Hybrid preclean chamber and methods

Abstract

Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to a processing system. In one or more embodiments, the processing system includes a processing chamber and a flow assembly coupled to the processing chamber including a plasma source. A chamber body, a substrate support, and a lid assembly include an aluminum material treated with a coating having a y value of less than about 9x10-4. The processing chamber is configured to perform a method of pretreating a substrate. The method includes performing a first carbon clean process on the substrate disposed in a processing chamber utilizing a plasma formed in the plasma source using one or more gases. The plasma flows into the processing chamber via the flow assembly. A first selective oxide removal process is performed on the substrate disposed in the processing chamber. The first selective oxide removal process utilizes one or more process gases.

Description

HYBRID PRECLEAN CHAMBER AND METHODSBACKGROUNDField

[0001] Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to semiconductor processing equipment. More particularly, embodiments of the present disclosure relate to semiconductor fabrication and in situ cleaning methods using the same.Description of the Related Art

[0002] In the fabrication of electronic devices on semiconductor substrates, a substrate can be positioned on a heated pedestal configured to control the temperature of the substrate. Gases can flow over the substrate to process the substrate, such as to deposit on the substrate, pre-clean the substrate, and / or etch the substrate.

[0003] Carbon clean and oxide selective removal are two pre-treatment operations prior to epitaxial growth. However, the carbon clean and oxide selective removal processes are typically performed in separate chambers. This is due, in part, to the fact that in the typical carbon clean chamber, a quartz components are utilized, which would be etched away during the oxide removal process. Furthermore, the typical oxide selective removal chamber utilizes aluminum alloy components with an electroless nickel plating (ENP) coating. The ENP coating, however, cannot be used with the hydrogen radical carbon clean process due to a high recombination rate with the hydrogen radicals.

[0004] Due to these technical obstacles, the substrate is moved between separate chambers multiple times prior to epitaxial deposition process in order to properly prepare the substrate for the epitaxial deposition process. This increases the cost and complexity of the manufacturing process. Therefore, there is a need for improved processing techniques for carbon clean and oxide selective removal prior to epitaxial deposition.SUMMARY

[0005] In one embodiments, processing system is disclosed. The processing system includes a processing chamber includes a chamber body, a substrate support disposed within the chamber body, and a lid assembly is disposed at an upper end of the chamber body. The chamber body, substrate support, and lid assembly include an aluminum material treated with a coating. The coating has a recombination coefficient of less than about 9x1 O’4A flow assembly is coupled to the processing chamber. The flow assembly includes a plasma source, an isolator, an ion filter, a flow adapter; and a plate assembly.

[0006] In another embodiment, a method or pretreating a substrate is disclosed. The method of pretreating a substrate includes producing a plasma from one or more gases in a plasma source of a flow assembly. The flow assembly is coupled to a processing chamber. A first carbon clean process is performed on the substrate disposed in a processing chamber utilizing the plasma. The plasma flows into the processing chamber via the flow assembly. A first selective oxide removal process is performed on the substrate disposed in the processing chamber. The first selective oxide removal process utilizes one or more process gases. A surface treatment is performed on the substrate. A second selective oxide removal process is performed on the substrate disposed in the processing chamber. The second selective oxide removal process utilizes one or more process gases. A second carbon clean process is performed on the substrate disposed in the processing chamber utilizing the plasma. An epitaxial deposition is performed on the substrate.

[0007] In yet another embodiment, a processing system is disclosed. The processing system includes a processing chamber and a flow assembly coupled to the processing chamber. The flow assembly includes a plasma source. The processing chamber includes a chamber body, a substrate support disposed within the chamber body, and a lid assembly disposed at an upper end of the chamber body. The chamber body, substrate support, and lid assembly include an aluminum material treated with a coating. Thecoating has a recombination coefficient of less than about 9x1 O’4. The processing chamber includes a controller that is configured to perform a method of pretreating a substrate disposed on the substrate support. The method includes performing a first carbon clean process on the substrate disposed in a processing chamber utilizing the plasma formed in the plasma source. The plasma flows into the processing chamber via the flow assembly. A first selective oxide removal process is performed on the substrate disposed in the processing chamber. The first selective oxide removal process utilizes one or more process gases.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0008] So that the manner in which the above recited features of the present disclosure can be understood in detail, a more particular description of the disclosure, briefly summarized above, may be had by reference to embodiments, some of which are illustrated in the appended drawings. It is to be noted, however, that the appended drawings illustrate only typical embodiments of this disclosure and are therefore not to be considered limiting of scope, for the disclosure may admit to other equally effective embodiments.

[0009] Figure 1 is a partial schematic cross sectional side view of a processing system, according to one or more embodiments.

[0010] Figure 2 is a schematic side cross-sectional view of a flow assembly, according to one or more embodiments.

[0011] Figure 3 is a flow diagram view of a method of pretreating a substrate, according to one or more embodiments.

[0012] To facilitate understanding, identical reference numerals have been used, where possible, to designate identical elements that are common to the figures. It is contemplated that elements disclosed in one embodiment may be beneficially utilized on other embodiments without specific recitation.DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0013] Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to semiconductor processing equipment. More particularly, embodiments of thepresent disclosure relate to semiconductor fabrication and in situ dry cleaning methods using the same.

[0014] Figure 1 is a partial schematic cross sectional side view of a processing system 101. The processing system 101 includes a processing chamber 100. The processing chamber 100 includes a chamber body 102, a lid assembly 104, and a substrate support 106. In one or more examples, the substrate support 106 includes a pedestal. The lid assembly 104 is disposed at an upper end of the chamber body 102, and the substrate support 106 is at least partially disposed within the chamber body 102. The processing chamber 100 and the associated hardware can be formed from one or more process-compatible materials, such as an aluminum, a stainless steel, a ceramic, and a silicon carbide (SiC).

[0015] The process-compatible materials (e.g., aluminum) used in the processing chamber 100 and associated hardware is treated with a coating. The coating includes dinitrophenol (DNP), nickel oxyfluoride (NiOF), yttrium oxyfluoride (YOF) and yttrium oxide (Y2O3), yttrium aluminum garnet (YAG), silicon oxide (SiC ) and aluminum oxide (AI2O3). The coating on the processing chamber and associated hardware is such that it has a low recombination coefficient with the hydrogen radicals, e.g., the material has a low y value. For example, the y value is less than about 9x1 O’4. The y value (recombination coefficient) of a material is defined as the rate of recombination divided by the product of the electron and ion densities (neand ni, respectively). Mathematically, the y value is defined by Equation 1 : y = R / (ne* ni) (1 ) where R is the recombination rate. The coating has a thickness of about 50 nm to about 200 nm, such as about 100 nm to about 150 nm, such as about 120 nm to about 130 nm.

[0016] The chamber body 102 includes a slit valve opening 108 formed in a sidewall thereof to provide access to the interior of the processing chamber 100. The slit valve opening 108 is selectively opened and closed to allow access to the interior of the chamber body 102 by a handling robot. Asubstrate can be transported in and out of the processing chamber 100 through the slit valve opening 108 to an adjacent transfer chamber and / or load-lock chamber, or another chamber within a cluster tool.

[0017] In one or more examples, the chamber body 102 includes a channel 110 for flowing a heat transfer fluid therethrough. The heat transfer fluid can be a heating fluid or a coolant and is used to control the temperature of the chamber body 102 during processing and substrate transfer. The temperature of the chamber body 102 can be controlled to prevent unwanted condensation of the gas or byproducts on the chamber walls. Exemplary heat transfer fluids include water, nitrogen gas, ethylene glycol, or a mixture thereof. Other heat transfer fluids are contemplated.

[0018] The chamber body 102 also includes a liner 112 that surrounds the substrate support 106. The liner 112 can be removable for servicing and cleaning. The liner 112 can be made of a metal such as aluminum or stainless steel, silicon carbide (SiC), or a ceramic material. The liner 112 can be any process compatible material. The liner 112 can be bead blasted to increase the adhesion of any material deposited thereon, thereby preventing flaking of material which results in contamination of the processing chamber 100. In one or more examples, the liner 112 includes one or more apertures 114 and a pumping channel 116 formed therein that is in fluid communication with a vacuum system. The apertures 114 can provide a flow path for gases into the pumping channel 116, which provides an egress for the gases within the processing chamber 100.

[0019] The vacuum system can include a vacuum pump 118 and a throttle valve 120 to regulate flow of gases through the processing chamber 100. The vacuum pump 118 is coupled to a vacuum port 122 disposed on the chamber body 102 and therefore in fluid communication with the pumping channel 116 formed in the liner 112. An aperture 124 is aligned with the slit valve opening 108 disposed on a side wall of the chamber body 102. The aperture 124 is formed within the liner 112 to allow entry and egress of substrates to / from the chamber body 102. The terms “gas” and “gases” are used interchangeably, unless otherwise noted, and can refer to one or more precursors, reactants,catalysts, carrier, purge, cleaning, etching, combinations thereof, as well as any other fluid introduced into the chamber body 102.

[0020] The apertures 114 can allow the pumping channel 116 to be in fluid communication with a processing volume 126 within the chamber body 102. The processing volume 126 can be defined by a lower surface of the lid assembly 104 and an upper surface of the substrate support 106, and can be surrounded by the liner 112. The apertures 114 may be uniformly sized and evenly spaced about the liner 112. Any number, position, size or shape of apertures may be used, and the number, position, size or shape of apertures can vary depending on the flow pattern of gas across the substrate receiving surface as is discussed in more detail below. In addition, the size, number and position of the apertures 114 can be configured to achieve uniform flow of gases exiting the processing chamber 100. The aperture size and location may be configured to provide rapid or high capacity pumping to facilitate a rapid exhaust of gas from the processing chamber 100. For example, the number and size of apertures 114 in closer proximity to the vacuum port 122 may be smaller than the size of apertures 114 positioned farther away from the vacuum port 122.

[0021] In operation, one or more gases exiting the processing chamber 100 flow through the apertures 114 formed through the liner 112, and flow into the pumping channel 116. The gas then flows within the pumping channel 116 and through ports into a vacuum channel and exits the vacuum channel through the vacuum port 122 into the vacuum pump 118.

[0022] The lid assembly 104 includes a number of components stacked on top of one another, as shown in Figure 1. In one or more examples, the lid assembly 104 includes a lid rim 128, a gas delivery assembly 130, and a top plate 132. The gas delivery assembly 130 is coupled to the lid rim 128 (such as an upper surface of the lid rim 128) and can be arranged to reduce thermal contact with the lid rim 128. The components of the lid assembly 104 can be constructed of a material having a high thermal conductivity and low thermal resistance, such as an aluminum alloy with a highly finished surface. The thermal resistance of the components of the lid assembly 104 can be lessthan about 5x1 O’4m2K / W. The lid rim 128 can hold the weight of the components making up the lid assembly 104 and can be coupled to an upper surface of the chamber body 102 via a hinge assembly to provide access to the internal chamber components, such as the substrate support 106 for example.

[0023] The lid assembly 104 includes an electrode 134 to generate a plasma of reactive species within the processing volume 126. In one or more examples, the electrode 134 is supported on the top plate 132 and is electrically isolated from the top plate 132. For example, an isolator ring 136 can be disposed about a lower portion of the electrode 134 to separate the electrode 134 from the top plate 132. The isolator ring 136 can be made from aluminum oxide or any other electrically insulative and process compatible material.

[0024] In one or more examples, the electrode 134 is coupled to a power source and the gas delivery assembly 130 is connected to ground (e.g. the gas delivery assembly 130 can serve as an electrode). Accordingly, a plasma of one or more process gases can be generated in the processing volume 126 and / or within the gas delivery assembly 130.

[0025] Any power source capable of activating the gases into reactive species and maintaining the plasma of reactive species may be used. For example, radio frequency (RF), direct current (DC), and / or microwave (MW) based power discharge techniques may be used. The activation may also be generated by a thermally based technique, a gas breakdown technique, a high intensity light source (e.g., UV energy), and / or exposure to an x-ray source. A remote activation source may be used, such as a remote plasma generator, to generate a plasma of reactive species which are then delivered into the processing chamber 100. While the processing chamber 100 is shown and described as a plasma processing chamber, the substrate support 106 as described herein may be utilized in other chambers that are not utilized for plasma processing, such as chemical vapor deposition (CVD) processes.

[0026] The substrate support 106 includes a cooling base 138. The cooling base 138 is coupled to a support member 140 and a flange 142 of a stem 144. The cooling base 138 includes a plurality of cooling channels 146 formed therein for flowing a coolant. The support member 140 includes a plurality of heating elements 148. The heating elements 148 can function as a multi-zone heater.

[0027] A controller 180 is coupled to the chamber body 102. The controller 180 controls various processing parameters of the chamber body 102, such as the chamber body temperature, chamber body pressure, process gas flow rate, plasma flow rate, position of the substrate, and other parameters. The controller 180 controls the various processing parameters by controlling various components of the processing system 101. The controller 180 is configured to receive data or input from the processing system. The controller includes a memory 184, support circuits 186, and a central processing unit (CPU) 188 (e.g., a processor) that are coupled to one another. The controller 180 controls various components of the processing system 101 directly, or via other computers and or controllers.

[0028] The CPU 188 is any form of general purpose computer processor that is used in an industrial setting for controlling the processing chamber 100, such as a programmable logic controller (PLC), supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) systems, general purpose graphics processing unit (GPU), or other suitable industrial controller. The memory 184, or non- transitory computer readable medium, is one or more of a readily available memory such as random access memory (RAM), dynamic random access memory (DRAM), static RAM (SRAM), and synchronous dynamic RAM (SDRAM) (e.g., DDR1 , DDR2, DDR3, DDRL3, LPDDR3, DDR4, LPDDR4, and the like), read only memory (ROM), floppy disk, hard disk, flash drive, or any other form of digital storage, local or remote. The support circuits 186 of the controller 180 are coupled to the CPU 188 for supporting the CPU 188. The support circuits 186 include cache, power supplies, clock circuits, input / output circuitry and subsystems, and the like.

[0029] The memory 184 contains instructions that, when executed by the CPU 188, facilitates execution of the method 300. The instructions in the memory 184 are in the form of a program product such as a program that implements the method of the present disclosure. The program code of the program product may conform to any one of a number of different programming languages.

[0030] Operational parameters and operations are stored in the memory 184 as a software routine that is executed or invoked to turn the controller 180 into a specific purpose controller to control the operations of the processing system 101 . The controller 180 is configured to conduct any of the operations described herein. The instructions stored on the memory 184, when executed, cause one or more of the operations (such as operations of the method 300) described herein to be conducted in relation to the processing system 101 .

[0031] Figure 2 is a schematic side cross-sectional view of a flow assembly 200. The flow assembly 200 includes a plasma source 210. At least part of the flow assembly 200 can be used in place of at least part of the lid assembly 104 in Figure 1. The flow assembly 200 can be coupled to the processing chamber 100 in Figure 1. The plate assembly 229 includes a spacer plate 230 and a mixing manifold 235. The various components of the flow assembly 200 can be formed of a metal (such as aluminum or stainless steel), a ceramic, silicon carbide (SiC), and / or other materials.

[0032] The plate assembly 229 can be coupled to the processing chamber 205. The processing chamber 205 may be coupled to the processing chamber 100, or replace at least a part of the lid assembly 104 of the processing chamber 100. The plasma source 210, the isolator 215, and the ion filter 217 are part of a plasma source assembly 201. The flow adapter 220 is coupled between the plasma source assembly 201 and the plate assembly 229. The plasma source assembly 201 is operable to supply a gas for forming a plasma to the processing volume 126 via the flow adapter 220 and the plate assembly 229 (such as the manifold 235).

[0033] The plasma source 210 generates a plasma from one or more gases. The plasma includes hydrogen radicals, chlorine radicals, other radicals, a combination thereof. The plasma source may be a remote plasma chamber, an inductive coupled plasma (ICP) source, a capacitively coupled plasma source (CCP), or any other suitable plasma source. The plasma may be utilized in the processing chamber 205 for carbon cleaning processes, where the plasma removes carbon residue from the surface of the substrate.

[0034] The isolator 215 may be coupled with plasma source 210 and the ion filter 217 such that the plasma may flow from the plasma source 210 to the ion filter 217 through the isolator 215. The isolator 215 may be defined by one or more flow openings, e.g., a central flow opening extending from the plasma source 210 to the ion filter 217. The central flow opening may transition to smaller flow openings as the plasma flows toward the ion filter 217. The isolator 215 may also define one or more trenches beneath isolator 215. The trenches may be or include one or more annular recesses defined within isolator 215 to allow seating of an o-ring or elastomeric element, which may facilitate coupling with the ion filter 217. The isolator 215 can be formed of a thermally conductive material to provide a thermal break, or the isolator 215 may be formed of a less thermally conductive material.

[0035] The ion filter 217 is coupled to the flow adapter 220 such that the plasma may flow from the isolator 215 to the flow adapter 220. The ion filter 217 removes the ions formed during the plasma generation, enabling only the radicals formed during plasma generation to flow through the flow assembly 200 and into the processing chamber 205.

[0036] Flow adapter 220 may be coupled to the ion filter 217 and the spacer plate 230 such that the plasma may flow from the ion filter 217 to the spacer plate 230. Flow adapter 220 may define one or more central cavities through portions of flow adapter 220. For example, an inlet cavity 219, or a first central channel, may extend at least partially through flow adapter 220 towards the spacer plate 230, and may extend through any length of flow adapter 220. The inlet cavity 219 may extend less than half of a length through flow adapter 220, may extend about half of the length of flow adapter220, or may extend more than half of the length of flow adapter 220. The inlet cavity 219 may include a diameter of a shape circumscribing the smaller flow openings of isolator 215, such as by having a radius substantially similar to or equivalent to a radius defined from a central axis through isolator 215 and extending to an outer edge of a diameter of the smaller flow openings. For example, inlet cavity 219 may have a circular or ovular shape that includes one or more diameters that may extend tangentially with an outer portion of the smaller flow openings of isolator 215.

[0037] Flow adapter 220 may define a base of inlet cavity 219 within the flow adapter 220, which may define a transition from inlet cavity 219 to second flow openings 225 that may at least partially extend through flow adapter 220. The transition may occur at any position along a length of the adapter. In one or more examples, the second flow openings 225 may extend through a mid-portion of flow adapter 220 to a second end accessing an outlet cavity 221 , which may extend into the spacer plate 230. The outlet cavity 221 (which can be a second central channel) may have a diameter similar to the inlet cavity 219, or may have a diameter greater than or less than the diameter of the inlet cavity 219. The second flow openings 225 may have a diameter less than or about 50% of a diameter of the inlet cavity 219, and may have a diameter less than or about 40% of a diameter of the inlet cavity 219, less than or about 30% of a diameter of the inlet cavity 219, less than or about 20% of a diameter of the inlet cavity 219, less than or about 10% of a diameter of the inlet cavity 219, less than or about 5% of a diameter of the inlet cavity 219.

[0038] Flow adapter 220 may include one or more angled flow openings 222 (such as one or more ports) formed in an outer surface of the flow adapter 220, such as formed in a sidewall or side portion of the flow adapter 220. The one or more angled flow openings 222 can respectively flow a gas (such as a precursor) to be mixed with the plasma flowed from the plasma source 210. The plasma flowed through the one or more angled flow openings 222 can flow to the outlet cavity 221. In the outlet cavity 221 the gas(es) flowing from the one or more angled flow openings 222 (e.g., centralflow opening) are mixed with the plasma supplied from the plasma source 210 and flowing through the second flow openings 225. The one or more angled flow openings 222 can extend along a central longitudinal axis of the flow adapter 220.

[0039] The present disclosure contemplates that the one or more angled flow openings 222 can extend to the inlet cavity 219 (as shown in ghost with numeral 226b) such that mixing of gases can occur in the inlet cavity 219 and then flow through the second flow openings 225, in addition to or in place of the mixing in the outlet cavity 221. The present disclosure contemplates that the flow adapter 220 may include any version of the one or more angled flow openings 222 extending towards the spacer plate 230.

[0040] Flow adapter 220 may be made of a similar or different material from isolator 215. In one or more examples, the flow adapter 220 is formed of a metal (such as aluminum or stainless steel, an oxide thereof, or a treated surface thereof), a ceramic, silicon carbide (SiC), and / or other materials. Interior surfaces of flow adapter 220 may be coated with the coating to protect flow adapter 220 from damage that may be caused by the gases flowing therein. The flow adapter 220 may include trenches at the interface of the flow adapter 220 and the ion filter 217 and the flow adapter 220 and the spacer plate 230. The trenches may be annular trenches, and may be configured to seat o-rings or other sealing elements.

[0041] The flow adapter 220 may optionally include a recess extending into the flow adapter 220, and within which a first baffle plate 231 may be seated. The first baffle plate 231 may optionally be included in some system configurations, and may provide improved mixing of the plasma and the process gas flowing through flow adapter 220. The first baffle plate 231 may include one or more apertures or channels through which the gases may flow, which may increase uniformity of mixing of the plasma and the process gas.

[0042] The spacer plate 230 of the plate assembly 229 may be coupled to the flow adapter 220 and to the mixing manifold 235 such that the mixture of the plasma and process gas may flow from the flow adapter 220 to the mixingmanifold 235. The spacer plate 230 may be or include ceramic, and may be formed of a similar material as isolator 215 and / or flow adapter 220. Spacer plate 230 may include a central opening 232 therethrough. The central opening 232 (e.g., an aperture) can include a taper. A portion of central opening 232 adjacent the outlet cavity 221 may have a diameter equal to or similar to a diameter of the outlet cavity 221.

[0043] The mixing manifold 235 plate assembly 229 may be coupled to the spacer plate 230 and the processing chamber 205. For example, the mixing manifold 235 may be coupled to a plate of the lid assembly 104 of the processing chamber 100. The mixing manifold 235 includes a flow opening 238 (such as a central channel), which may extend from the spacer plate 230 to the processing chamber 205 and may be configured to deliver the mixture of the plasma and process gas into the processing chamber 205. The mixing manifold 235 can also flow one or more second gases that can be different in composition than the one or more gas(es) supplied through the one or more angled flow openings 222. The mixing manifold 235 may provide a second mixing stage. For example, in the mixing manifold 235, the one or more second gases can be mixed with the process gas(es) supplied through the one or more angled flow openings 222 and the plasma supplied from the plasma source 210. The one or more second gases flow through one or more side flow openings 239 (e.g., ports) formed in a sidewall of the mixing manifold 235. The mixing manifold 235 may include one or more trenches. For example, mixing manifold 235 may define a first trench 240, and a second trench 241 , which may provide fluid access from the one or more side flow openings 239 to a flow opening 238. For example, the one or more side flow openings 239 may provide fluid connection to one or both of the first trench 240 or the second trench 241 .

[0044] In one or more examples, the process gases and the one or more second gases supplied through a sidewall of the manifold 235 include an inert gas (such as argon), one or more etchants (such as one or more hydrogencontaining precursors, one or more fluorine-containing precursors, and / or one or more halogen-containing precursors), one or more selectivity precursors,one or more dopant precursors, and / or one or more other precursor(s). In one or more examples, the one or more gases supplied through a sidewall of the flow adapter 220 include an inert gas (such as argon), one or more etchants (such as one or more hydrogen-containing precursors, one or more fluorine- containing precursors, and / or one or more halogen-containing precursors), one or more selectivity precursors, one or more dopant precursors, and / or one or more other precursor(s), and the gas supplied from the plasma source 210 include plasma effluents (such as radicals, for example hydrogen radicals). In one or more examples, the one or more second gases supplied through a sidewall of the manifold 235 have a different composition than the one or more gases supplied through a sidewall of the flow adapter 220.

[0045] By mixing gases prior to delivery to the processing chamber 100, the flow assembly 200 may provide an etchant having uniform properties prior to being distributed about a chamber and substrate. Additionally, by providing multiple stages of mixing, more uniformity of mixing may be provided for the process gases, which can facilitate uniform and adjustable processing. As an example, processes performed with the present application may have more uniform results across a substrate surface. The illustrated stack of components of the flow assembly 200 may limit particle accumulation by reducing the number of elastomeric seals included in the stack, which may degrade over time and produce particles that may affect processes being performed. The process gases and one or more second gases may be used to perform an oxide selective removal process on the substrate in the processing volume 126.

[0046] Similar to the first baffle plate 231 described previously, the flow assembly 200 may optionally include a second baffle plate 249, which, when included, may be included with or instead of first baffle plate 231 . The second baffle plate 249 may be seated in a recess formed in the manifold 235. The second baffle plate 249 may include one or more openings (such as apertures or channels) through which the process gases may flow, which may increase uniformity of mixing of the process gases.

[0047] In the implementation shown in Figure 2, the processing chamber 100 may include a number of components in a stacked arrangement. The processing chamber 100 may include a gasbox 250, a blocker plate 260, a faceplate 270, an optional ion suppression element 280, and a lid spacer 290. The components may be utilized to distribute the process gas or set of process gases and the plasma through the processing chamber 205 to provide a uniform delivery of etchants or other process gases to a substrate for processing. The gasbox 250, the blocker plate 260, the faceplate 270, the optional ion suppression element 280, and the lid spacer 290 may be part of a lid assembly 104 of the processing chamber 100. A heater 248 may be configured to heat the processing chamber 100. The heater 248 may be a plate heater or resistive element heater.

[0048] The blocker plate 260 may define a first plenum 255 between the blocker plate 260 and the faceplate 270, and may define a second plenum between the blocker plate 260 and the gasbox 250. The blocker plate 260 may include a plurality of openings 263 (such as apertures) therethrough to connect the second plenum 257 to the first plenum 255. The mixing manifold 235 may be coupled with a top of processing chamber 205, and may be coupled with an inlet 253 of processing chamber 205. The process gas or set of process gases and the plasma flows into the second plenum 257 through the inlet 253 of processing chamber 205.

[0049] Figure 3 is a flow diagram of a method 300 of pretreating a substrate. The method 300 is performed in a processing chamber, such as a processing chamber 100 or a processing chamber 205. The processing chamber includes a flow assembly 200 coupled to the processing chamber and having a plasma source 210. The plasma source 210 may be coupled with one or more of an isolator 215, an ion filter 217, a flow adapter 220, and a plate assembly 229. The plate assembly 229 includes a spacer plate 230 and a mixing manifold 235.

[0050] The processing chamber and the associated hardware can be formed from one or more process-compatible materials, such as aluminum. The process-compatible materials (e.g., aluminum) used in the processingchamber 100 and associated hardware is treated with a coating. The coating includes dinitrophenol (DNP), nickel oxyfluoride (NiOF), yttrium oxyfluoride (YOF) and yttrium oxide (Y2O3), yttrium aluminum garnet (YAG), silicon oxide (SiO2) and aluminum oxide (AI2O3). The coating on the processing chamber and associated hardware is such that it has a low recombination coefficient (e.g., high stability) with the plasma, e.g., the material has a low y value. The Y value of a material is calculated using Equation 1. The low recombination rate of the coating on the processing chamber and associated hardware reduces the amount of recombination that occurs due to the interaction of the plasma with the coating while providing corrosion protection for the aluminum material of processing chamber and associated hardware. In addition, the coating has high resistivity and / or insulative properties to inhibit the flow of charged particles.

[0051] At operation 302, the plasma source 210 produces a plasma from a gas or gases. The plasma includes hydrogen radicals, chlorine radicals, or other radicals, or a combination thereof. The ion filter 217 removes the ions formed during the plasma generation, enabling only the radicals formed during plasma generation to flow through the flow assembly 200 and into the processing chamber.

[0052] At operation 304, a first carbon clean process is performed on the substrate disposed within the processing chamber. In some examples, the first carbon clean process removes carbon residue on the surface of the substrate using the plasma, such as a hydrogen radicals. The typical carbon clean process utilizes hydrogen radicals to remove the carbon from the substrate and may improve the efficacy of the subsequent etching processes, for example, the oxide selective removal processes, as the water / hydrogen fluoride based chemistry of the typical oxide selective removal process benefits from the presence of the hydrogen radicals. Furthermore, the hydrogen radical process may be useful in activating the surface of the substrate prior to epitaxial deposition. The carbon clean process lowers the amount of interfacial carbon on the surface of the substrate, thus improving epitaxial growth.

[0053] The coating on the processing chamber and associated hardware is such that it has a low recombination rate with the hydrogen radicals, e.g., the material has a low y value. The low recombination rate reduces the amount of recombination that occurs due to the interaction of the plasma with the coating, which can reduce the plasma density in a processing volume 126 of the processing chamber. By maintaining the plasma density in the processing volume 126, the carbon clean process can be more efficient and effective, thereby further improving the epitaxial growth.

[0054] At operation 306, a first selective oxide removal process is performed on the substrate within the processing chamber. One or more process gases flow through the flow adapter 220 and the plate assembly 229 into the processing volume 126 of the processing chamber. The one or more process gases etch the surface of the substrate in order to remove oxide impurities. The one or more process gases include hydrogen fluoride (HF), ammonia (NH3), water, or an alcohol. The use of plasma (e.g., hydrogen radicals) in the first carbon clean process may improve the efficacy of the first oxide selective remove process, as the water / HF based chemistry benefits from the presence of, for example, the hydrogen radicals. The use of aluminum in the processing chamber and associated hardware enables the reduction of elimination of components made with quartz, which may be damaged during the first selective oxide removal process. The coating is compatible with the one or more process gases and the plasma, such that the coatings do not degrade when exposed to the processes gases or the plasma. In some examples, operation 304 and operation 306 may be performed simultaneously.

[0055] At optional operation 308, a surface treatment is performed on the substrate. The surface treatment includes forming features on the surface of the substrate, such as channels, and shaping the surface of the substrate to form facets and cavities. The plasma source 210 may generate a plasma to perform the surface treatment. The formation of features on the surface of the substrate can be used to prepare the surface of the substrate for the subsequent epitaxial deposition. For example, the surface treatment maymaximize the feature density, overcome misalignment, prepare contacts, or minimize spacing between contacts, among other processes. The surface treatment may be performed in a separate processing chamber from operation 304 and operation 306.

[0056] At operation 310, a second selective oxide removal process is performed on the substrate within the processing chamber. One or more process gases flow through the flow adapter 220 and the plate assembly 229 into the processing volume 126 of the processing chamber. The one or more process gases etch the surface of the substrate in order to remove oxide impurities. The one or more process gases include hydrogen fluoride (HF), ammonia (NH3), water, or an alcohol.

[0057] At operation 312, a second carbon clean process is performed on the substrate within the processing chamber. As a result of the first selective oxide removal process, additional carbon residue may need to be removed from the surface of the substrate. In some examples, the second carbon clean process removes the carbon residue on the surface of the substrate using the plasma, such as a hydrogen radicals. The carbon clean process lowers the amount of interfacial carbon on the surface of the substrate, thus improving epitaxial growth. In some examples, operation 310 and operation 312 may be performed simultaneously.

[0058] At operation 314, an epitaxial deposition is performed on the surface of the substrate. The epitaxial deposition may be performed in a separate epitaxial deposition chamber from the processing chamber in operation 304, 306, 310, and 312.

[0059] Benefits of the present disclosure include the substrate remaining in a single processing chamber throughout the pretreatment. By performing the first carbon clean, first selective oxide removal, surface treatment, second selective oxide removal, and second carbon clean processes in a single processing chamber (e.g., the processing chamber 205), the processing time and costs of manufacturing are reduced. The use of aluminum for the processing chamber and associated components enables the reduction orremoval of quartz components, which are unable to survive the etching processes performed during the selective oxide removal processes. In addition, the aluminum is treated with a coating that has a low y value, reducing the amount of recombination of the plasma and enabling the plasma density to be maintained during the carbon clean processes.

[0060] It is contemplated that one or more aspects disclosed herein may be combined. Moreover, it is contemplated that one or more aspects disclosed herein may include some or all of the aforementioned benefits.

[0061] While the foregoing is directed to embodiments of the present disclosure, other and further embodiments of the disclosure may be devised without departing from the basic scope thereof, and the scope thereof is determined by the claims that follow.

Claims

What is claimed is:1 . A processing system, comprising: a processing chamber comprising: a chamber body; a substrate support disposed within the chamber body; and a lid assembly is disposed at an upper end of the chamber body, wherein the chamber body, substrate support, and lid assembly comprise an aluminum material treated with a coating, wherein the coating has a recombination coefficient of less than about 9x1 O’4; and a flow assembly coupled to the processing chamber, comprising: a plasma source; an isolator; an ion filter; a flow adapter; and a plate assembly.

2. The processing system of claim 1 , wherein the coating comprises dinitrophenol (DNP), nickel oxyfluoride (NiOF), yttrium oxyfluoride (YOF) and yttrium oxide (Y2O3), yttrium aluminum garnet (YAG), or silicon oxide (SiC ).

3. The processing system of claim 1 , wherein the plate assembly comprises: a spacer; and a mixing manifold.

4. The processing system of claim 1 , wherein the flow assembly comprises an aluminum, a stainless steel, a ceramic, a silicon carbide (SiC), or combinations thereof.

5. The processing system of claim 1 , wherein the processing system is configured to perform:a carbon clean process utilizing a plasma formed from in the plasma source using one or more gases; and a selective oxide removal process utilizing one or more process gases.

6. The processing system of claim 5, wherein the carbon clean process and the selective oxide removal process are performed simultaneously.

7. The processing system of claim 5, wherein the plasma includes hydrogen radicals.

8. The processing system of claim 5, wherein one or more process gases include hydrogen fluoride (HF), ammonia (NH3), water, or an alcohol.

9. A method of pretreating a substrate, comprising: producing a plasma using one or more gases in a plasma source of a flow assembly, wherein the flow assembly is coupled to a processing chamber; performing a first carbon clean process on the substrate disposed in a processing chamber utilizing the plasma, wherein the plasma flows into the processing chamber via the flow assembly; performing a first selective oxide removal process on the substrate disposed in the processing chamber, wherein the first selective oxide removal process utilizes one or more process gases; performing a surface treatment on the substrate; performing a second selective oxide removal process on the substrate disposed in the processing chamber, wherein the second selective oxide removal process utilizes one or more process gases; and performing a second carbon clean process on the substrate disposed in the processing chamber utilizing the plasma.

10. The method of claim 9, the processing chamber comprising: a chamber body; a substrate support disposed within the chamber body and configured to support the substrate; anda lid assembly is disposed at an upper end of the chamber body; and wherein the chamber body, substrate support, and lid assembly comprise an aluminum material treated with a coating, wherein the coating has a recombination coefficient of less than about 9x1 O’4.11 . The method of claim 10, wherein the coating comprises dinitrophenol (DNP), nickel oxyfluoride (NiOF), yttrium oxyfluoride (YOF) and yttrium oxide (Y2O3), yttrium aluminum garnet (YAG), or silicon oxide (SiC ).

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the first carbon clean process and the first selective oxide removal process are performed simultaneously.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the second carbon clean process and the second selective oxide removal process are performed simultaneously.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein the one or more process gases include hydrogen fluoride (HF), ammonia (NH3), water, or an alcohol.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein the plasma includes hydrogen radicals.

16. The method of claim 9, wherein the flow assembly comprises an aluminum, a stainless steel, a ceramic, a silicon carbide (SiC), or combinations thereof.

17. The method of claim 9, wherein the surface treatment is performed on the substrate disposed in the processing chamber.

18. A processing system, comprising: a processing chamber, comprising: a chamber body; a substrate support disposed within the chamber body; and a lid assembly is disposed at an upper end of the chamber body, wherein the chamber body, substrate support, and lid assemblycomprise an aluminum material treated with a coating, wherein the coating has a recombination coefficient of less than about 9x1 O’4; and a flow assembly coupled to the processing chamber comprising a plasma source, wherein a controller of the processing chamber is configured to perform a method of pretreating a substrate disposed on the substrate support, the method comprising: performing a carbon clean process on the substrate disposed in a processing chamber utilizing a plasma formed in the plasma source using one or more gases, wherein the plasma flows into the processing chamber via the flow assembly; and performing a selective oxide removal process on the substrate disposed in the processing chamber, wherein the selective oxide removal process utilizes one or more process gases.

19. The processing system of claim 18, wherein the carbon clean process and the selective oxide removal process are performed simultaneously.

20. The processing system of claim 18, wherein: one or more process gases include hydrogen fluoride (HF), ammonia (NH3), water, or an alcohol; and a plasma includes hydrogen radicals.

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