Plasma Cleaning Apparatus With Stationary Magnet Assembly
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Solution Overview
Problem
Physical vapor deposition (PVD) chambers require frequent cleaning to remove deposited material from undesired locations, which can lead to ineffective susceptor function and potential substrate damage due to dielectric material buildup, necessitating an efficient cleaning method to maintain chamber integrity and performance.
Innovation Solution
A plasma cleaning apparatus and method involving a grounded chamber lid with a stationary magnet assembly centered over the susceptor to focus a cleaning plasma, effectively removing material deposits and reducing cleaning time, allowing for quicker chamber reuse and increased substrate throughput.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the chamber is cleaned periodically to remove material deposits, then the susceptor function is maintained and substrate damage is prevented, but the chamber downtime increases and productivity decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the electrical parameter of the susceptor from DC bias to RF bias, enabling plasma generation for cleaning. This parameter change allows the susceptor to serve dual functions: normal processing with DC bias and self-cleaning with RF bias, eliminating dedicated cleaning cycles and reducing chamber downtime while maintaining reliability
Solution Approach 2:
The susceptor cleans itself by generating plasma through RF bias when material deposits are detected. The cleaning function is integrated into the susceptor's normal operation, allowing it to remove its own contaminants without requiring separate chamber cleaning procedures, thus maintaining productivity while ensuring reliability
2Reliability
If a plasma cleaning process is implemented, then the cleaning effectiveness is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The susceptor is designed to perform multiple functions: normal substrate processing with DC bias and plasma cleaning with RF bias. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate cleaning apparatus, reducing device complexity while maintaining high cleaning effectiveness through the integrated plasma generation capability
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The plasma cleaning process significantly reduces chamber downtime and enhances substrate processing efficiency by effectively removing unwanted material from the susceptor and chamber components, improving overall system utilization.
Implementation Method 1
A magnet assembly having one or more magnets therein. The magnet assembly rests on the second surface of the second lid
Implementation Method 2
By removing the sputtering target and placing a grounded chamber lid in its place, the chamber may be plasma cleaned
Implementation Method 3
If the susceptor is an electrostatic chuck and sufficient dielectric material builds up on the susceptor, the electrostatic charge of the susceptor, when biased, may be shielded by the dielectric material and prevent the substrate from being attracted to the susceptor
Data Source
AI summary
Embodiments of the present invention generally include an apparatus for plasma cleaning and a method for plasma cleaning. The apparatus can include a lid body having a first surface for facing a pedestal during cleaning and a second surface opposite the first surface and substantially parallel to the first surface, the second surface having a first indentation sized to receive a magnet assembly, one or more handles coupled to the second surface of the lid body, and the magnet assembly resting in the first indentation. The method can include removing a sputtering target from the processing chamber, sealing the processing chamber, introducing a gas into the processing chamber, applying an RF bias to a pedestal within the processing chamber, maintaining the pedestal at a substantially constant temperature, and removing material from the pedestal to clean the pedestal.