Method for controlling process drift

Abstract

An example semiconductor processing method can include forming a plasma of a fluorine-containing precursor. The method can include performing a chamber clean in a processing region of a semiconductor processing chamber. The processing region can be at least partially defined between a faceplate and a substrate support. The method can include generating aluminum fluoride during the chamber clean. The method can include contacting a surface within the processing region with a carbon-containing precursor. The method can include volatilizing the aluminum fluoride from the surface of the processing region.

Description

[0001] Cross-referencing

[0002] This application claims priority to U.S. Application No. 17 / 367,089, filed July 2, 2021, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety for all purposes. Technical Field

[0003] This technology relates to systems and methods for semiconductor manufacturing. More specifically, this technology relates to semiconductor processing and apparatus for removing materials that cause process drift. Background Technology

[0004] Integrated circuits can be fabricated through processes that create complex patterned layers of material on a substrate surface. Creating patterned material on the substrate requires controlled methods for forming and removing the material. Precursors are often delivered to processing areas and distributed to uniformly deposit or etch material onto the substrate. Many aspects of the processing chamber can affect processing uniformity, such as the uniformity of processing conditions within the chamber, the uniformity of flow through the component, and other processing and component parameters. Even minute differences on the substrate can affect the formation or removal process. Furthermore, cleaning processes can affect falling particles, which can impact substrate yield and throughput.

[0005] Therefore, there is a need for improved systems and methods that can be used to produce high-quality devices and structures. These and other needs are addressed by this technology. Summary of the Invention

[0006] Exemplary semiconductor processing methods may include forming a plasma containing a fluorine precursor. The method may include performing chamber cleaning in a processing region of a semiconductor processing chamber. The processing region may be at least partially defined between a panel and a substrate support. The method may include generating aluminum fluoride during chamber cleaning. The method may include contacting surfaces within the processing region with a carbon-containing precursor. The method may include causing aluminum fluoride to evaporate from the surfaces of the processing region.

[0007] In some embodiments, the surface may include a panel of a semiconductor processing chamber. During the method, a substrate support may be maintained at a temperature greater than or about 400°C. The panel may be maintained at a temperature greater than or about 200°C while the surface within the processing area is in contact with a carbon-containing precursor. The contact step may be performed after the substrate has been delivered into the processing area of ​​the semiconductor processing chamber. Contacting the surface within the processing area with the carbon-containing precursor may be performed as a plasma-free operation. The method may include pumping the processing area from a first pressure to a second pressure of less than or about 1 Torr after a volatilization step. The contact step may include stopping plasma formation of the fluorine-containing precursor. The contact step may include allowing the carbon-containing precursor to flow into the processing area of ​​the semiconductor processing chamber. The carbon-containing precursor may be or includes hydrocarbons.

[0008] Some embodiments of this technology may cover semiconductor processing methods. Methods may include forming plasma containing a fluorine precursor. Methods may include performing chamber cleaning in a processing region of a semiconductor processing chamber to remove deposited residues of carbonaceous material. The processing region may be at least partially defined between a panel and a substrate support. Methods may include generating aluminum fluoride during chamber cleaning. Methods may include providing a substrate to the processing region of a semiconductor processing chamber. Methods may include contacting surfaces within the processing region with a carbonaceous precursor. Methods may include causing aluminum fluoride to evaporate from the surfaces of the processing region.

[0009] In some embodiments, the surface may include a panel of a semiconductor processing chamber. During the method, a substrate support may be maintained at a temperature greater than or about 400°C. The panel may be maintained at a temperature greater than or about 200°C while the surface within the processing area is contacted with a carbon-containing precursor. The carbon-containing precursor may be a precursor for a deposition residue. Contacting the surface within the processing area with the carbon-containing precursor can be performed as a plasma-free operation. The method may include generating a plasma of the carbon-containing precursor after the contact step. The method may include depositing a carbon-containing material on a substrate. The method may include pumping the processing area from a first pressure to a second pressure of less than or about 1 Torr after a volatilization step. The carbon-containing precursor may be or includes hydrocarbons.

[0010] Some embodiments of this technology may cover semiconductor processing methods. Methods may include forming a plasma containing a fluorine precursor. Methods may include performing chamber cleaning in a processing region of a semiconductor processing chamber to remove deposited residues. The processing region may be at least partially defined between a panel and a substrate support. Methods may include generating aluminum fluoride during chamber cleaning. Methods may include flowing a carbon-containing precursor into the processing region of the semiconductor processing chamber. Methods may include contacting surfaces within the processing region with the carbon-containing precursor. Methods may include evaporating aluminum fluoride from the surfaces of the processing region. In some embodiments, contacting surfaces within the processing region with the carbon-containing precursor may be performed as a plasma-free operation.

[0011] Such technologies offer several advantages over conventional systems and techniques. For example, embodiments of this technology can improve the removal of generated aluminum fluoride during cleaning operations. Furthermore, the method can provide enhanced cleaning operations that improve processing yield. These and other embodiments, along with many of their advantages and features, are described in more detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Attached Figure Description

[0012] 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.

[0013] Figure 1The illustration shows a top plan view of an exemplary processing system according to some embodiments of the present technology.

[0014] Figure 2 A schematic cross-sectional view of an exemplary plasma system according to some embodiments of the present technology is illustrated.

[0015] Figure 3 The illustration shows a schematic partial cross-sectional view of an exemplary processing chamber according to some embodiments of the present technology.

[0016] Figure 4 The illustration shows the operation of an exemplary method of semiconductor processing according to some embodiments of the present technology.

[0017] Several figures in the accompanying drawings are included as schematic diagrams. It will be understood that the drawings are for illustrative purposes and are not to be considered to scale unless specifically stated otherwise. Furthermore, as schematic diagrams, the drawings are provided to aid understanding and may not include all aspects or information compared to a realistic representation, and may include exaggerated material for illustrative purposes.

[0018] In the accompanying drawings, similar parts and / or features may have the same reference numerals. Additionally, parts of the same type may be distinguished by reference numerals followed by letters that 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 letters. Detailed Implementation

[0019] Plasma-enhanced deposition processes can excite one or more constituent precursors to facilitate film formation on a substrate. Any number of material films can be generated to form semiconductor structures, including conductive and dielectric films, as well as films for facilitating material transport and removal. For example, hard-film deposition can be formed to facilitate substrate patterning while protecting the underlying material from being held in place. Furthermore, other dielectric materials can be deposited to separate transistors on the substrate or otherwise form semiconductor structures. In numerous processing chambers, several precursors can be mixed in a gas panel and delivered to the processing area of ​​the chamber where the substrate can be disposed. The deposition process may deposit material not only on the substrate being processed but also on chamber components that can be subsequently cleaned.

[0020] Cleaning operations may include plasma effluents that generate halogen gases and / or other materials, which can interact with residual materials to produce byproducts that can be discharged from the chamber. However, since many of the components being cleaned may be or include aluminum, contact with fluorine, for example, can produce aluminum fluoride as a byproduct. Because many chamber components can be maintained at temperatures below or well below those of the substrate being processed, this aluminum fluoride can more easily condense or redeposit on the panel or chamber body walls. Aluminum fluoride can cause several problems. For example, aluminum fluoride may not be maintained attached to the panel and can subsequently fall onto substrates processed later, resulting in damage and yield loss. Furthermore, the panel can often be operated as a power supply electrode for generating plasma during deposition. As the amount of aluminum fluoride deposited on the panel increases, plasma characteristics can be affected, which can lead to process drift.

[0021] To address this issue, conventional techniques typically attempt to reduce aluminum fluoride (AF) formation. However, most conventional options still result in AF formation. For example, performing the process at temperatures below or around 400°C can reduce, though not eliminate, AF formation. Seasoning may be deposited around the chamber prior to deposition. However, this seasoning is usually removed during the cleaning process, and once removed, AF formation can still be permitted. Some conventional techniques utilize a cover wafer placed on a substrate during cleaning. However, the cover wafer can also be formed of aluminum-based materials, which can still lead to AF formation when exposed to cleaning gases.

[0022] This technology overcomes these challenges by addressing the potential generation of aluminum fluoride. While any of the mitigation options mentioned above may be employed in some embodiments of this technology, it also removes aluminum fluoride generated during cleaning. Thermal removal of aluminum fluoride can be performed on the chamber components by utilizing additional precursor interactions. Although aluminum fluoride generation may increase, this still allows for increased processing temperatures. Removing aluminum fluoride from the panels and chamber components reduces process drift and increases chamber uptime. Furthermore, cleaning can be performed less conservatively, which can further increase throughput.

[0023] While the remainder of this disclosure will conventionally identify specific deposition processes utilizing the techniques of this disclosure, it will be readily understood that the systems and methods are equivalently applicable to other deposition and cleaning chambers and processes that may occur in the chambers described. Therefore, this technique should not be considered limited to use only with these specific etching processes or chambers. This disclosure will discuss one possible system and chamber that may include components according to some embodiments of this technique, and then describe additional variations and modifications to such a system according to embodiments of this technique.

[0024] Figure 1The illustration shows a top plan view of one embodiment of a processing system 100 for deposition, etching, baking, and curing chambers according to an embodiment. In the figure, a pair of front-opening standard chambers 102 supply substrates of various sizes, which are received by a robotic arm 104 and placed into a low-pressure holding region 106, and subsequently into one of the substrate processing chambers 108a-f located in series segments 109a-c. A second robotic arm 110 is used to transport substrate wafers from the holding region 106 to and from the substrate processing chambers 108a-f. Each substrate processing chamber 108a-f may be configured to perform multiple substrate processing operations, including forming stacks of semiconductor materials described herein, and plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition, atomic layer deposition, physical vapor deposition, etching, pre-cleaning, degassing, orientation, or other substrate processes including annealing, ashing, etc.

[0025] The substrate processing chambers 108a-f may include one or more system components for depositing, annealing, curing, and / or etching dielectric films or other films on the substrate. In one configuration, two pairs of processing chambers (e.g., 108c-d and 108e-f) may be used to deposit dielectric material on the substrate, and a third pair of processing chambers (e.g., 108a-b) may be used to etch the deposited dielectric. In another configuration, all three pairs of chambers (e.g., 108a-f) may be configured to deposit a stack of alternating dielectric films on the substrate. Any one or more of the processes described may be performed in chambers separate from the manufacturing systems illustrated in the different embodiments. It will be understood that system 100 envisions additional configurations for chambers for the deposition, etching, annealing, and curing of dielectric films.

[0026] Figure 2 A schematic cross-sectional view of an exemplary plasma system 200 according to some embodiments of the present technology is illustrated. The plasma system 200 may show a pair of processing chambers 108, which may be adapted within one or more of the tandem segments 109 described above, and may include panels or other components or assemblies according to embodiments of the present technology. The plasma system 200 typically includes a chamber body 202 having sidewalls 212, a bottom wall 216, and an inner sidewall 201 defining a pair of processing regions 220A and 220B. Each of the processing regions 220A-220B may be similarly configured or may include the same components.

[0027] For example, processing region 220B may include a base 228 disposed in the processing region through a channel 222 formed in the bottom wall 216 of the plasma system 200, and components of processing region 220B may also be included in processing region 220A. Base 228 may provide heaters adapted to support substrate 229 on exposed surfaces (such as the body portion) of the base. Base 228 may include a heating element 232, such as a resistance heating element, which can heat and control the substrate temperature at a desired processing temperature. Base 228 may also be heated by a remote heating element (such as a lamp assembly, or any other heating device).

[0028] The body of base 228 can be coupled to rod 226 via flange 233. Rod 226 can electrically couple base 228 to a power socket or power supply box 203. Power supply box 203 may include a drive system that controls the height and movement of base 228 within processing area 220B. Rod 226 may also include an electrical power interface to provide electrical power to base 228. Power supply box 203 may also include interfaces for electrical power and temperature indicators, such as thermocouple interfaces. Rod 226 may include a base assembly 238 adapted for detachable coupling with power supply box 203. Circumferential ring 235 is illustrated above power supply box 203. In some embodiments, circumferential ring 235 may be a shoulder adapted to serve as a mechanical stop or platform configured to provide a mechanical interface between base assembly 238 and upper surface of power supply box 203.

[0029] The rod 230 may be included through a channel 224 formed in the bottom wall 216 of the processing area 220B and may be used to position a substrate lifting rod 261 passing through the main body of the base 228. The substrate lifting rod 261 may selectively space the substrate 229 from the base to facilitate the exchange of the substrate 229 by a robot, which is used to transfer the substrate 229 into and out of the processing area 220B through a substrate transfer port 260.

[0030] A chamber cover 204 may be coupled to a top portion of a chamber body 202. The cover 204 may house one or more precursor dispensing systems 208 coupled to the cover 204. The precursor dispensing system 208 may include a precursor inlet channel 240 that delivers reactants and cleaning precursors via a gas delivery assembly 218 into a processing area 220B. The gas delivery assembly 218 may include a gas chamber 248 having a baffle 244 disposed intermediately toward a panel 246. A radio frequency (“RF”) source 265 may be coupled to the gas delivery assembly 218 to power the gas delivery assembly 218 to facilitate the generation of a plasma region between the panel 246 and the base 228 of the gas delivery assembly 218, which may be a processing area of ​​the chamber. In some embodiments, the RF source may be coupled to other portions of the chamber body 202, such as the base 228, to facilitate plasma generation. A dielectric isolator 258 may be disposed between the cover 204 and the gas delivery assembly 218 to prevent RF power from being conducted to the cover 204. A shielding ring 206 may be disposed on the periphery of the base 228 that engages with the base 228.

[0031] Optional cooling channels 247 may be formed in the gas chamber 248 of the precursor distribution system 208 to cool the gas chamber 248 during operation. Heat transfer fluids (such as water, glycol, gas, etc.) may circulate through the cooling channels 247, allowing the gas chamber 248 to be maintained at a predefined temperature. A liner assembly 227 may be disposed in the processing zone 220B immediately against the sidewalls 201, 212 of the chamber body 202 to prevent exposure of the sidewalls 201, 212 to the processing environment within the processing zone 220B. The liner assembly 227 may include a circumferential pumping cavity 225, which may be coupled to a pumping system 264 configured to discharge gases and byproducts from the processing zone 220B and control the pressure within the processing zone 220B. Multiple discharge ports 231 may be formed on the liner assembly 227. The discharge port 231 can be configured to allow gas to flow from the treatment area 220B to the circumferential pumping cavity 225 in a manner that facilitates treatment within the system 200.

[0032] Figure 3 A schematic partial cross-sectional view of an exemplary processing system 300 according to some embodiments of the present technology is illustrated. Figure 3Further details regarding components in system 200 may be shown, for example. It will be understood that in some embodiments, system 300 includes any features or aspects of system 200 previously discussed. System 300 can be used to perform semiconductor processing operations, including depositing hard molds or any other materials as previously described, as well as other deposition, removal, or cleaning operations. System 300 may be illustrated as a partial view of the chamber components discussed and incorporated into a semiconductor processing system. As will be readily understood by those skilled in the art, any aspect of system 300 may also be incorporated into other processing chambers or systems.

[0033] System 300 may include a chamber body 310, as shown, which may include sidewalls and a base, and in some embodiments a cover. All of the above components may at least partially define an internal volume, which may include a processing area in which a substrate can be processed. As previously discussed, a base or substrate support 315 may extend through the base of the chamber into the processing area. The substrate support may include a support platform 320 that may support a semiconductor substrate 322. The support platform 320 may be coupled to a shaft 325 that may extend through the base of the chamber. System 300 may also include a cover stack or gas distribution component positioned within or partially defining the internal volume of the chamber, which may facilitate more uniform delivery of processing precursors through the chamber. Components may include a gas chamber 330 that receives precursors from a gas delivery system through the cover of the chamber body.

[0034] Baffle 335 may function as a choke in some embodiments to facilitate lateral or radial distribution of precursors through components. Baffle 335 may be mounted on panel 340, as shown, which may define a plurality of holes through which precursors may be delivered to the processing area and substrate. The panel may also be coupled to a power source for generating plasma for processing the precursors within the processing area of ​​the chamber. The stacked components may be temperature-controlled to facilitate the performed operations. For example, while the gas chamber 330 may be cooled, panel 340 may be heated in some embodiments. Panel heater 342 may be mounted on panel 340 and configured to heat the panel to operating temperatures, such as temperatures at which aluminum fluoride materials may become volatile or chemically reactive with carbonaceous materials, as explained below. Thus, panel heater 342 may heat the panel to temperatures higher than many standard deposition systems. This additional heat load may result in increased distribution through baffle 335 to cooled components such as gas chamber 330. In order to limit the power requirements of the heater to maintain the panel temperature, in some embodiments, the baffle plate can reduce contact with the gas box, which can reduce heat transfer between components.

[0035] For example, the baffle 335 may have a wider contact surface against the panel than the contact surface with the gas chamber. Furthermore, recessed baffles may be formed around the baffle on the outer surface facing the gas chamber. This reduces the contact area with the gas chamber and reduces heat transfer between components. The formed protrusions contacting the gas chamber may extend radially sufficient to allow for the placement of gaskets between components. Additionally, to limit additional heating of the baffle, in some embodiments, the panel heater 342 may not contact the baffle 335 and may maintain a gap between components. The system 300 may include additional components outside the processing chamber that may provide inlet and outlet locations for precursors or fluids delivered into the chamber.

[0036] For example, an outlet manifold 345 may be positioned on a gas chamber 330 or some other chamber component and may provide a fluid inlet / outlet through a central aperture into the chamber, as shown, which may be axially aligned with the central aperture of the gas chamber. Although not shown, it will be understood that the outlet manifold 345 may be fluidly coupled to a weldment or inlet manifold that may provide precursors to the outlet manifold for distribution into the processing chamber. A remote plasma source unit 350 may additionally be coupled to the outlet manifold 345 and may be mounted on an adapter 355. Although the outlet manifold may provide inlet / outlet or bypass access to the processing chamber or to the central aperture for delivery of precursors, the central aperture through the outlet manifold may be axially aligned with the central aperture through the adapter 355 and coupled to the outlet of the remote plasma source unit 350. During cleaning operations or any other semiconductor processing operations, the remote plasma source unit may generate plasma effluent that will be delivered to the processing chamber for cleaning or other processing operations, as will be further described below.

[0037] Figure 4 The illustration depicts the operation of an exemplary method 400 for semiconductor processing according to some embodiments of the present technology. The method can be performed in various processing chambers, including the processing systems 200 and 300 described above, which may include any features or components as previously described. Method 400 may include a number of optional operations, which may or may not be specifically associated with some embodiments of the method according to the present technology. For example, numerous operations are described to provide a broader scope of the present technology, but these operations are not critical to the present technology or may be performed by readily understood alternative methods.

[0038] Method 400 may include additional operations prior to initiating the listed operations. For example, semiconductor processing may be performed prior to initiating method 400, and this semiconductor processing may include deposition operations performed within a processing region of a chamber. The processing operations may be performed in a chamber or system in which method 400 can be performed. For example, once a substrate has been received in a processing chamber (such as one comprising some or all of the components from system 300 described above), a deposition operation may be performed on the substrate. Deposition may include depositing any number of materials, including hard molds, dielectric materials, metals, or other conductive materials, as well as any other deposition operations. Once deposition has been completed, the processed substrate may be removed from the chamber. Because the deposition process may involve material deposited on multiple surfaces or components of the chamber, cleaning operations may be performed according to embodiments of the present technology.

[0039] Method 400 may include a plasma forming one or more cleaning precursors to clean a processing area of ​​a semiconductor processing chamber. The cleaning precursors may include any number of materials, including a carrier gas, oxygen or an oxygen-containing precursor, hydrogen or a hydrogen-containing precursor, and one or more halogen-containing precursors. In some embodiments, the cleaning precursor may include a fluorinated precursor, alone or in addition to any other gas mentioned above, and in operation 405, the fluorinated precursor may be used to generate a plasma effluent. The fluorinated precursor may be or include nitrogen trifluoride, although any fluorinated precursor may be used in some embodiments. The plasma may be performed in a remote plasma system unit as previously described and may flow into the processing area of ​​the chamber to remove deposited material and other byproducts from the chamber, such as by performing chamber cleaning in operation 410. Although any surface along the flow path may be cleaned, the flow may be configured to contact exposed surfaces of the panel, as well as surfaces within the processing area, such as a pedestal platform, chamber sidewalls, or any other surface that may define a substrate processing area or be exposed.

[0040] As discussed above, many components of the processing chamber may be or include aluminum. The panels and chamber walls may be or include aluminum or aluminum-coated materials. Furthermore, the substrate support may include aluminum and may include aluminum nitride or some other aluminum-containing material as a support surface. When the substrate is removed from the chamber after deposition, the support surface may be exposed to the cleaning effluent. Any of these exposed surfaces (including exposure once the effluent is removed) may allow the formation of aluminum fluoride from the interaction of aluminum with fluorine radicals during operation 415. Temperature can significantly affect the formation of aluminum fluoride, and in some embodiments, the technique can be performed at substrate or substrate support temperatures greater than or about 400°C, and at temperatures greater than or about 450°C, greater than or about 500°C, greater than or about 550°C, greater than or about 600°C, greater than or about 650°C, greater than or about 700°C, or higher. This can further promote the formation of aluminum fluoride. Although some mitigation options may be implemented as described above, some amount of aluminum fluoride may be generated during cleaning.

[0041] Other chamber surfaces can be maintained at lower temperatures, and the panels and chamber sidewalls allow aluminum fluoride to condense on the cooler surfaces. Further interactions with cleaning may not affect these fluoride-based residues, and material may remain on the surfaces. This can affect subsequent processing by causing falling particles to impact the substrate, or process drift can occur when the panels (which may be active electrodes in the deposition) are coated with aluminum fluoride buildup. To reduce buildup and remove aluminum fluoride from the processing chambers, this technology may perform one or more additional operations to convert the aluminum fluoride into a volatile substance that can be cleaned away from the chambers.

[0042] After cleaning has been performed, in operation 420, method 400 may contact surfaces within the treatment area with a carbon-containing precursor. The carbon-containing precursor may flow to ensure contact with exposed surfaces in the treatment area, such as panels and chamber walls, which may be at lower temperatures that would lead to aluminum fluoride buildup. The carbon-containing precursor may be any number of precursors comprising carbon. For example, the carbon-containing precursor may be or include hydrocarbons, including any alkanes, alkenes, alkynes, or aromatic materials. As a non-limiting example, these materials may include ethane, ethylene, propane, propylene, or any higher-order hydrocarbons, or the precursor may be a material comprising one or more of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, or nitrogen. In some embodiments, the carbon-containing precursor may include at least one methyl moiety, although in some embodiments the carbon-containing precursor may be delivered together with a hydrogen-containing material, which may allow the formation of methyl groups that can react with aluminum fluoride to produce additional byproducts that may be volatile at the surface temperature of the component to which aluminum fluoride may be attached.

[0043] In some embodiments, carbon-containing precursors may allow the formation of compounds of the general formula AlF2. x (CH3)y The material is characterized, where x and y can be any integer or decimal. These materials may be more volatile than aluminum fluoride and may be allowed to evaporate from the chamber surface. The process can be performed thermally, and in some embodiments, the contact operation can be performed as a plasma-free operation and as a thermally activated operation. However, the reaction for producing methylated aluminum fluoride may not occur at temperatures sufficient to sustain many chamber components. For example, although the panel may be heated during the deposition operation or processing, the temperature may be insufficient to provide a reaction. Thus, in some embodiments, the panel may be maintained at a temperature greater than or about 200°C, and may be maintained at temperatures greater than or about 220°C, greater than or about 240°C, greater than or about 260°C, greater than or about 280°C, greater than or about 300°C, or higher. The panel may be raised to this temperature during the contact operation and other operations, or all operations of the method may be performed using the panel at any of the mentioned temperatures. By utilizing higher panel temperatures during contact, the reaction and generation of volatile byproducts can be facilitated, which may subsequently allow material removal from the surface within the processing chamber in operation 425. The material can then be purified from the chamber.

[0044] Although deposition and cleaning operations can be performed at chamber pressures of 1 torr, 3 torr, 10 torr, or higher, in some embodiments, once volatile byproducts are generated from aluminum fluoride, a venting operation can be performed to reduce the pressure within the chamber below the deposition or cleaning treatment pressure. For example, in some embodiments, the pressure can be reduced to less than or about 1 torr, and can be reduced to less than or about 750 mTorr, less than or about 500 mTorr, less than or about 250 mTorr, less than or about 100 mTorr, or less. This allows additional aluminum fluoride to be removed from the chamber and reduces the likelihood of redeposition on the additional chamber surfaces.

[0045] Depending on the overall process being performed, the contact operation of method 400 can be performed in one or more ways. For example, in some embodiments, a carbon-containing precursor may be delivered after treatment with a fluorine radical substance. Thus, after a sufficient cleaning time, plasma generation of the fluorine-containing precursor can be stopped, and the chamber can be purged. The carbon-containing precursor can then flow into the chamber while the chamber remains substrate-free. The volatile substance can then be pumped out of the chamber, and subsequent processes such as aging or substrate delivery can then be performed.

[0046] Furthermore, some processes utilizing carbon-containing precursors may include specific operations to facilitate the removal of aluminum fluoride prior to deposition. For example, in some embodiments, after a cleaning operation has been performed to remove deposition residues or byproducts, and carbon-containing deposition may be performed thereafter, a subsequent substrate may be delivered to the processing area of ​​the chamber. Although subsequent deposition may include plasma-enhanced deposition, before plasma is ignited, the carbon-containing precursor may flow into the processing area to generate volatile aluminum fluoride byproducts, which may then be pumped out of the chamber. The flow of the carbon-containing precursor, along with the delivery of one or more additional precursors, may then continue or be modulated while plasma is ignited to continue the deposition of the carbon-containing material. Thus, a carbon-containing precursor, which may be a precursor to deposition residues, can also be used to facilitate the removal of aluminum fluoride from the chamber components. Similarly, if the aging material applied to the chamber can be formed using a suitable carbon-containing precursor, the carbon-containing precursor can flow into the chamber to generate volatile byproducts of aluminum fluoride before the delivery substrate or any aging plasma is formed, followed by purification of the aging precursor and subsequent plasma enhancement.

[0047] Additional operations may also be performed in some embodiments to facilitate the formation and removal of aluminum fluoride. For example, in some embodiments, aluminum fluoride residue may also be deposited on a slit valve or the inlet to a processing chamber, which may be a cooler surface. After the substrate has been removed following deposition, the substrate support may be raised back to the operating position during cleaning. However, in some embodiments of the art, method 400 may include lowering the substrate support to a level aligned with or below the slit valve or the inlet / outlet to the chamber. Movement of the substrate support may occur during cleaning operations, for example, such as after an initial period of time in which the substrate support is held at the processing or cleaning height. The flow of carbonaceous precursors may be continuous during movement of the substrate support. This allows aluminum fluoride to be cleaned away from additional surfaces.

[0048] In many conventional processes that perform aluminum fluoride mitigation, the cleaning process itself can be tailored to attempt to limit aluminum fluoride formation. Besides reducing the processing temperature, the cleaning process can be performed using minimal amounts of fluorinated precursors. However, because this technique removes the generated aluminum fluoride, generation can no longer be a major issue, and therefore, a more aggressive cleaning can be performed. For example, in some embodiments, cleaning time can be significantly reduced by increasing the flow rate of the fluorinated precursor. This technique can limit process drift by more than 90% per 100 substrates, and therefore allows for better control of aluminum fluoride formation during cleaning. Thus, unlike conventional techniques, the process can include performing cleaning operations at a flow rate of fluorinated precursor greater than or about 500 sccm, and can include using flow rates greater than or about 600 sccm, greater than or about 700 sccm, greater than or about 800 sccm, greater than or about 900 sccm, greater than or about 1000 sccm, greater than or about 1100 sccm, greater than or about 1200 sccm, or greater. This allows for cleaning times of less than or about 4 minutes, and can be less than or about 3.5 minutes, less than or about 3 minutes, less than or about 2.5 minutes, less than or about 2 minutes, or even shorter, times that conventional techniques may not be able to achieve without significantly increasing aluminum fluoride generation and defect formation or process drift during subsequent deposition. By utilizing the method according to this technology, process drift and falling particles can be limited by removing the generated aluminum fluoride during the cleaning operation.

[0049] In the foregoing description, several details have been set forth for illustrative purposes to provide an understanding of various 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.

[0050] Several embodiments have been disclosed, and those skilled in the art will recognize that various modifications, alternative configurations, and equivalents can be used without departing from the spirit of the embodiments. Furthermore, many well-known processes and elements have not been described in order to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the technology. Therefore, the above description should not be considered as limiting the scope of the technology.

[0051] Where a range of values ​​is provided, it will be understood that, unless the context explicitly states 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 clarified or unclarified intermediate value in the clarified range and any other clarified or intermediate value in this clarified range is covered. The upper and lower limits of these narrower ranges may be independently included or excluded from the range, and each range in which any, none, or both of the limitations are included is also covered within this technique, subject to any specifically excluded limit value in the clarified range. Where the clarified range includes one or both of the limitations, the range excluding any or both of those included limits is also included.

[0052] As used herein and in the appended claims, unless the context clearly indicates 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 material” includes reference to one or more materials and their equivalents known to those skilled in the art, and so on.

[0053] Furthermore, when used in this specification and the appended claims, the terms “comprise(s)”, “comprising”, “contain(s)”, “containing”, “include(s)” and “including” are intended to specify the presence of the stated feature, integer, component, or operation, but they do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, components, operations, actions, or groups.

Claims

1. A method for controlling process drift, comprising the steps of: forming a plasma of a fluorine-containing precursor; performing a chamber clean in a processing region of a semiconductor processing chamber, wherein the processing region is at least partially defined between a faceplate and a substrate support; producing aluminum fluoride during the chamber clean; stopping the plasma formation of the fluorine-containing precursor; contacting a surface within the processing region with a carbon-containing precursor, wherein contacting the surface within the processing region with the carbon-containing precursor is performed as a plasma-less operation; and evolving aluminum fluoride from the surface of the processing region.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the surface comprises the faceplate of the semiconductor processing chamber.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the substrate support is maintained at a temperature greater than or equal to 400 °C during the method.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the faceplate is maintained at a temperature greater than or equal to 200 °C while contacting the surface within the processing region with the carbon-containing precursor.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the contacting step is performed after a substrate is delivered into the processing region of the semiconductor processing chamber.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of: pumping the processing region from a first pressure to a second pressure less than or equal to 1 Torr after the evolving step.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the contacting step further comprises the step of: flowing the carbon-containing precursor into the processing region of the semiconductor processing chamber.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the carbon-containing precursor comprises a hydrocarbon.

9. A method for controlling process drift, comprising the steps of: forming a plasma of a fluorine-containing precursor; performing a chamber clean in a processing region of a semiconductor processing chamber to remove a deposition residue of carbon-containing material, wherein the processing region is at least partially defined between a faceplate and a substrate support; producing aluminum fluoride during the chamber clean; stopping the plasma formation of the fluorine-containing precursor; contacting a surface within the processing region with a carbon-containing precursor, wherein contacting the surface within the processing region with the carbon-containing precursor is performed as a plasma-less operation; and evolving the aluminum fluoride from the surface of the processing region.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the surface comprises the faceplate of the semiconductor processing chamber.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the substrate support is maintained at a temperature greater than or equal to 400 °C during the method.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the faceplate is maintained at a temperature greater than or equal to 200 °C while contacting the surface within the processing region with the carbon-containing precursor.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the carbon-containing precursor is a precursor of the deposition residue.

14. The method of claim 9, further comprising the step of: After the volatilizing, the processing region is pumped from a first pressure to a second pressure that is less than or equal to 1 Torr.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein the carbon-containing precursor comprises a hydrocarbon.

16. A method for controlling process drift, comprising the steps of: forming a plasma of a fluorine-containing precursor; performing a chamber clean to remove deposition residue in a processing region of a semiconductor processing chamber, wherein the processing region is at least partially defined between a faceplate and a substrate support; producing aluminum fluoride during the chamber clean; stopping the plasma formation of the fluorine-containing precursor flowing a carbon-containing precursor into the processing region of the semiconductor processing chamber; contacting a surface within the processing region with the carbon-containing precursor, wherein contacting the surface within the processing region with the carbon-containing precursor is performed as a plasma-less operation; and volatilizing the aluminum fluoride from the surface of the processing region.

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