Treatment for high-temperature cleaning

Abstract

Exemplary methods for processing a chamber may include delivering a cleaning precursor to a remote plasma unit. The method may include forming a plasma that forms the cleaning precursor. The method may include delivering a plasma effluent of the cleaning precursor to a processing region of a semiconductor processing chamber. The processing region may be defined by one or more chamber components. One or more chamber components may include an oxide coating. The method may include stopping the delivery of the plasma effluent. The method may include, after stopping the delivery of the plasma effluent, treating the oxide coating with a hydrogen-containing material delivered to the processing region.

Description

[0001] Cross-references to related applications

[0002] This application claims the benefit and priority of U.S. Patent Application No. 17 / 330,061, filed May 25, 2021, entitled “TREATMENT FOR HIGH-TEMPERATURE CLEANS”, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0003] This technology relates to semiconductor cleaning processes. More specifically, this technology relates to methods for treating chamber surfaces and coatings during cleaning operations. Background Technology

[0004] Integrated circuits are made possible by processes that create complex patterned material layers on a substrate surface. Creating patterned material on a substrate requires controlled methods for forming and removing exposed material. After a deposition process is performed within a cavity, the cavity component may contain residual material from the deposition process. Chamber cleaning operations can remove these residues from the cavity, but the process may erode the cavity component over time.

[0005] Therefore, there is a need for improved systems and methods to produce high-quality devices and structures. This technology addresses these and other needs. Summary of the Invention

[0006] Exemplary methods for processing a chamber may include delivering a cleaning precursor to a remote plasma unit. The method may include forming a plasma that forms the cleaning precursor. The method may include delivering a plasma effluent of the cleaning precursor to a processing region of a semiconductor processing chamber. The processing region may be defined by one or more chamber components. One or more chamber components may include an oxide coating. The method may include stopping the delivery of the plasma effluent. The method may include, after stopping the delivery of the plasma effluent, treating the oxide coating with a hydrogen-containing material delivered to the processing region.

[0007] In some embodiments, the cleaning precursor may include an oxygen-containing precursor. One or more chamber components may include carbon-containing residues. Methods may include using plasma effluent from the cleaning precursor to remove carbon-containing residues. During the method of treating the chamber, the temperature of the semiconductor processing chamber may be maintained at or above 400°C. Treating an oxide coating with a hydrogen-containing material may include influencing a processing region with a hydrogen-containing gas. Methods may include contacting the oxide coating with the hydrogen-containing gas. Treating an oxide coating with a hydrogen-containing material may include forming a plasma effluent from a hydrogen-containing precursor. Methods may include influencing a processing region with a plasma effluent from a hydrogen-containing precursor. Methods may include contacting the oxide coating with the plasma effluent from a hydrogen-containing precursor. Methods may include forming an oxide coating on one or more chamber components. Forming an oxide coating may include influencing a silicon-containing precursor and an oxygen-containing precursor into the processing region at a silicon-to-oxygen precursor flow rate ratio between about 0.008 and about 0.03. Forming an oxide coating may include forming a plasma of silicon-containing and oxygen-containing precursors with a plasma power of less than or about 500 W. The method may include depositing silicon oxide material on one or more chamber components.

[0008] Some embodiments of this technology may cover methods for processing a chamber. The method may include delivering an oxygen-containing precursor to a remote plasma unit. The method may include forming a plasma containing the oxygen-containing precursor. The method may include delivering a plasma effluent of the oxygen-containing precursor to a processing region of a semiconductor processing chamber. The processing region may be defined by one or more chamber components. The one or more chamber components may include an oxide coating and a carbon material. The method may include stopping the delivery of the plasma effluent. The method may include, after stopping the delivery of the plasma effluent, treating the oxide coating with a hydrogen-containing material delivered to the processing region.

[0009] In some embodiments, the oxide coating may be or include silicon oxide. Methods may include using plasma effluent containing an oxygen-containing precursor to remove carbon material. The carbon material may include carbon residue deposited from the carbon-containing material. Treating the oxide coating with a hydrogen-containing material may include infusing a hydrogen-containing gas into a processing region. Methods may include contacting the oxide coating with the hydrogen-containing gas. During methods in a processing chamber, the temperature of the semiconductor processing chamber may be maintained at or above 400°C. Treating the oxide coating with a hydrogen-containing material may include forming a plasma effluent containing a hydrogen-containing precursor. Methods may include infusing a plasma effluent containing a hydrogen-containing precursor into a processing region. Methods may include contacting the oxide coating with the plasma effluent containing the hydrogen-containing precursor. Methods may include forming an oxide coating on one or more chamber components.

[0010] Some embodiments of this technology may cover methods for processing a chamber. Methods may include delivering an oxygen-containing precursor to a remote plasma unit. Methods may include forming a plasma containing the oxygen-containing precursor. Methods may include delivering a plasma effluent of the oxygen-containing precursor to a processing region of a semiconductor processing chamber. The processing region may be defined by one or more chamber components. The one or more chamber components may include a silicon oxide coating overlying the one or more chamber components and carbon material on a region of the silicon oxide coating. Methods may include using the plasma effluent of the oxygen-containing precursor to remove the carbon material. Methods may include stopping the delivery of the plasma effluent. Methods may include, after stopping the delivery of the plasma effluent, treating the silicon oxide coating with a hydrogen-containing material delivered to the processing region.

[0011] In some embodiments, treating a silicon oxide coating with a hydrogen-containing material may include influencing a hydrogen-containing gas into a treatment area. The method may include contacting the silicon oxide coating with the hydrogen-containing gas. Treating a silicon oxide coating with a hydrogen-containing material may include forming a plasma effluent containing a hydrogen-containing precursor. The method may include influencing the plasma effluent containing the hydrogen-containing precursor into the treatment area. The method may include contacting the silicon oxide coating with the plasma effluent containing the hydrogen-containing precursor.

[0012] Such technology offers numerous advantages over conventional systems and techniques. For example, the process can produce chamber coatings capable of holding for hundreds of wafer cycles or more. Furthermore, embodiments of this technology can overcome the reduction in removal rates over time while protecting chamber components from erosion. Many of these and other embodiments, along with their advantages and features, are described in more detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Attached Figure Description

[0013] A further understanding of the nature and advantages of the present disclosure can be achieved by referring to the remainder of the specification and the accompanying drawings.

[0014] Figure 1 A schematic cross-sectional view of an exemplary processing chamber according to some embodiments of the present technology is shown.

[0015] Figure 2 Exemplary operations in a deposition method according to some embodiments of the present technology are shown.

[0016] Several figures in the accompanying drawings are included as schematic diagrams. It should be understood that the drawings are for illustrative purposes and are not considered to be to scale unless specifically stated otherwise. Furthermore, the drawings are provided as schematic diagrams to aid understanding, and may not include all aspects or information compared to a realistic representation, and may include exaggerated material for illustrative purposes.

[0017] In the accompanying drawings, similar parts and / or features may have the same reference numerals. Furthermore, different parts of the same type may be distinguished by adding a letter after the reference numeral to differentiate them. If only the first reference numeral is used in the description, the description applies to any of the similar parts having the same first reference numeral, regardless of the letter. Detailed Implementation

[0018] Deposition operations in semiconductor processing can be included to form any amount of material on a substrate. For example, material can be deposited on the substrate to create a semiconductor structure and to facilitate patterning or removal of material on the substrate. As a non-limiting example, a hard mold can be deposited on the substrate to facilitate removal or patterning of material on the substrate. Hard mold deposition can be performed in any number of ways, including by thermally activated deposition and plasma-enhanced deposition. Regardless of the mechanism, many deposition operations deposit material not only on the substrate being processed but also on chamber components. For example, in the processing region, deposition may occur on the substrate and a base or support on which the substrate is disposed, on a panel or diffuser that can dispense material into the processing region, on the chamber walls defining the processing region, and on components defining an emission path for subsequent deposition of material and byproducts.

[0019] Once the deposition process is complete, the substrate can be removed from the processing area, and a cleaning process can be performed. Chamber cleaning can generate plasmas of one or more precursors that can etch or otherwise remove residual material formed on the chamber components, essentially resetting the chamber before subsequent processing operations. This helps maintain wafer-to-wafer consistency. However, these chamber cleaning operations can present several challenges. For example, in-situ plasmas, such as those generated by induction or via capacitive coupling, can be easily controlled to ensure more thorough cleaning and to ensure that cleaning materials can reach the different structural geometries of the processing area. However, in-situ cleaning can increase the bombardment of the chamber surface, which may erode the chamber components over time.

[0020] Remotely generated plasma cleaning reduces bombardment but can introduce new challenges. For example, radical-based cleaning can be sensitive to many factors that may cause etchant materials to recombine and reduce etching, or prevent them from reaching deposited material around the chamber. To address these issues, many processes using remote plasma cleaning employ halogenated materials to perform the cleaning operation. For instance, chlorine or fluorine precursors can be used to generate radicals that can then more easily or aggressively remove material from the processing chamber. However, most halogen cleaning is performed at lower chamber temperatures to protect the chamber equipment, and as the processing temperature increases, halogenated cleaning materials may etch material more aggressively within the chamber, potentially forming byproducts that can affect chamber performance. As an example, fluorinated etchants may interact with aluminum cleaning components to produce aluminum fluoride, which can form flakes that deposit on the substrate, creating defects. Some conventional techniques may attempt to overcome this problem by forming a chamber coating prior to the deposition operation, allowing cleaning effluents to interact with the coating and protecting the surface from excessive damage. This may be sufficient at lower operating temperatures, but at higher operating temperatures, halogen materials may be sufficiently activated to remove the chamber coating (such as silicon oxide) and any residue deposited on it. This may require seasoning before each deposition sequence, and the removal of the coating may still lead to damage to the chamber components over time.

[0021] This technology overcomes these limitations by generating an aging or coating that can be maintained during subsequent removal operations performed to remove deposited byproducts. This technology may also cover processes to restore coatings or aging that would otherwise lead to reduced removal over time during chamber cleaning operations. After describing general aspects of a chamber in which the plasma processing operations discussed below can be performed, according to embodiments of this technology, specific methods and component configurations may be discussed. It should be understood that this technology is not intended to be limited to the specific chambers or processes discussed, as the described techniques can be used to improve many processes and are applicable to a wide variety of processing chambers and operations. For example, although an exemplary top-fed RF chamber will be described below, this technology similarly covers bottom-fed RF path configurations.

[0022] Figure 1A cross-sectional view of an exemplary processing chamber 100 according to some embodiments of the present technology is shown. The figure may illustrate an overview of a system incorporating one or more aspects of the present technology and / or specifically configured to perform one or more operations according to embodiments of the present technology. Additional details of the chamber 100 or the methods performed may be further described below. According to some embodiments of the present technology, the chamber 100 may be used to form a film layer, but it should be understood that the methods may be similarly performed in any chamber in which film formation may occur. The processing chamber 100 may include a chamber body 102, a substrate support 104 disposed within the chamber body 102, and a cover assembly 106 coupled to the chamber body 102 and surrounding the substrate support 104 in a processing volume 120. A substrate 103 may be provided to the processing volume 120 through an opening 126, which may be conventionally sealed for processing using a slit valve or door. During processing, the substrate 103 may be positioned on a surface 105 of the substrate support. As indicated by arrow 145, the substrate support 104 can be rotated along axis 147, and the axis 144 of the substrate support 104 can be located on axis 147. Alternatively, the substrate support 104 can be lifted to rotate as needed during the deposition process.

[0023] A plasma profile modulator 111 may be disposed in the processing chamber 100 to control the plasma distribution across the substrate 103 disposed on the substrate support 104. The plasma profile modulator 111 may include a first electrode 108, which may be disposed adjacent to the chamber body 102 and may separate the chamber body 102 from other components of the cover assembly 106. The first electrode 108 may be part of the cover assembly 106 or may be a separate sidewall electrode. The first electrode 108 may be annular or ring-shaped member and may be a ring electrode. The first electrode 108 may be a continuous loop around the circumference of the processing chamber 100 of the processing volume 120, or may be discontinuous at selected locations if desired. The first electrode 108 may also be a perforated electrode, such as a perforated ring or mesh electrode, or may be a plate electrode, such as, for example, a secondary gas distributor.

[0024] One or more isolators 110a, 110b may be dielectric materials, such as ceramics or metal oxides, such as alumina and / or aluminum nitride. One or more isolators 110a, 110b may contact the first electrode 108 and electrically and thermally decouple the first electrode 108 from the gas distributor 112 and the chamber body 102. The gas distributor 112 may define an orifice 118 for dispensing the processing precursor into the processing volume 120. The gas distributor 112 may be coupled to a first power source 142, such as an RF generator, RF power supply, DC power supply, pulsed DC power supply, pulsed RF power supply, or any other power source that may be coupled to the processing chamber. In some embodiments, the first power source 142 may be an RF power supply.

[0025] The gas distributor 112 can be a conductive gas distributor or a non-conductive gas distributor. The gas distributor 112 can also be formed from conductive and non-conductive components. For example, the body of the gas distributor 112 can be conductive, while the panel of the gas distributor 112 can be non-conductive. The gas distributor 112 can be made of, for example,... Figure 1 The gas distributor 112 is powered by the first power source 142 shown, or in some embodiments, the gas distributor 112 may be coupled to ground.

[0026] A first electrode 108 may be coupled to a first tuning circuit 128, which controls the grounding path of the processing chamber 100. The first tuning circuit 128 may include a first electronic sensor 130 and a first electronic controller 134. The first electronic controller 134 may be or include a variable capacitor or other circuit elements. The first tuning circuit 128 may be or include one or more inductors 132. The first tuning circuit 128 may be any circuit that implements variable or controllable impedance under plasma conditions present in the processing volume 120 during processing. In some of the illustrated embodiments, the first tuning circuit 128 may include a first circuit branch and a second circuit branch coupled in parallel between ground and the first electronic sensor 130. The first circuit branch may include a first inductor 132A. The second circuit branch may include a second inductor 132B coupled in series with the first electronic controller 134. The second inductor 132B may be disposed between the first electronic controller 134 and a node connecting both the first and second circuit branches to the first electronic sensor 130. The first electronic sensor 130 may be a voltage or current sensor and may be coupled to the first electronic controller 134, which may provide a certain degree of closed-loop control over the plasma conditions inside the processing volume 120.

[0027] The second electrode 122 may be coupled to the substrate support 104. The second electrode 122 may be embedded within the substrate support 104 or coupled to the surface of the substrate support 104. The second electrode 122 may be a plate, perforated plate, mesh, wire mesh, or any other distributed arrangement of conductive elements. The second electrode 122 may be a tuning electrode and may be coupled to a second tuning circuit 136 via, for example, a conduit 146 disposed in a shaft 144 of the substrate support 104, the conduit 146 being, for example, a cable having a selected resistance such as 50 ohms. The second tuning circuit 136 may have a second electronic sensor 138 and a second electronic controller 140, the second electronic controller 140 being a second variable capacitor. The second electronic sensor 138 may be a voltage or current sensor and may be coupled to the second electronic controller 140 to provide further control over the plasma conditions in the processing volume 120.

[0028] The third electrode 124 may be a bias electrode and / or an electrostatic adsorption electrode, and may be coupled to the substrate support 104. The third electrode may be coupled to the second power source 150 via a filter 148, which may be an impedance matching circuit. The second power source 150 may be DC power, pulsed DC power, RF bias power, pulsed RF source or bias power, or a combination of these or other power sources. In some embodiments, the second power source 150 may be RF bias power.

[0029] Figure 1 The cover assembly 106 and substrate support 104 can be used with any processing chamber for plasma or thermal processing. In operation, the processing chamber 100 provides real-time control of plasma conditions within the processing volume 120. A substrate 103 can be disposed on the substrate support 104 and can be used with inlet 114 to allow processing gas to flow through the cover assembly 106 according to any desired flow pattern. Inlet 114 may include delivery from a remote plasma source unit 116 and a bypass 117, which may be fluidly coupled to the chamber. In some embodiments, bypass 117 is used for delivery of processing gas that may not flow through the remote plasma source unit 116. Gas can exit the processing chamber 100 through outlet 152. Electrical power can be coupled to a gas distributor 112 to establish plasma in the processing volume 120. In some embodiments, a third electrode 124 can be used to apply an electrical bias to the substrate.

[0030] After stimulating the plasma in volume 120, a potential difference can be established between the plasma and the first electrode 108. A potential difference can also be established between the plasma and the second electrode 122. Electronic controllers 134 and 140 can then be used to adjust the flow characteristics of the ground path represented by two tuning circuits 128 and 136. Setpoints can be fed to the first tuning circuit 128 and the second tuning circuit 136 to provide independent control over the deposition rate and plasma density uniformity from center to edge. In embodiments where both electronic controllers can be variable capacitors, electronic sensors can independently adjust the variable capacitors to maximize the deposition rate and minimize thickness non-uniformity.

[0031] Each of the tuning circuits 128 and 136 may have a variable impedance, which can be adjusted using corresponding electronic controllers 134 and 140. When the electronic controllers 134 and 140 are variable capacitors, the capacitance range of each of the variable capacitors and the inductance of the first inductor 132A and the second inductor 132B can be selected to provide an impedance range. This range may depend on the frequency and voltage characteristics of the plasma, and may have a minimum value within the capacitance range of each variable capacitor. Therefore, when the capacitance of the first electronic controller 134 is at its minimum or maximum value, the impedance of the first tuning circuit 128 may be high, resulting in a plasma shape with minimal air or lateral coverage on the substrate support. When the capacitance of the first electronic controller 134 approaches the value that minimizes the impedance of the first tuning circuit 128, the air coverage of the plasma may increase to its maximum, effectively covering the entire working area of ​​the substrate support 104. As the capacitance of the first electronic controller 134 deviates from the minimum impedance setting, the plasma shape may shrink from the chamber walls and the air coverage of the substrate support may decrease. The second electronic controller 140 can have a similar effect, increasing or decreasing the air coverage of plasma above the substrate support as the capacitance of the second electronic controller 140 can be changed.

[0032] Electronic sensors 130 and 138 can be used to tune the corresponding circuits 128 and 136 in a closed loop. Depending on the type of sensor used, a current or voltage setpoint may be installed in each sensor, and the sensors may be equipped with control software that determines the adjustments to each corresponding electronic controller 134 and 140 to minimize deviations from the setpoint. Therefore, the plasma shape can be selected and dynamically controlled during processing. It should be understood that while the foregoing discussion is based on electronic controllers 134 and 140, which may be variable capacitors, any electronic component with adjustable characteristics can be used to provide adjustable impedance to the tuning circuits 128 and 136.

[0033] As explained above, chamber cleaning operations according to some embodiments of the present technology may include forming a remote plasma and delivering plasma effluent to the processing area of ​​the chamber. To protect the chamber surface, a coating, such as an oxide coating, may be formed over the chamber surface. To limit coating removal between processes, halogen-containing cleaning materials may not be used in some embodiments of the present technology. However, testing has shown that in some processes, the removal rate of residual material may decrease over time, such as when oxygen-containing plasma is used to remove carbon residues from the oxide coating. Although the coating may not be removed during the etching process and may be retained for subsequent deposition sequences, residue removal may be limited, and processing drift may occur over time as buildup occurs within the chamber. Without being bound by any particular theory, oxygen recombination can increase on the oxide coating at higher temperatures, which may limit etchant material within the processing area. As the temperature within the processing chamber increases, such as greater than or about 200°C, greater than or about 300°C, greater than or about 400°C, greater than or about 500°C, greater than or about 600°C, or higher, the oxygen recombination rate may increase dramatically. Tests have shown that increasing the gas or effluent flow rate may still fail to adequately etch residual material due to recombination.

[0034] For example, oxide coatings (such as silicon oxide as a non-limiting example) can be characterized by surface bonds including hydroxyl moieties and ligands. When the coating is contacted with oxygen radicals, hydrogen depletion may occur at the surface, potentially creating active sites such as oxygen dangling bonds. These bond sites may be more prone to recombination. The interactions that occur may not remove the coating, but may be a surface effect of depleting hydrogen at the coating surface caps. The reaction may also increase the surface temperature of the coating, which may further increase recombination. Therefore, the oxygen etchant may be quenched within the chamber, and the removal rate of deposition byproducts may decrease with each successive substrate sequence. This can lead to residue buildup within the chamber, which may affect the process and cause drift between wafers, and may result in defects due to inadequate cleaning. However, this technique has determined that hydrogen treatment after the cleaning process restores degraded surface bonds, which replenishes hydrogen at the coating surface, and this can produce more consistent removal in each cycle. Therefore, this technique can provide chamber processing that limits process drift due to cleaning effects.

[0035] Figure 2Exemplary operations in a method 200 for processing a chamber according to some embodiments of the present technology are illustrated. The method can be performed in various processing chambers, including the processing chamber 100 described above. Method 200 may include several optional operations, which may or may not be specifically associated with some embodiments of the method according to the present technology. For example, many operations are described to provide a broader range of structure formation, but are not critical to the present technology, or may be performed by easily understood alternative methods.

[0036] Method 200 may include additional operations prior to the listed operations. For example, in some embodiments, the technique may include forming a coating that reduces negative interactions during processing. At optional operation 205, a coating, such as an oxide coating, may be applied to or formed on the surface of one or more components of the processing chamber (such as any of the previously mentioned components). The coating may be an oxide of any amount of material, which may vary depending on the processing occurring in the chamber. As a non-limiting example, the oxide coating may be a silicon oxide coating formed to reduce the roughness of the coating, which may facilitate the removal of residues. The coating may be formed within the processing region via a plasma-enhanced process and may include the introduction of silicon-containing precursors and oxygen-containing precursors into the processing region.

[0037] Processing conditions can be controlled to limit the roughness of the deposited film. For example, in some embodiments, the flow rate ratio of silicon-containing precursor to oxygen-containing precursor can be kept relatively low, and in some embodiments, it can be kept between about 0.008 and 0.03. This reduces hydrogen incorporation within the film and can also advantageously produce a smoother film deposition. Furthermore, deposition can be performed at relatively low plasma power, which also limits sputtering that can increase roughness. For example, deposition can be performed at plasma power less than or about 500 W, less than or about 400 W, less than or about 300 W, less than or about 200 W, or lower, while silicon oxide material is deposited on the surface of the processing chamber. By performing the coating deposition as described, the resulting silicon oxide film can be characterized by an average roughness of less than or about 1.0 nm, and can be characterized by an average roughness of less than or about 0.9 nm, less than or about 0.8 nm, less than or about 0.7 nm, less than or about 0.6 nm, less than or about 0.5 nm, less than or about 0.4 nm, less than or about 0.3 nm, less than or about 0.2 nm, less than or about 0.1 nm, or less.

[0038] After a coating has been formed or deposited, at optional operation 210, a process, such as a deposition process, may be performed within the chamber. The process may include positioning a substrate within the processing area of ​​the chamber, such as on a pedestal as described above. Deposition may include forming any number of conductive or dielectric materials on the substrate, and depositing a hard mold or other materials. As a non-limiting example, in some embodiments, the process may include depositing a carbon-containing material, such as a carbon-containing hard mold, on the substrate. The process may include forming a plasma containing a carbon-containing precursor, or thermally reacting a carbon-containing precursor to deposit the carbon-containing material on the substrate. Any number of dopants or other materials that may be used in the carbon hard mold may be included together with the carbon-containing precursor. As previously described, the process may also deposit material on one or more components of the chamber, including on a previously formed oxide coating.

[0039] The process may include removing the substrate from the processing area and performing a cleaning operation. As discussed above, forming in-situ plasma can damage components and coatings through bombardment, and therefore in some embodiments, method 200 may include delivering a cleaning precursor to a remote plasma unit at operation 215. The precursor may include any number of gases used in chamber cleaning, including halogen-containing materials, but in some embodiments, this technique may exclude halogen-containing materials in the process when the cleaning process is performed at temperatures above or about 200°C, above or about 400°C, or higher (where halogen-containing materials may cause excessive damage to the chamber and coating). Continuing with the non-limiting example of carbon deposition discussed above, the residue may be or include carbon-containing materials, and the cleaning precursor may be or include an oxygen-containing precursor. Exemplary oxygen-containing precursors may be or include diatomic oxygen, ozone, nitrous oxide, nitrogen monoxide, or any other oxygen-containing material.

[0040] At operation 220, plasma can be formed in a remote plasma unit, which can produce a plasma effluent for cleaning precursors, such as an oxygen-containing plasma effluent. The process may include flowing or conveying the plasma effluent to a processing area of ​​the chamber at operation 225. The plasma effluent can interact with surfaces within the processing area, which can allow removal of residual material from the deposit at operation 230, such as potentially carbonaceous materials. The plasma effluent can also interact with coatings on the chamber material. The coating can be retained during removal operations, even at elevated temperatures, by using an oxygen-containing plasma effluent that can interact with oxide coatings.

[0041] As explained above, if the process is subsequently repeated, the subsequent removal rate may decrease over time, possibly due to hydrogen depletion on the surface of the coating, which could lead to increased recombination of plasma effluent. According to some embodiments, the process may occur at increased temperatures as discussed above; in some embodiments, the temperature may be above or about 400°C, and the temperature may further increase the recombination rate. However, this technique may include subsequent treatment of the chamber coating, which can ensure consistent removal during each cycle. For example, in some embodiments, the plasma containing oxygen precursors may be stopped, and the chamber may be purged.

[0042] At operation 235, a treatment can be performed on the oxide coating to recover hydrogen depletion that may have occurred during the cleaning process. For example, the treatment may include conveying a hydrogen-containing material to the treatment area after chamber cleaning. After treatment residues have been removed, the hydrogen-containing material can interact with the coating. The chamber can be maintained at the aforementioned treatment temperature, and the hydrogen-containing material can supply hydrogen to the surface of the coating, replenishing the lost hydrogen. The hydrogen can restore the coating to its ground state, which may be consistent with the coating state prior to the cleaning operation.

[0043] Tests have shown that the process can be performed using any amount of hydrogen-containing material, such as, for example, diatomic hydrogen, ammonia, water vapor, alcohol, or any other hydrogen- or hydroxyl-containing material. The hydrogen-containing material can be delivered along with one or more carrier materials, such as argon, helium, nitrogen, or other gases. Furthermore, the process can be performed thermally or using a plasma-enhanced process. For example, because the chamber temperature can be maintained at a relatively high level in some embodiments as described above, the process may involve flowing the hydrogen-containing material through the processing chamber and allowing the hydrogen-containing material to contact the oxide coating. Additionally, in some embodiments, the plasma can be formed by the hydrogen-containing material, and the hydrogen-containing plasma effluent can interact with the coating.

[0044] In some embodiments where the treatment may be or includes plasma treatment, the plasma power may be kept relatively low to limit interactions beyond the surface of the coating, such as providing a treatment operated with a chemisorption scheme rather than a chemical etching scheme. For example, in-situ plasma may be formed at a power level of less than or about 1000 W, and may be formed at less than or about 900 W, less than or about 800 W, less than or about 700 W, less than or about 600 W, less than or about 500 W, less than or about 400 W, less than or about 300 W, less than or about 200 W, less than or about 100 W, or even lower. The pressure during the treatment may be maintained at less than or about 12 Torr, and may be maintained at less than or about 10 Torr, less than or about 8 Torr, less than or about 6 Torr, less than or about 4 Torr, less than or about 2 Torr, or even less. By operating at relatively low pressure, increased free radical flow can occur, which ensures improved interactions of the oxide film across the treatment area.

[0045] After processing has been performed, the process can be repeated by providing subsequent wafers for further processing. By performing processing according to some embodiments of the present technology, the chamber coating can be maintained between processes, which reduces the re-bonding of cleaning plasma that could reduce the etch rate. The maintained etch rate increases the consistency of residue removal during chamber cleaning, which limits residue buildup that could cause process drift between wafers.

[0046] In the foregoing description, numerous details have been set forth for illustrative purposes in order to provide an understanding of different embodiments of the present technology. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that certain embodiments may be practiced without some of these details or with additional details.

[0047] Some embodiments have been disclosed, and those skilled in the art will understand that various modifications, alternative constructions, and equivalents may be used without departing from the spirit of the embodiments. Furthermore, to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the present technology, many well-known processes and elements have not been described. Therefore, the above description should not be considered as limiting the scope of the present technology. Additionally, methods or processes may be described as sequential or step-by-step, but it should be understood that operations may be performed simultaneously or in a different order than listed.

[0048] Where a range of values ​​is provided, it should be understood that, unless the context explicitly specifies otherwise, every intermediate value between the upper and lower limits of this range, up to the smallest fraction of the lower limit unit, is also specifically disclosed. Any narrower range between any stated or unstated intermediate value within the stated range and any other stated or intermediate value within this stated range is covered. The upper and lower limits of these narrower ranges may be independently included or excluded from the range, and each range within which any, none, or both of the limits are included is also covered within this technique, subject to any explicitly excluded limits within the stated range. Where the stated range includes one or both of the limits, the range excluding any or both of those limits is also included.

[0049] As used herein and in the appended claims, unless the context clearly specifies otherwise, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” include plural references. Thus, for example, the reference to “a precursor” includes multiple such precursors, and the reference to “the layer” includes one or more layers and their equivalents known to those skilled in the art, and so on.

[0050] Furthermore, when used in this specification and the appended claims, the terms “comprise,” “comprising,” “contain,” “containing,” “include,” and “including” are intended to specify the presence of the stated feature, integer, component, or operation, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, components, operations, actions, or groups.

Claims

1. A method for processing a chamber, the method comprising the following steps: Deliver the clean precursor to the remote plasma unit; The plasma that forms the clean precursor; The plasma effluent of the cleaning precursor is delivered to a processing region of a semiconductor processing chamber, wherein the processing region is defined by one or more chamber components, wherein the one or more chamber components include an oxide coating; Stop the delivery of the plasma effluent; as well as After the delivery of the plasma effluent is stopped, the oxide coating is treated with a hydrogen-containing material delivered to the processing area, wherein the treatment restores the hydrogen depletion caused by the delivery of the plasma effluent of the cleaning precursor.

2. The method for treating a chamber as claimed in claim 1, wherein the cleaning precursor comprises an oxygen-containing precursor.

3. The method of processing a chamber as claimed in claim 1, wherein the one or more chamber components further comprise carbonaceous residue.

4. The method for processing a chamber as described in claim 3, further comprising the following steps: The plasma effluent from the cleaning precursor is used to remove the carbon-containing residue.

5. The method of processing a chamber as claimed in claim 1, wherein during the method of processing the chamber, the temperature of the semiconductor processing chamber is maintained at or above 400°C.

6. The method for processing a chamber as claimed in claim 1, wherein the step of treating the oxide coating with the hydrogen-containing material comprises the following steps: Hydrogen-containing gas is allowed to flow into the processing area; and The oxide coating is brought into contact with the hydrogen-containing gas.

7. The method for processing a chamber as claimed in claim 1, wherein the step of treating the oxide coating with a hydrogen-containing material comprises the following steps: Plasma effluent forming hydrogen-containing precursors; The plasma effluent of the hydrogen-containing precursor is introduced into the processing area; as well as The oxide coating is brought into contact with the plasma effluent of the hydrogen-containing precursor.

8. The method for processing a chamber as described in claim 1, further comprising the following steps: The oxide coating is formed on one or more chamber components.

9. The method for processing a chamber as claimed in claim 8, wherein the step of forming the oxide coating comprises the following steps: The silicon-containing precursor and the oxygen-containing precursor are introduced into the processing area at a flow rate ratio of 0.008 to 0.

03.

10. The method for processing a chamber as claimed in claim 9, wherein the step of forming the oxide coating comprises the following steps: The plasma containing the silicon precursor and the oxygen precursor are formed with a plasma power of less than or equal to 500W; as well as Silicon oxide material is deposited on one or more chamber components.

11. A method for processing a chamber, the method comprising the following steps: oxygen-containing precursors are delivered to a remote plasma unit; The plasma that forms the oxygen-containing precursor; The plasma effluent of the oxygen-containing precursor is delivered to a processing region of a semiconductor processing chamber, wherein the processing region is defined by one or more chamber components, wherein the one or more chamber components include an oxide coating and a carbon material, and wherein the plasma effluent is halogen-free. Stop the delivery of the plasma effluent; as well as After the plasma effluent is stopped, the oxide coating is treated with a hydrogen-containing material that has been delivered to the processing area.

12. The method of processing a chamber as claimed in claim 11, wherein the oxide coating comprises silicon oxide.

13. The method for processing a chamber as described in claim 11, further comprising the following steps: The plasma effluent from the oxygen-containing precursor is used to remove the carbon material, wherein the carbon material includes carbon residues deposited from the carbon-containing material.

14. The method of processing a chamber as claimed in claim 11, wherein the step of treating the oxide coating with a hydrogen-containing material comprises the following steps: Hydrogen-containing gas is allowed to flow into the processing area; and The oxide coating is brought into contact with the hydrogen-containing gas.

15. The method of processing a chamber as claimed in claim 11, wherein during the method of processing the chamber, the temperature of the semiconductor processing chamber is maintained at or above 400°C.

16. The method of processing a chamber as claimed in claim 11, wherein the step of treating the oxide coating with a hydrogen-containing material comprises the following steps: Plasma effluent forming hydrogen-containing precursors; The plasma effluent of the hydrogen-containing precursor is introduced into the processing area; as well as The oxide coating is brought into contact with the plasma effluent of the hydrogen-containing precursor.

17. The method for processing a chamber as described in claim 11, further comprising the following steps: The oxide coating is formed on one or more chamber components.

18. A method for processing a chamber, the method comprising the following steps: oxygen-containing precursors are delivered to a remote plasma unit; The plasma that forms the oxygen-containing precursor; The plasma effluent of the oxygen-containing precursor is delivered to a processing area of ​​a semiconductor processing chamber, wherein the processing area is defined by one or more chamber components, wherein the one or more chamber components include a silicon oxide coating overlying the one or more chamber components and a carbon material on a region of the silicon oxide coating; The plasma effluent from the oxygen-containing precursor is used to remove the carbon material; Stop the delivery of the plasma effluent; as well as After the delivery of the plasma effluent is stopped, the silicon oxide coating is treated with a hydrogen-containing material delivered to the processing area, wherein the treatment restores the hydrogen depletion caused by the delivery of the plasma effluent containing the oxygen precursor.

19. The method of processing a chamber as claimed in claim 18, wherein the step of treating the silicon oxide coating with a hydrogen-containing material comprises the following steps: Hydrogen-containing gas is allowed to flow into the processing area; and The silicon oxide coating is brought into contact with the hydrogen-containing gas.

20. The method of processing a chamber as claimed in claim 18, wherein the step of treating the silicon oxide coating with a hydrogen-containing material comprises the following steps: Plasma effluent forming hydrogen-containing precursors; The plasma effluent of the hydrogen-containing precursor is introduced into the processing area; as well as The silicon oxide coating is brought into contact with the plasma effluent of the hydrogen-containing precursor.

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