Method of semiconductor processing

Abstract

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 evaporating aluminum fluoride from the surfaces of the processing region.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] 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.

[0002] This technology relates to systems and methods for semiconductor manufacturing. More specifically, this technology relates to semiconductor processing and equipment for removing materials that cause process drift. Prior Technology

[0003] Integrated circuits may be fabricated by processes that create complex patterned material layers on a substrate surface. Creating patterned material on the substrate requires controlled methods for material formation and removal. 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 components, 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.

[0004] Therefore, there is a need for improved systems and methods for producing high-quality devices and structures. These and other needs are addressed by this technology. Summary of the Invention

[0005] 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 evaporating aluminum fluoride from the surfaces of the processing region.

[0006] In some embodiments, the surface may include a panel of a semiconductor processing chamber. A substrate support may be maintained at a temperature greater than or about 400°C during the method. The panel may be maintained at a temperature greater than or about 200°C while contacting the surface within the processing area with a carbon-containing precursor. Contact 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 evaporation. Contact may include stopping plasma formation of the fluorinated precursor. Contact may include allowing the carbon-containing precursor to flow into the processing area of ​​the semiconductor processing chamber. The carbon-containing precursor may be hydrocarbon-based or comprise hydrocarbons.

[0007] 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 area of ​​a semiconductor processing chamber to remove deposited residues of carbon-containing material. The processing area 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 a processing area of ​​a semiconductor processing chamber. Methods may include contacting surfaces within the processing area with a carbon-containing precursor. Methods may include evaporating aluminum fluoride from the surfaces of the processing area.

[0008] In some embodiments, the surface may include a panel of a semiconductor processing chamber. A substrate support may be maintained at a temperature greater than or about 400°C during the method. 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 carbon-containing precursor may be a precursor for deposited residues. 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 contact. 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 evaporation. The carbon-containing precursor may be or include hydrocarbons.

[0009] Some embodiments of this technology may cover semiconductor processing methods. Methods may include forming a plasma containing a fluorinated 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 allowing a carbon-containing precursor to flow 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.

[0010] This technology offers 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 numerous advantages and features, are described in more detail below and in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Simple Explanation of the Diagram

[0011] A further understanding of the nature and advantages of the disclosed technology can be achieved by referring to the remainder of the specification and the drawings.

[0012] Figure 1 illustrates a top plan view of an exemplary processing system according to some embodiments of the present technology.

[0013] Figure 2 illustrates a schematic cross-sectional view of an exemplary plasma system according to some embodiments of the present technology.

[0014] Figure 3 illustrates a schematic cross-sectional partial view of an exemplary processing chamber according to some embodiments of the present technology.

[0015] Figure 4 illustrates the operation of an exemplary method of semiconductor processing according to some embodiments of the present technology.

[0016] Several diagrams are included as illustrations. It will be understood that the diagrams are for illustrative purposes and are not considered to be to scale unless specifically stated otherwise. Furthermore, as illustrations, the diagrams are provided to aid understanding and may not include all features or information compared to a realistic representation, and may include materials shown across the entire assembly for illustrative purposes.

[0017] In the accompanying drawings, similar parts and / or features may have the same element symbols. Furthermore, parts of the same type may be distinguished by a letter following the element symbol to differentiate between similar parts. If only the first element symbol is used in this specification, this specification applies to any similar parts having the same first element symbol, regardless of the letter. Implementation

[0018] 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, and films for facilitating material transport and removal. For example, a hard mask film can be formed to facilitate substrate patterning while protecting underlying materials held in place by other means. Furthermore, other dielectric materials can be deposited onto the substrate to isolate transistors 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 subsequently cleanable chamber components.

[0019] 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 aluminum, contact with fluorine, for example, can produce aluminum fluoride as a byproduct. Because many chamber components can be maintained at temperatures below or far 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 maintain its adhesion to the panel and can subsequently fall onto substrates being processed, resulting in damage and yield loss. Furthermore, the panel can often be used as the power supply electrode for generating plasma during deposition. As the amount of aluminum fluoride deposited on the panel increases, it can affect plasma characteristics, which can lead to process drift.

[0020] To address this issue, conventional techniques typically attempt to reduce the formation of aluminum fluoride. However, even the most common options can still result in aluminum fluoride formation. For example, performing the process at temperatures below or around 400°C can reduce, though not eliminate, the formation of aluminum fluoride. Seasoning may be deposited around the chamber prior to deposition. However, this seasoning can typically be removed during the cleaning process, and once removed, it can still allow for the formation of aluminum fluoride. Some conventional techniques utilize a cover wafer placed on a substrate during cleaning. However, the cover wafer can also be formed from an aluminum-based material, which can still lead to the formation of aluminum fluoride when the cover wafer is exposed to cleaning gases.

[0021] 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 can also remove 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 allows for increased processing temperatures. By removing aluminum fluoride from the panel and chamber components, process drift can be reduced, and chamber uptime can be increased. Furthermore, cleaning can be performed less conservatively, which can further increase throughput.

[0022] While the remainder of this disclosure will conventionally identify specific deposition processes utilizing the disclosed techniques, it will be readily understood that the system and methods are equivalently applicable to other deposition and cleaning processes and processes that may occur within the described chambers. Therefore, the techniques should not be considered limited to use with such specific etching processes or to individual chambers. Before describing additional variations and modifications to this system according to embodiments of the present technology, this disclosure will discuss a possible system and chamber that may include components according to some embodiments of the present technology.

[0023] Figure 1 illustrates 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 wafer cassettes 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 substrate processing chambers 108a-f, which are positioned 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, in addition to plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition, atomic layer deposition, physical vapor deposition, etching, pre-cleaning, degassing, orientation, or other substrate processes including annealing, ashing, etc., these substrate processing operations include forming stacks of semiconductor materials described herein.

[0024] The substrate processing chambers 108a-f may include one or more system components for depositing, annealing, curing, and / or etching dielectric 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 may be contemplated with additional configurations for chambers for the deposition, etching, annealing, and curing of dielectric films.

[0025] Figure 2 illustrates a schematic cross-sectional view of an exemplary plasma system 200 according to an embodiment of the present technology. The plasma system 200 may show a pair of processing chambers 108, which may be adapted within one or more of the series 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 internal 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.

[0026] For example, processing area 220B (whose components may also be included in processing area 220A) may include a base 228 disposed in the processing area through a channel 222 formed in the bottom wall 216 of the plasma system 200. The base 228 may provide a heater adapted to support a substrate 229 on an exposed surface of the base (such as the main body portion). The 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. The base 228 may also be heated by a distal heating element (such as a lamp assembly, or any other heating device).

[0027] The body of base 228 can be coupled to rod 226 via flange 233. Rod 226 can electrically couple base 228 to a power outlet or power box 203. Power 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 a power interface to provide power to base 228. Power box 203 may also include interfaces for power and temperature indicators, such as thermocouple interfaces. Rod 226 may include a base assembly 238 adapted for detachable coupling with power box 203. Circumferential ring 235 is illustrated above power box 203. In some embodiments, circumferential ring 235 may be adapted as a shoulder of a mechanical stop or platform configured to provide a mechanical interface between base assembly 238 and upper surface of power box 203.

[0028] The rod 230 is included in the channel 224 formed in the bottom wall 216 of the processing area 220B and can be used to position the substrate lifting pin 261 through the main body of the base 228. The substrate lifting pin 261 can selectively separate the substrate 229 from the base to facilitate the exchange of the substrate 229 with a robot used to transport the substrate 229 through the substrate transfer port 260 into and out of the processing area 220B.

[0029] A chamber cover 204 may be coupled to the top of a chamber body 202. The cover 204 may house one or more precursor dispensing systems 208 coupled thereto. The precursor dispensing system 208 may include a precursor inlet channel 240 that delivers reactants and cleaning precursors through 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 in the middle of 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 the 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 radio frequency power from being conducted to the cover 204. A shielding ring 206 may be disposed on the periphery of the base 228 of the engagement base 228.

[0030] Optional cooling channels 247 may be formed in the gas box 248 of the gas distribution system 208 to cool the gas box 248 during operation. Heat transfer fluids (such as water, glycol, gas, or the like) may circulate through the cooling channels 247, allowing the gas box 248 to be maintained at a predefined temperature. A liner assembly 227 may be disposed within the processing zone 220B adjacent to 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. A plurality of 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.

[0031] Figure 3 illustrates a schematic partial cross-sectional view of an exemplary processing system 300 according to some embodiments of the present technology. Figure 3 may illustrate further details, for example, regarding components in system 200. It will be understood that in some embodiments, system 300 includes any features or configurations of system 200 previously discussed. System 300 may be used to perform semiconductor processing operations, including depositing hard masks or any other materials as previously described, and other deposition, removal, or cleaning operations. System 300 may illustrate a partial view of chamber components discussed and that may be integrated into a semiconductor processing system. As will be readily understood by those skilled in the art, any configuration of system 300 may also be integrated with other processing chambers or systems.

[0032] System 300 may include a chamber body 310, which may include sidewalls and a base, and in some embodiments a cover, all of which may at least partially define an internal volume, which may include a processing area in which a substrate can be processed. A base or substrate support 315 may extend through the base of the chamber as previously discussed 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 that positions or partially defines 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 may receive precursors from a gas delivery system through the cover of the chamber body.

[0033] In some embodiments, the baffle 335 may function as a choke to facilitate the lateral or radial distribution of the precursor through the components. The baffle 335 may rest on the panel 340, which may define a plurality of holes through which the precursor can be delivered to the processing area and substrate. The panel may also be coupled to a power source for generating plasma of the processed precursor within the processing area of ​​the chamber. The stacked components may be temperature-controlled to facilitate the performed operation. For example, while the gas chamber 330 may be cooled, in some embodiments the panel 340 may be heated. A panel heater 342 may rest on the panel 340 and may be 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, the panel heater 342 may heat the panel to temperatures higher than those of standard deposition systems. This additional heat load may result in increased distribution through the baffle 335 to cooling components (such as the 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.

[0034] For example, the baffle 335 may have a wider contact surface against the panel compared to the gas chamber. Furthermore, recessed wedges 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 protrusions formed in contact with the gas chamber may extend radially sufficiently 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 provide entry points for precursors or fluids delivered into the chamber.

[0035] For example, an outlet manifold 345 may be positioned on a gas chamber 330 or some other chamber component and may provide fluid through a central bore into the chamber, which may be axially aligned with the central bore of the illustrated 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 dispensing into the processing chamber. A remote plasma source unit 350 may be additionally coupled to the outlet manifold 345 and may be placed on a connector 355. Although the outlet manifold may provide an inlet or bypass passage into the processing chamber or to the central bore for delivery of precursors, the central bore through the outlet manifold may be axially aligned with the central bore through the connector 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.

[0036] Figure 4 illustrates 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 that 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 such operations are not critical to the technology or may be performed by alternative methods that would be readily understood.

[0037] Method 400 may include additional operations prior to the operations listed above. For example, semiconductor processing may be performed prior to initiating method 400, and this processing may include deposition operations performed within a processing region of the chamber. The processing operations may be performed in the chamber or system in which method 400 is performed. For example, once the substrate has been received in the processing chamber, such as including 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 amount of material, including hard masks, dielectric materials, metals or other conductive materials, and 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.

[0038] 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 this fluorinated precursor may be used to generate a plasma effluent in operation 405. The fluorinated precursor may be 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 pass through exposed surfaces configured to contact the panel, and surfaces within the processing area, such as the base platform, chamber sidewalls, or any other surface that may define the substrate processing area or be exposed.

[0039] As discussed above, many components of the processing chamber may be made of or include aluminum. The panels and chamber walls may be made of 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 quaternium is removed) may allow the formation of aluminum fluoride in operation 415 due to the interaction of aluminum with fluorine radicals. Temperature can significantly affect the formation of aluminum fluoride, and in some embodiments, the technique can perform deposition and / or cleaning operations at substrate or substrate support temperatures greater than or about 400°C, and can be performed 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.

[0040] 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 surface. This can affect subsequent processing by causing falling particles to impact the substrate, or process drift can occur when the panel (which may be the active electrode in the deposition) can be deposited with aluminum fluoride. To reduce buildup and remove aluminum fluoride from the processing chambers, this technology may perform one or more additional steps to convert the aluminum fluoride into volatile species that can be rinsed off the chambers.

[0041] After cleaning has been performed, in operation 420, method 400, surfaces within the treatment area may be brought into contact with a carbon-containing precursor. The carbon-containing precursor may flow to ensure contact with exposed surfaces (such as panels and chamber walls) in the treatment area, which may be at a lower temperature that would lead to aluminum fluoride buildup. The carbon-containing precursor may be any amount of 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, the material 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.

[0042] In some embodiments, carbon-containing precursors may allow the formation of materials characterized by the general formula AlFx(CH3)y, where x and y can be any integer or decimal. These materials may be more volatile than aluminum fluoride and may be volatilized from the chamber surface. The process may be performed thermally, and in some embodiments, contact operations may be performed as plasma-free operations and as thermally activated operations. However, the reaction used to produce methylated aluminum fluoride may not occur at temperatures sufficient to sustain many chamber components. For example, although the panel may be heated during deposition operations or processing, the temperature may be insufficient to provide a reaction. Thus, in some embodiments, the panel may be maintained at temperatures 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 contact operations and other operations, or all operations of the method may be performed using the panel at any of the mentioned temperatures. By utilizing the higher panel temperature during contact, the reaction and generation of volatile byproducts can be promoted, which subsequently allows material to be removed from the surface within the processing chamber during operation 425. The material can then be rinsed from the chamber.

[0043] Although deposition and cleaning operations can be performed at chamber pressures of 1 Torr or higher, 3 Torr or higher, 10 Torr or higher, in some embodiments, once volatile byproducts are generated from aluminum fluoride, a venting operation can be performed, which can 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 flushed out of the chamber and reduces the likelihood of redeposition on additional chamber surfaces.

[0044] 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 can be delivered after treatment with fluorine radical species. Thus, after a sufficient cleaning time, plasma generation of the fluorine-containing precursor can be stopped, and the chamber can be flushed. The carbon-containing precursor can then flow into the chamber while the chamber remains substrate-free. Volatile species can then be pumped from the chamber, and subsequent treatments, such as quaternization or substrate delivery, can be performed.

[0045] 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 activation, the carbon-containing precursor may flow into the processing area to generate volatile aluminum fluoride byproducts, which may then be pumped from the chamber. The flow of the carbon-containing precursor, along with the delivery of one or more additional precursors, may subsequently continue or be modulated while plasma is activated to continue the deposition of the carbon-containing material. Thus, a carbon-containing precursor, which may be a precursor for deposition residues, can also be used to facilitate the removal of aluminum fluoride from the chamber components. Similarly, if a quaternary compound applied to the chamber can be formed using a suitable carbon-containing precursor, the carbon-containing precursor may flow into the chamber to generate volatile aluminum fluoride byproducts before delivery of the substrate or any quaternary compound plasma formation, followed by rinsing of the quaternary compound precursor and subsequent plasma enhancement.

[0046] Additional operations may 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 deposition and after the substrate has been removed, the substrate support may be raised back to the operating position during cleaning. However, in some embodiments of the present technology, method 400 may include lowering the substrate support to a level aligned with or below the slit valve or the inlet to the chamber. Movement of the substrate support may occur during the cleaning operation, for example, after an initial period of time in which the substrate support is held at the processing or cleaning height. The flow of the carbon-containing precursor may be continuous during the movement of the substrate support. This allows for the cleaning of additional surfaces of aluminum fluoride.

[0047] In many conventional processes that perform aluminum fluoride mitigation, the cleaning process itself can be customized to attempt to limit aluminum fluoride formation. Besides lowering the processing temperature, the cleaning process can be performed using minimal amounts of fluorinated precursors. However, because this technique removes the generated aluminum fluoride, production can have fewer problems, and therefore, a more aggressive cleaning can be performed. For example, in some embodiments, cleaning time can be significantly reduced by increasing the flow of fluorinated precursors. This technique can limit process drift to over 90% per 100 substrates, and therefore allows for better control of aluminum fluoride formation during cleaning. Therefore, unlike conventional techniques, the process may include performing a cleaning operation at a flow rate of fluorinated precursor greater than or about 500 sccm, and may 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 cleaning times shorter than or about 4 minutes, and may be shorter 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 less, in cases where such conventional techniques may not be feasible without significantly increasing aluminum fluoride generation and defect generation or process drift during subsequent deposition. By utilizing the method according to this technique, process drift and falling particles can be limited by removing the generated aluminum fluoride during the cleaning operation.

[0048] In the foregoing description, several details have been set forth for illustrative purposes in order 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.

[0049] With several embodiments disclosed, 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 to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the art. Therefore, the above description should not be considered as limiting the scope of the art.

[0050] Where a range of values ​​is provided, it will be understood that, unless the context explicitly indicates otherwise, the minimum fraction of each intermediate value to the lower limit unit between the upper and lower limits of that range is also specifically disclosed. This encompasses any narrower range between any mentioned value or intermediate value not mentioned in the mentioned range and any other mentioned value or intermediate value in the mentioned range. The upper and lower limits of such narrower ranges may be independently included or excluded from the range, and each range (where any limit value, no limit value, or both limit values ​​are included in the narrower range) is also covered within the scope of the technique, based on any specifically excluded limit value in the mentioned range. Where a mentioned range includes one or two limit values, the range excluding any one or both of those included limit values ​​is also included.

[0051] As used herein and in the claims of the appended patent, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the singular forms “a”, “an”, and “the” include plural references. Thus, for example, reference to “a precursor” includes a plurality of such precursors, and reference to “the material” includes reference to one or more materials and their equivalents known to those skilled in the art, etc.

[0052] Furthermore, when used in this specification and the following claims, the terms "comprise(s)", "comprising", "contain(s)", "containing", "include(s)", and "including" are intended to specify the presence of the mentioned feature, integer, component, or operation, but such terms do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, components, operations, etc., or groups.

[0053] 100: Processing System 102: Front-opening wafer cassette 104: Robotic Arm 106: Low-voltage holding area 108a: Substrate processing chamber 108b: Substrate processing chamber 108c: Substrate processing chamber 108d: Substrate processing chamber 108e: Substrate processing chamber 108f: Substrate processing chamber 109a: Series Section 109b: Series Section 109c: Series section 110: Second robotic arm 200: Plasma System 201: Internal sidewall 202: Main body of the chamber 203: Electrical Box 204: Cover 206: Shielding ring 208: Gas Distribution System 212: Sidewall 216:Bottom wall 218: Gas delivery assembly 220A: Processing Area 220B: Processing Area 222: Channel 224: Channel 225: Circumferential pumping cavity 226: pole 227: Pad assembly 228: Base 229:Substrate 230: Great 231: Discharge Port 232: Heating element 233: Flange 235: Zhou Xianghuan 238: Base Component 240: Precursor entry channel 244: Barrier Plate 246: Panel 247: Cooling Channel 248: Air Box 258: Dielectric Isolator 260: Substrate transfer port 261: Substrate lifting pin 264: Pumping System 265: Radio Frequency (RF) Source 300: Processing System 310: Main body of the chamber 315: Substrate support 320: Support Platform 322: Semiconductor substrate 325: Shaft 330: Air Box 335: Baffle 340: Panel 342: Panel heater 345: Export Manifold 350: Remote plasma source unit 355: Adapter 400: Method 405: Operation 410: Operation 415: Operation 420: Operation 425: Operation

[0054] Domestic storage information (please note in order of storage institution, date, and number) none Overseas storage information (please note in the order of storage country, institution, date, and number) none

Claims

1. A semiconductor processing method comprising the steps of: forming a plasma containing a fluorine precursor; performing a chamber cleaning in a processing region of a semiconductor processing chamber, wherein the processing region is at least partially defined between a panel and a substrate support; generating aluminum fluoride during the chamber cleaning; contacting a surface within the processing region with a carbon-containing precursor to generate methylated aluminum fluoride, wherein the step of contacting the surface within the processing region with the carbon-containing precursor is performed as a plasma-free operation; and volatilizing the aluminum fluoride from the surfaces of the processing region.

2. The semiconductor processing method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the surfaces comprise the panel of the semiconductor processing chamber.

3. The semiconductor processing method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the substrate support is maintained at a temperature greater than or about 400°C during the method.

4. The semiconductor processing method as claimed in claim 3, wherein the panel is maintained at a temperature greater than or about 200°C while the surfaces in the processing area are in contact with the carbon-containing precursor.

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

6. The semiconductor processing method as claimed in claim 1 further comprises the following steps: after the evaporation, pumping the processing area from a first pressure to a second pressure of less than or about 1 Torr.

7. The semiconductor processing method of claim 1, wherein the contact step comprises the following steps: stopping the plasma formation of the fluorine-containing precursor; and allowing the carbon-containing precursor to flow into the processing region of the semiconductor processing chamber.

8. The semiconductor processing method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the carbon-containing precursor comprises a hydrocarbon.

9. A semiconductor processing method comprising the steps of: forming a plasma containing a fluorinated precursor; performing a chamber cleaning in a processing region of a semiconductor processing chamber to remove a carbon-containing material deposition residue, wherein the processing region is at least partially defined between a panel and a substrate support; generating aluminum fluoride during the chamber cleaning; providing a substrate to the processing region of the semiconductor processing chamber; contacting a surface in the processing region with a carbon-containing precursor to generate methylated aluminum fluoride, wherein the step of contacting the surface in the processing region with a carbon-containing precursor is performed as a plasma-free operation; and volatilizing the aluminum fluoride from the surfaces of the processing region.

10. The semiconductor processing method of claim 9, wherein the surfaces comprise the panel of the semiconductor processing chamber.

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

12. The semiconductor processing method of claim 11, wherein the panel is maintained at a temperature greater than or about 200°C while the surfaces in the processing area are in contact with the carbon-containing precursor.

13. The semiconductor processing method as claimed in claim 9, wherein the carbon-containing precursor is a precursor of the deposited residue.

14. The semiconductor processing method of claim 9 further comprises the steps of: generating a plasma of the carbon-containing precursor after the contact; and depositing a carbon-containing material on the substrate.

15. The semiconductor processing method of claim 9 further comprises the step of: after the evaporation, pumping the processing area from a first pressure to a second pressure of less than or about 1 Torr.

16. The semiconductor processing method as claimed in claim 9, wherein the carbon-containing precursor comprises a hydrocarbon.

17. A semiconductor processing method comprising the steps of: forming a plasma containing a fluorine precursor; performing a chamber cleaning in a processing region of a semiconductor processing chamber to remove deposited residues, wherein the processing region is at least partially defined between a panel and a substrate support; generating aluminum fluoride during the chamber cleaning; flowing a carbon-containing precursor into the processing region of the semiconductor processing chamber; contacting a surface in the processing region with the carbon-containing precursor to generate methylated aluminum fluoride, wherein the step of contacting the surface in the processing region with the carbon-containing precursor is performed as a plasma-free operation; and volatilizing the aluminum fluoride from the surfaces of the processing region.

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