (not shown) for supplying a first component gas, a second gas supply unit (not shown) for supplying a second component gas, and a control unit (not shown) for controlling the power supply unit. A substrate support unit 20 for supporting at least one substrate may be installed within the chamber 10.

[0032] In a substrate processing apparatus according to one embodiment, upon reaching a cleaning cycle for chamber 10, after completing the thin film deposition step, a cleaning step can be continuously performed without opening the vacuum state of chamber 10. A substrate S is placed in chamber 10 to deposit a thin film thereon, and then, when the thin film deposition step is completed, a cleaning step is continuously performed to clean the interior of chamber 10 after the thin film deposition step is completed. Upon completion of the cleaning step, another substrate S can be placed in chamber 10, and the thin film deposition step can be performed again. In this step, the cleaning step is performed within chamber 10 without changing the pressure conditions under which the thin film deposition step was performed to the pressure conditions under which chamber 10 was opened.

[0033] Here, the thin film deposition step may be a step of depositing zinc oxide doped with at least one of indium (In) and gallium (Ga) on the substrate S. For example, the aforementioned metal oxide may be IZO, GZO, or IGZO. In this case, the byproduct deposited in the chamber 10 may include zinc oxide doped with at least one of indium and gallium.

[0034] The first component gas supply unit and the second component gas supply unit can be installed outside the chamber to provide the first component gas and the second component gas to the gas injection unit 300. In the thin film deposition step, the first component gas and the second component gas can each contain a source gas of a component that forms the thin film. In the cleaning step, the first component gas and the second component gas can each contain a cleaning gas (i.e., a cleaning gas of a component of the first gas formed in the main cleaning step (S100) of the chamber 10), which will be described later. Here, the first gas supply unit and the second gas supply unit do not necessarily each provide one gas. For example, the first gas supply unit and the second gas supply unit can each provide multiple gases simultaneously or can each select one gas from the multiple gases to provide.

[0035] For example, the first gas supply unit can be used to selectively provide a first source gas or a first purge gas, and the second gas supply unit can be used to selectively provide a second source gas or a second purge gas. Furthermore, the first gas supply unit can simultaneously supply multiple first source gases or a first source gas selected from the multiple first source gases. This architecture can also be applied to the second gas supply unit.

[0036] Here, the first source gas may be an organic source containing a metal element. For example, the first source gas may be a gas containing at least one of the following: a gas containing indium (In) as a raw material, a gas containing gallium (Ga) as a raw material, and a gas containing zinc (Zn) as a raw material, and the second source gas may be a gas that reacts with the first source gas.

[0037] Furthermore, the first cleaning gas may include a gas containing chlorine (Cl), and the second cleaning gas may include a component different from the gas containing chlorine or the first cleaning gas, and include a gas containing a component that reacts with the chlorine component of the first cleaning gas. Here, the first gas that reacts with the first and second cleaning gases may include chlorine, hydrogen chloride, or boron chloride.

[0038] The first source gas, the second source gas, the first cleaning gas, and the second cleaning gas are not limited to the above, and various types of gases can be used according to needs.

[0039] The gas injection unit 300 may include a first gas supply channel 110 and a second gas supply channel 210, wherein the first gas supply channel 110 and the second gas supply channel 210 are installed in the chamber 10, for example, on a bottom surface of the chamber lid 12, to respectively supply the first gas and the second gas. The first gas supply channel 110 and the second gas supply channel 210 may be independently configured and separated from each other, for example, to separate the interior of the chamber 10 so that the first gas and the second gas do not mix with each other.

[0040] The gas injection unit 300 may include an upper frame 310 and a lower frame 320. The upper frame 310 is detachably coupled to the bottom surface of the chamber lid 12, and a portion of the top surface of the upper frame 310 (e.g., the middle portion of the top surface of the upper frame 310) is spaced a predetermined distance from the bottom surface of the chamber lid 12. Therefore, the first gas supplied by the first gas supply unit can be diffused into the space between the top surface of the upper frame 310 and the bottom surface of the chamber lid 12. Furthermore, the lower frame 320 is mounted so as to be spaced a predetermined distance from the bottom surface of the upper frame 310. Therefore, the second gas supplied by the second gas supply unit can be diffused into the space between the top surface of the lower frame 320 and the bottom surface of the upper frame 310. The upper frame 310 and the lower frame 320 may be connected to each other along a peripheral surface to define a space therebetween and be integrated with each other. The peripheral surfaces may be sealed by a separate sealing member 350.

[0041] In the first gas supply passage 110, the first gas supplied by the first gas supply unit may be diffused into the space between the bottom surface of the chamber lid 12 and the upper frame 310, passed through the upper frame 310 and the lower frame 320, and then supplied into the chamber 10. Furthermore, in the second gas supply passage 210, the second gas supplied by the second gas supply unit may be diffused into the space between the bottom surface of the upper frame 310 and the top surface of the lower frame 320, passed through the lower frame 320, and then supplied into the chamber 10. The first gas supply passage 110 and the second gas supply passage 210 may not be connected to each other. Therefore, the first gas and the second gas may be separately supplied into the chamber 10 from the gas injection unit 300.

[0042] The temperature control unit 312 may be installed in at least one of the upper frame 310 or the lower frame 320. Figure 1 The temperature control unit 312 is installed in the upper frame 310 , however, the temperature control unit 312 may be installed in the lower frame 320 or in each of the upper frame 310 and the lower frame 320 .

[0043] Here, the temperature control unit 312 may include a heating unit to directly heat the gas injection unit 300. In this case, the heating unit may be a heating unit including a resistance heating wire or a heating unit using other heating methods. In addition, the heating unit may be implemented as a heating wire.

[0044] Furthermore, the heating units may be installed in at least one of the upper frame 310 and the lower frame 320 and may be installed separately to heat multiple areas. Here, the multiple heating units installed in multiple sections can heat each area of at least one of the upper frame 310 and the lower frame 320. For example, the multiple heating units may be installed in two, three, or four areas of at least one of the upper frame 310 and the lower frame 320, respectively. More heating units may be installed near the chamber wall to increase the temperature of the chamber wall, which is lower than the temperature at the center of the chamber 10.

[0045] As described above, the heating unit may be installed at each of the upper frame 310 and the lower frame 320. Here, the heating unit installed at the upper frame 310 may be referred to as a first heating unit, and the heating unit installed at the lower frame 320 may be referred to as a second heating unit.

[0046] The temperature control unit 312 may include a cooling unit to directly cool the gas injection unit 300. The cooling unit may be provided as a cooling pipe for circulating a coolant. Like the heating unit, the cooling unit may be installed in at least one of the upper frame 310 and the lower frame 320 and may be installed separately to cool multiple areas.

[0047] RF power can be supplied from a power supply unit to at least one of the upper frame 310 and the lower frame 320. The upper frame 310 and the lower frame 320 can be provided as electrodes facing each other. Here, the upper frame 310 can be a first electrode, and the lower frame 320 can be a second electrode 320 opposite the first electrode 310. In addition, the second electrode can have multiple penetrations. A plurality of protrusions 342 extending and protruding toward the plurality of penetrations of the second electrode 320 can be provided on the first electrode 310.

[0048] Figure 4 Although the first electrode 310 and the substrate support unit 20 are grounded and power is applied to the second electrode 320 , the power application structure is not limited thereto.

[0049] like Figure 4 As shown, the first component gas may be supplied into the chamber along a solid arrow, and the second component gas may be supplied into the chamber 10 along a dotted arrow. The first component gas may be supplied into the chamber 10 through the first electrode 310, and the second component gas may be supplied into the chamber 10 through the space between the first electrode 310 and the second electrode 320. The first component gas may be supplied into the chamber 10 through the plurality of protrusions 342 of the first electrode 310.

[0050] When the first electrode 310 and the substrate support unit 20 are grounded and power is applied to the second electrode 320, a region where a first direct plasma is generated (i.e., a first direct plasma region DP1) may be defined between the gas injection unit 300 and the substrate support unit 20, and a region where a second direct plasma is generated (i.e., a second direct plasma region DP2) may be defined between the first electrode 310 and the second electrode 320.

[0051] Therefore, when the first component gas is supplied through the first electrode 310, the first component gas can be plasmatized in the first direct plasma region DP1 (defined outside the gas injection unit 300). In addition, when the second component gas is supplied through the space between the first electrode 310 and the second electrode 320, the second component gas can be plasmatized in the space between the first electrode 310 and the second electrode 320, and the space corresponds to the interior of the gas injection unit 300, that is, on the region from the second direct plasma region DP2 to the first direct plasma region DP1. Therefore, in a substrate processing apparatus according to one embodiment, the first component gas and the second component gas can be plasmatized in plasma regions having different volumes. In addition, since the first component gas and the second component gas are plasmatized in plasma regions having different volumes, these component gases can be distributed to the optimal supply channel to deposit a thin film or clean the chamber 10. Although Figure 1 and 4 The substrate S is seated on the substrate supporting unit 20 , however, this may be performed when a thin film is deposited on the substrate S. When the chamber 10 is cleaned, the substrate S may be taken out and may not be placed on the substrate supporting unit 20 .

[0052] According to one embodiment, the substrate processing apparatus may further include a remote plasma generating unit 400 installed outside the chamber 10. The remote plasma generating unit 400 may be installed outside the chamber 10 and connected to the chamber 10 via a remote plasma inlet pipe 410. A region where remote plasma is generated (i.e., a remote plasma region RP) may be defined within the remote plasma generating unit 400. Here, one end of the remote plasma inlet pipe 410 may be in communication with the remote plasma region RP, while the other end of the remote plasma inlet pipe 410 may be in communication with the interior space of the chamber 10. Here, the other end of the remote plasma inlet pipe 410 may extend to be inserted into the interior space of the chamber 10. The other end of the remote plasma inlet pipe 410 (the end inserted into the interior space of the chamber 10) may be installed to reciprocate along the extension direction of the chamber 10. Although the remote plasma generating unit 400 is installed to partition the chamber 10 in the transverse direction, the remote plasma generating unit 400 may also be installed to partition the chamber 10 in the longitudinal direction, or in both the transverse and longitudinal directions.

[0053] The following chamber cleaning method according to one embodiment will refer to Figure 5In the description of the chamber cleaning method according to one embodiment, repeated descriptions of the above-mentioned substrate processing apparatus will be omitted.

[0054] Figure 5 FIG is a schematic diagram of a chamber cleaning method according to an embodiment. Figure 5 A chamber cleaning method according to one embodiment is a method for cleaning a chamber for depositing a thin film as described above, the method including a step (S100) of primarily cleaning the chamber 10 by supplying a first gas plasma-formed within the chamber 10 and a step (S200) of supplying a second gas plasma-formed outside the chamber 10 into the chamber 10 to secondarily clean the chamber 10. Here, the second gas may include a gas that is relatively unreactive with the first gas.

[0055] For ease of explanation, in the following, although the gas injection unit 300 has a structure including the upper frame 310 and the lower frame 320 as described above, the gas injection unit 300 can be a gas injection tray, a gas shower head, a gas injection tray having an electrode for forming plasma, or the cover itself.

[0056] The step of depositing a thin film on the substrate S may be performed after the step ( S100 ) of primarily cleaning the chamber 10 . In the step of depositing the thin film on the substrate S, a thin film comprising a metal oxide may be deposited on the substrate S. Specifically, in the step of depositing the thin film on the substrate S, zinc oxide doped with at least one of indium (In) and gallium (Ga) (e.g., IZO, GZO, and IGZO) may be deposited on the substrate S. Therefore, in the chamber 10, metal oxides such as zinc oxide doped with at least one of indium (In) and gallium (Ga) may be deposited as byproducts.

[0057] After depositing a thin film on the substrate S, and before primarily cleaning the chamber 10 (S100), the step of controlling the temperature of the gas injection unit 300 to a set temperature may be performed. In this step, the temperature of the gas injection unit 300 may be controlled to approximately 200 degrees Celsius or higher. That is, after depositing a thin film on the substrate S, the step of primarily cleaning the chamber 10 (S100) may be performed in a continuous in-situ manner without opening the chamber 10 and maintaining a vacuum state. The step of controlling the temperature of the gas injection unit 300 to a set temperature may be performed between the step of depositing the thin film and the step of primarily cleaning the chamber 10 (S100). This is because the cleaning efficiency of the gas injection unit 300 is maximized when the temperature is high. As described above, due to the increased temperature of the gas injection unit 300, the byproducts and the first gas within the chamber 10 can react more actively with each other.

[0058] Here, the step of controlling the temperature of the gas injection unit 300 to a set temperature may include the step of directly heating the gas injection unit 300. That is, as described above, a heating unit may be installed on at least one of the upper frame 310 and the lower frame 320 of the gas injection unit 300. In the step of controlling the temperature of the gas injection unit 300 to a set temperature, at least one of the upper frame 310 and the lower frame 320 may be directly heated by the heating unit to control the temperature of the gas injection unit 300 to approximately 200 degrees Celsius or higher. Here, when the heating unit directly heats the gas injection unit 300 together with the heating of the substrate support unit 20, the temperature of the gas injection unit 300 can be quickly controlled to the set temperature.

[0059] In the step ( S100 ) of mainly cleaning the chamber 10 , a component of the metal oxide deposited as a by-product in the chamber, which reacts at a relatively low temperature, may react with the first gas to mainly clean the chamber 10 .

[0060] Here, the step (S100) of mainly cleaning the chamber 10 may be performed by directly generating plasma in the chamber 10. In addition, the step (S100) of mainly cleaning the chamber 10 may include the steps of separating the first component gas and the second component gas from each other in the chamber 10 to provide separated first and second component gases, plasma-forming the first component gas and the second component gas in the chamber 10 to react and thereby generate a plasma-formed first gas, and mainly removing a plurality of byproducts by the plasma-formed first gas in the chamber 10.

[0061] In the step (S100) of primarily cleaning the chamber 10, in order to clean the chamber 10 where byproducts including metal oxides are deposited, the first component gas and the second component gas may be plasmatized in different regions to react and thereby generate a plasmatized first gas, thereby removing the byproducts within the chamber 10. That is, according to the chamber cleaning method of one embodiment, since the first component gas and the second component gas are plasmatized in different regions, the chamber 10 where byproducts including metal oxides are deposited can be cleaned in a dry manner.

[0062] In the step of separating the first component gas and the second component gas from each other and supplying the first component gas and the second component gas into the chamber, the first component gas supplied by the first gas supply unit and the second component gas supplied by the second gas supply unit may be supplied into the chamber 10 through the gas injection unit 300. That is, the first component gas and the second component gas may be supplied into the chamber 10 along the first gas supply passage 110 and the second gas supply passage 210, which are different passages within the gas injection unit 300.

[0063] The first component gas and the second component gas may react with each other in the interior space of the chamber 10 to produce a reaction gas. At least one of the first component gas and the second component gas may be a gas containing chlorine (Cl). Here, the gas containing chlorine (Cl) may be chlorine, hydrogen chloride, or boron chloride. Furthermore, the first component gas or the second component gas may further contain at least one of an inert gas such as argon (Ar), xenon (Ze), and helium (He) in addition to the chlorine-containing gas. In this case, the inert gas may serve as a carrier gas or prevent the first or second component gas from flowing back. When power is applied, the discharge efficiency of generating direct plasma may be improved.

[0064] The first component gas and the second component gas may be separately supplied into the chamber 10 along the partitioned passages within the gas injection unit 300. Specifically, the first component gas may be supplied into the chamber 10 along the first gas supply passage 110 formed within the gas injection unit 300, and the second component gas may be supplied into the chamber 10 along the second gas supply passage 210 formed within the gas injection unit 300 and not connected to the first gas supply passage 110. As described above, the first component gas and the second component gas may be separately supplied into the chamber 10 along the partitioned passages within the gas injection unit 300 to prevent the first component gas and the second component gas from reacting with each other within the gas injection unit 300, thereby preventing damage to the gas injection unit 300 and efficiently cleaning the interior of the chamber 10.

[0065] In the step of generating the plasma-formed first gas, the first component gas and the second component gas may be plasma-formed in a direct plasma region formed in the chamber 10, and the first and second component gases plasma-formed in the direct plasma region may react with each other in the reaction space in the chamber 10 to generate the plasma-formed first gas.

[0066] Here, as reference Figure 4 As described above, in the step of generating the plasma-formed first gas, when the first component gas is supplied through the first electrode 310, the first component gas is plasmatized in the first direct plasma region DP1. Furthermore, when the second component gas is supplied through the space between the first electrode 310 and the second electrode 320, the second component gas is plasmatized in the second direct plasma region DP2 and then plasmatized on the first direct plasma region DP1. Therefore, in the step of generating the plasma-formed first gas, the first component gas and the second component gas can be plasmatized in plasma regions having different volumes. When the first component gas and the second component gas are plasmatized in plasma regions having different volumes, the region where the direct plasma is generated can be extended to the region between the first electrode 310 and the second electrode 320 to improve the plasma density within the chamber 10 and also distribute the first component gas and the second component gas to a preferred supply channel to generate the plasma-formed first gas.

[0067] Furthermore, the plasma-generated first and second component gases can be supplied into chamber 10 through separate channels and partially utilized as cleaning gases for directly cleaning chamber 10. For example, when a chlorine (Cl)-containing gas is used as the first component gas and a hydrogen (H)-containing gas is used as the second component gas, hydrogen chloride (HCl) gas, which is the result of the reaction between the first and second component gases, can be used as the cleaning gas. In this case, since the plasma-generated chlorine-containing gas and the plasma-generated hydrogen-containing gas have high co-reactivity, a first gas, such as hydrogen chloride, can be generated to etch byproducts within chamber 10. The generated hydrogen chloride gas can be used to effectively remove byproducts including organic metal oxides, such as zinc oxide, deposited within chamber 10.

[0068] In the step of removing byproducts between chambers using the plasma-enhanced first gas, the plasma-enhanced first gas can physically and chemically react with the byproducts within chamber 10 to etch and remove the byproducts. For example, the chlorine (Cl) component included in the first gas can physically and chemically react with the byproducts deposited within chamber 10 to efficiently etch byproducts including metal oxides, such as zinc oxide generated during metal organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD), thereby primarily removing the byproducts.

[0069] The step (S200) of secondarily cleaning the chamber 10 can be performed by supplying remote plasma into the chamber 10. In the step (S200) of secondarily cleaning the chamber 10, the second gas supplied into the chamber 10 can activate the first gas plasma-formed in the chamber 10 in the step (S100) of primarily cleaning the chamber 10. Then, the first gas plasma-formed by the second gas and the components of the metal oxide deposited as a byproduct in the chamber 10 (reacting at a relatively high temperature) can react with each other, thereby secondarily cleaning the chamber 10.

[0070] More specifically, during the step (S100) of primarily cleaning chamber 10, the first gas can be plasmatized using direct plasma to primarily remove byproducts deposited within chamber 10 and containing components that react at relatively low temperatures. However, as described above, these byproducts may include metal oxides and components within the metal oxides that react at relatively high temperatures, and thus may not be removed by the first gas as described above. Therefore, during the step (S100) of primarily cleaning chamber 10, when a second gas plasmatized outside chamber 10 is supplied into chamber 10, the first gas can be activated by the supplied plasmatized second gas. In other words, the second gas can be plasmatized using high-temperature remote plasma and then supplied into chamber 10. As described above, the second gas, which is plasma-formed outside of chamber 10 and then supplied into chamber 10, can provide activation energy (e.g., light energy, thermal energy, kinetic energy, etc.) to the first gas, which is plasma-formed within chamber 10. The first gas can be excited by the activation energy provided by the second gas within chamber 10 and the direct plasma, and activated to a higher energy state. Here, the second gas may include a gas that is non-reactive with the first gas. As described above, the second gas may include at least one of nitrogen (N2), argon (Ar), helium (He), and oxygen (O2), which does not react with chlorine (Cl) contained in the first gas. Here, non-reactive with the first gas does not mean that the gas will not react completely with the first gas, but rather that even if only a portion of the gas reacts, the amount of the reacting gas is extremely small, so little reaction occurs. Therefore, in the step (S100) of mainly cleaning chamber 10, byproducts can be removed primarily by the plasma-formed first gas, which is generated within chamber 10 by the direct plasma. After the primary removal of byproducts, since most high-density byproducts are removed by chlorination, byproducts containing components that react at higher temperatures can be removed by the plasma of the additionally activated first gas. Here, the step (S100) of primary cleaning chamber 10 and the step (S200) of secondary cleaning chamber 10 can be performed while the temperature of gas injection unit 300 is maintained at a set temperature of, for example, approximately 200 degrees Celsius or higher. As described above, the first gas can receive activation energy by heating gas injection unit 300.

[0071] The chamber cleaning method according to one embodiment may further include, after performing the secondary cleaning of the chamber 10 ( S200 ), a step of removing chlorine (Cl) components remaining in the chamber 10. As described above, the step of removing chlorine (Cl) components remaining in the chamber 10 may be performed by supplying a third gas, such as a hydrogen (H 2 ) gas, that reacts with the chlorine (Cl) components into the chamber 10. Alternatively, the third gas may be plasma-formed outside the chamber 10 and then supplied into the chamber 10. As described above, hydrogen (H) radicals generated by the hydrogen plasma process may react with the chlorine (Cl) components, thereby removing any chlorine (Cl) components remaining in the chamber 10.

[0072] As described above, hydrogen (H) radicals generated by the hydrogen plasma treatment can react with chlorine (Cl) components, and thus, the residue of chlorine (Cl) components remaining in the chamber 10 can be removed. In addition, after the hydrogen plasma treatment, the residue of hydrogen (H) components may remain in the chamber 10. Therefore, a fourth gas, such as an oxygen (O2) gas, can be supplied into the chamber 10 to remove the residue of hydrogen (H) components. Here, the fourth gas can be plasma-formed outside the chamber 10 and then supplied into the chamber 10. As described above, oxygen (O2) radicals generated by the oxygen plasma treatment can react with hydrogen (H) components, and thus, the residue of hydrogen (H) components remaining in the chamber 10 can be removed.

[0073] According to an embodiment of the method for cleaning a chamber, the chamber can be first cleaned using a first gas plasma-formed within the chamber. Then, a second gas plasma-formed outside the chamber can be supplied into the chamber to activate the first gas plasma-formed within the chamber, thereby performing a secondary cleaning of the chamber. Consequently, various byproducts remaining in the chamber can be removed step by step to maximize cleaning efficiency. In particular, metal-containing byproducts deposited in a chamber of a substrate processing apparatus performing metal organic vapor phase deposition can be efficiently cleaned.

[0074] Furthermore, the chamber cleaning method of the embodiment can remove byproducts within the chamber without excessively increasing the chamber temperature. Specifically, activation energy can be provided to the plasmatized first gas, which has been plasmatized by the second gas, to remove byproducts while maintaining the chamber interior at a relatively low temperature. Therefore, this method is particularly effective in substrate processing equipment used in packaging steps that require maintaining a low temperature.

[0075] Furthermore, the chamber cleaning method of this exemplary embodiment can perform in-situ cleaning without opening the chamber during a chemical vapor deposition process that requires frequent cleaning, thereby improving work efficiency and ensuring high reproducibility and operation rate of the device.

[0076] Although specific terms are used to describe and illustrate specific embodiments, these terms are merely examples used to clearly explain the exemplary embodiments. Therefore, it is obvious to those skilled in the art that the exemplary embodiments and technical terms can be implemented and modified in other specific forms without changing the technical concept or essential features. Therefore, it should be understood that simple modifications based on the exemplary embodiments of the present invention can fall within the technical spirit of the present invention.

Claims

1. A chamber cleaning method, wherein a thin film is deposited in the chamber, the method comprising: performing a main purge of the chamber with a first gas plasmatized in the chamber; and supplying a second gas plasmatized outside the chamber into the chamber to activate the plasmatized first gas to a higher energy state, thereby performing secondary cleaning of the chamber using the activated first gas, in, The second gas includes a gas that does not react with the first gas, and the second gas includes oxygen.

2. The chamber cleaning method according to claim 1, wherein: The primary cleaning of the chamber is performed by generating a plasma directly within the chamber, and The secondary clean of the chamber is performed by providing remote plasma into the chamber.

3. The chamber cleaning method according to claim 1, wherein: The first gas contains a chlorine component.

4. The chamber cleaning method according to claim 1, wherein: A gas injection unit for injecting the first gas is installed in the chamber, and The main cleaning and the secondary cleaning of the chamber are performed by controlling a temperature of the gas injection unit to be above 200 degrees Celsius.

5. The chamber cleaning method according to claim 4, wherein: The main cleaning of the chamber comprises: separating a first component gas and a second component gas from each other in the chamber to provide separated first component gas and second component gas; Plasma-forming the first component gas and the second component gas in the chamber to react with each other, thereby generating the plasma-formed first gas; and A plurality of byproducts are primarily removed by the plasmatized first gas within the chamber.

6. The chamber cleaning method according to claim 5, wherein: In the generation of the first plasma-formed gas, the first component gas is plasma-formed outside the gas injection unit, and the second component gas is plasma-formed inside the gas injection unit.

7. The chamber cleaning method according to claim 6, wherein: The plasma-formed first component gas and the second component gas react with each other outside the gas injection unit. 8 . The chamber cleaning method of claim 3 , further comprising removing the chlorine component remaining in the chamber after the secondary cleaning of the chamber.

9. The chamber cleaning method according to claim 1, wherein: The film and a plurality of byproducts within the chamber include metal oxides.

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