TWI465298B - Superimposition of rapid periodic and extensive post multiple substrate uv-ozone clean sequences for high throughput and stable substrate to substrate performance - Google Patents

Description

Fast cycle for high throughput and stable substrate-by-substrate performance and extensive post-UV ozone cleaning program addition

Embodiments of the present invention generally relate to a method of cleaning a substrate processing chamber. More specifically, embodiments of the present invention relate to a method of cleaning a surface in an ultraviolet light chamber for performing a hardening process of a dielectric film on a substrate.

Materials having a low dielectric constant (low k) such as yttrium oxide (SiO _x ), tantalum carbide (SiC _x ), and carbon-doped yttrium oxide (SiOC _x ) are very widely used in the manufacture of semiconductor devices. The use of a low-k material as a metal inter-wire and/or an interlayer dielectric between conductive interconnects can reduce signal transfer delay due to capacitive effects. The lower the dielectric constant of the dielectric layer, the lower the capacitance of the dielectric and the lower the RC (resistance-capacitance) delay of the integrated circuit (IC).

A low-k dielectric material is generally defined as a material having a dielectric constant k lower than that of ruthenium dioxide - that is, k < 4, and a typical method for obtaining a low-k material includes doping with a plurality of functional groups containing carbon or fluorine. Hey. Fluoride telluride glass (FSG) typically has a k value of 3.5-3.9, but the carbon doping method can further reduce the k value to about 2.5. Currently working to develop low-k dielectric materials, commonly referred to as ultra-low-k (ULK) dielectrics, have k values below 2.5 for the most advanced technologies.

One method of forming a germanium containing film on a semiconductor substrate is through a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) process in a chamber. Organic germanium feed materials are often used during ruthenium-containing thin film CVD. Due to the presence of carbon in the crucible supply material, a carbon-containing film can be formed on the chamber wall and the substrate.

In addition, an ultra-low k (ULK) dielectric substrate can be obtained by incorporating an air gap in a low-k dielectric matrix to produce a porous dielectric material. A method of making a porous dielectric typically involves forming a "precursor film" comprising two components: a pore former (typically an organic material such as a hydrocarbon) and a structure forming or dielectric material (eg, a矽 material). Once the precursor film is formed on the substrate, the porogen component can be removed leaving a porous dielectric matrix or oxide network that is unaffected by the structure.

Techniques for removing porogen from a precursor film include, for example, a thermal process wherein the substrate is heated to a temperature sufficient to decompose and volatilize the organic pore former. One of the removal of pore formers from the precursor film is known to include a UV curing process to aid in the post treatment of the CVD ruthenium oxide film. For example, U.S. Patent Nos. 6,566,278 and 6,614,181, both assigned to each of each of each of each of each of each of each of each of each of

However, after the UV curing process used to remove the porogen, the UV processing chamber may be coated with a complete pore former, ruptured fragments of the pore former, and other pore former residues, including coating to UV A window to the substrate can be reached. Over time, the porogen residue will reduce the effectiveness of the subsequent UV porogen removal process by reducing the effective UV intensity available to the substrate and accumulating on the cooler components of the chamber. In addition, the accumulation of porogen residues on the window is not uniform, resulting in uneven hardening of the film on the substrate. Furthermore, the accumulation of excess residue in the chamber can be a source of particulate defects on the substrate that is not suitable for semiconductor processing. Accordingly, organic fragments of the sacrificial material of unstable thermal properties must be removed from the processing chamber.

Accordingly, there is also a need for a method and apparatus for properly cleaning a processing chamber after a UV porogen removal process in a manufacturing environment. Therefore, there is a need in the art for an ultraviolet chamber that increases throughput, consumes minimal energy, and is suitable for in-situ cleaning of the surface within the chamber itself.

Embodiments of the present invention generally provide a method of cleaning a substrate processing chamber. In one embodiment, the method includes processing a batch of substrates in the processing chamber, wherein processing the batch of substrates comprises a series of steps. First, one of the substrates from the batch is processed in the processing chamber. Next, the substrate is removed from the processing chamber, and then ozone is introduced into the processing chamber, and the processing chamber is exposed to ultraviolet light for less than one minute. Repetitively processing one of the substrates in the batch, removing the substrate from the processing chamber, introducing ozone into the processing chamber, and exposing the processing chamber to ultraviolet light for less than one minute until the treatment is completed. The last substrate in the batch. For substantially low outgassing substrates, this rapid cleaning of less than one minute can be performed periodically, after hardening every two or three substrates. After processing the last substrate in the batch, the last substrate is removed from the processing chamber. Next, ozone is again introduced into the processing chamber, and the chamber is then exposed to ultraviolet light for three to fifteen minutes.

In another embodiment, the present invention provides a substrate processing chamber that defines one or more processing zones and includes a controller that includes a computer readable medium. The computer readable medium contains a plurality of instructions that, when executed, cause the substrate processing chamber to process a batch of substrates within the processing chamber. Processing the batch of substrates involves a series of steps. First, one of the substrates from the batch is processed in the processing chamber. Next, the substrate is removed from the processing chamber, and then ozone is introduced into the processing chamber, and the processing chamber is exposed to ultraviolet light for less than one minute. Repeating the previous process of treating one of the substrates in the batch, removing the substrate from the processing chamber, introducing ozone into the processing chamber, and exposing the processing chamber to ultraviolet light for less than one minute until the processing is completed. The last substrate in the batch. After processing the last substrate in the batch, the last substrate is removed from the processing chamber. Next, ozone is again introduced into the processing chamber, and the chamber is then exposed to ultraviolet light for three to fifteen minutes.

Embodiments of the invention include a method of cleaning a substrate processing chamber using ultraviolet light and ozone to improve substrate quality and substantially reduce processing chamber downtime while maintaining throughput. The process chamber wall, the ultraviolet window, and the base can be effectively cleaned by removing residue buildup, particularly in the icy zone of the process chamber, which typically accumulates more residue over time. While any of the processing chambers can be cleaned using the present invention, the residue formed by ultraviolet (UV) hardening of the porogen can be completely removed using embodiments of the present invention.

In one embodiment of a processing chamber for UV curing, a series of processing chambers provides two separate and adjacent processing zones in a chamber body, and an upper cover having one or more bulb isolation windows, respectively Align above each processing area. The bulb isolation windows may be implemented by a window on each side of the series of processing chambers to isolate one or more bulbs from the substrate in a large common space, or to have a bulb array A bulb is sealed in an ultraviolet transparent enclosure that is in direct contact with a processing zone. One or more ultraviolet bulbs of each processing zone may be covered by a cover coupled to the upper cover and emit ultraviolet light that is directed through the windows to each of the substrates disposed in each of the processing zones.

The ultraviolet light bulbs may be an array of light emitting diodes or light bulbs using any sophisticated ultraviolet light source, including, but not limited to, microwave arcs, radio frequency filaments (capacitively coupled plasma), and inductively coupled plasma (ICP) lamps. In addition, ultraviolet light can be pulsed during the hardening process. Various concepts for enhancing the uniformity of substrate illumination include the use of an array of lamps that can also be used to change the wavelength distribution of incident light, the relative motion of the substrate and the lamp cap, including rotational and periodic movement (sweep), and the shape of the lamp reflector and / or immediate adjustment of the location.

The residue formed during the hardening process may contain carbon, such as both carbon and ruthenium, and is removed using ozone based cleaning. The generation of the required ozone can be performed remotely by means of transporting the ozone to the hardening chamber, generated in situ, or both. The method of generating ozone at the distal end can be accomplished using any existing ozone generating technique, including, but not limited to, dielectric barrier/corona discharge (e.g., Ozonator for Applied Materials) or UV activated reactor. Ozone can also be generated using an ultraviolet bulb used to harden the dielectric material and/or other ultraviolet bulbs that can be placed at the distal end.

FIG. 1 shows a plan view of a semiconductor processing system 100 in which embodiments of the present invention may be used. The system 100 illustrates one commercially available from Applied Materials, Inc. of Santa Clara, California Producer ^TM processing system of the embodiment. The processing system 100 is a self-contained system having the necessary processing equipment supported on a main frame structure 101. The processing system 100 generally includes a front active area 102 where the substrate 匣 109 is supported and a substrate is loaded and unloaded into a load lock chamber 112, a transfer chamber 111, and a substrate processor 113, a series of strings. A processing chamber 106, mounted on the transfer chamber 111, and a rear end 138 housing the support equipment required for operation of the system 100, such as a gas distribution tray 103, and a power distribution plate 105.

Each of the tandem processing chambers 106 contains two processing zones to process the substrate (see Figure 3). The two processing zones share a common gas supply, common pressure control, and a common process gas exhaust/pump system. The modular design of the system allows it to quickly transition from any configuration to any other configuration. The settings and combinations of the process chambers can be changed to perform specific process steps. Any of the tandem processing chambers 106 can include an upper cover in accordance with aspects of the invention as described below, including one or more ultraviolet lamps for use in a hardening process of a low dielectric constant material on a substrate and/or for a chamber Clean the process. In one embodiment, all three tandem processing chambers 106 have UV lamps and are configured as UV-hardening chambers for simultaneous operation with maximum throughput.

In another embodiment in which not all of the tandem processing chambers 106 are configured as ultraviolet curing chambers, the system 100 can be adapted to be provided with one or more tandem processing chambers having support known to be applicable to other known processes. Chamber hardware such as chemical vapor deposition (CVD), physical vapor deposition (PVD), etching, and the like. For example, the system 100 can be configured such that one of the series of processing chambers acts as a CVD chamber to deposit material, such as a low dielectric constant (K) film, on the substrate. This configuration maximizes R&D manufacturing and, if desired, allows the initially deposited film to be exposed to the atmosphere.

A controller 140, including a central processing unit (CPU) 144, a memory 142, and a support circuit 146, is coupled to the various components of the semiconductor processing system 100 to facilitate control of the process of the present invention. The memory 142 can be any computer readable medium such as a random access memory (RAM), a read only memory (ROM), a floppy disk, a hard disk, or any other form of digital memory for the semiconductor processing system 100 or CPU 144 for near or far end. The support circuits 146 are coupled to the CPU 144 to support the CPU in a conventional manner. These circuits include caches, power supplies, clock circuits, input/output circuits and subsystems, and the like. The software routine or series of program instructions stored in the memory 142, when executed by the CPU 144, causes the ultraviolet hardening tandem processing chamber 106 to perform the inventive process.

FIG. 2 shows one of the tandem processing chambers 106 of the semiconductor processing system 100 configured to perform ultraviolet curing. The tandem processing chamber 106 includes a body 200 and an upper cover 202 that can be hingedly coupled to the body 200. Attached to the upper cover 202 are two outer covers 204, each of which is coupled to the inlet 206 and the outlet 208 to allow cooling air to pass through the interior space of the outer cover 204. The cooling air can be room temperature or about 22 degrees C. A central pressurized air source 210 provides sufficient flow rate of air to the inlets 206 to ensure proper operation of any ultraviolet bulbs and/or power source 214 of the bulbs coupled to the series of processing chambers 106. The outlets 208 receive the exhausted air from the outer casings 204, which are collected by a common exhaust system 212, which may include a scrubber to remove ozone that may be generated by the ultraviolet light bulbs, depending on the bulbs select. Ozone treatment problems can be avoided by cooling the lamps with an oxygen-free cooling gas such as nitrogen, argon or helium.

3 is a partial cross-sectional view of the tandem processing chamber 106 having the upper cover 202, the outer cover 204, and the power sources 214. Each of the outer covers 204 covers one of the two ultraviolet light bulbs 302, which are respectively disposed on the two processing zones 300 defined in the main body 200. Each processing zone 300 includes a heated base 306 for supporting the substrate 308 within the processing zones 300. The bases 306 can be made of ceramic or metal, such as aluminum. Preferably, the bases 306 are coupled to the struts 310 that extend through the bottom of the body 200 and are actuated by the drive system 312 to orient the base 306 toward or away from the ultraviolet bulbs within the processing zones 300. 302 moves. The drive systems 312 can also rotate and/or move the bases 306 during hardening to further enhance the uniformity of substrate illumination. The adjustable position of the bases 306 allows for control of the flow pattern and residence time of the volatile hardening byproducts as well as the purge and cleaning gases, in addition to the illuminance level fine adjustment of the potential incident ultraviolet light on the substrate 308, depending on the light delivery system The nature of design considerations, such as focal length.

In general, any source of ultraviolet light, such as a mercury microwave arc lamp, a pulsed xenon flash lamp, or a high efficiency ultraviolet light emitting diode array can be used. The ultraviolet light bulbs 302 are sealed plasma light bulbs filled with one or more gases, such as xenon (Xe) or mercury (Hg), for excitation by the power sources 214. Preferably, the power sources 214 are microwave generators, which may include one or more magnetrons (not shown) and one or more transformers (not shown) to provide the wires of the magnetrons Extreme energy. In embodiments having a kilowatt microwave (MW) power source, each of the housings 204 includes apertures 215 adjacent the power sources 214 to receive microwave power from the power sources 214 up to about 6000 watts for subsequent Ultraviolet light of up to about 100 watts is generated from each of the bulbs 302. In another embodiment, the ultraviolet bulbs 302 may include electrodes or filaments therein such that the power sources 214 represent circuits and/or current supplies to the electrodes, such as direct current (DC) or pulsed DC.

For some embodiments, the power sources 214 can include a radio frequency (RF) energy source that is capable of exciting gases within the ultraviolet bulbs 302. The configuration of the RF excitation within the bulb can be capacitive or inductive. Inductively coupled plasma (ICP) bulbs can be used to effectively increase bulb brilliance by producing a plasma that is denser than capacitive coupling discharges. In addition, the ICP lamp eliminates the attenuation of the UV output due to electrode degradation, resulting in extended lamp life with enhanced system yield. The benefit of these power sources 214 being RF energy sources includes an increase in performance.

Preferably, the bulbs 302 emit a wide range of light from a wavelength range of 170 nm to 400 nm. In one embodiment of the invention, the bulbs 302 emit light having a wavelength of from 185 nm to 255 nm. The gas selected in the bulbs 302 determines the wavelength of the emission. The ultraviolet light emitted from the ultraviolet bulbs 302 enters the processing zones 300 by passing through a window 314 disposed in a hole in the upper cover 202. The windows 314 are preferably made of synthetic quartz glass without hydroxide and are thick enough to maintain a vacuum without breaking. Moreover, the windows 314 are preferably fused silica glass that transmits ultraviolet light as low as about 150 nanometers. Because the upper cover 202 is sealed to the body 200 and the windows 314 are sealed to the upper cover 202, the processing zones 300 provide a space capable of maintaining a pressure of from about 1 Torr to about 650 Torr. Processing or cleaning gas enters the processing zones 300 via one of the two inlet channels 316. The process or cleaning gases then exit the processing zones 300 through a common outlet port 318. In addition, cooling air supplied to the interior spaces of the outer casings 204 circulates through the bulbs 302, but is isolated from the processing zones 300 by the windows 314.

The outer cover 204 can include an interior space parabolic surface defined by a cast quartz liner 304 coated with a dichroic film. The quartz liners 304 reflect the ultraviolet light emitted from the ultraviolet bulbs 302 and are shaped to be suitable for the hardening process and the chamber cleaning process based on the introduction of the quartz liners 304 into the processing zones 300. The pattern of ultraviolet light. The quartz liners 304 can be adjusted to better suit each process or job by moving and changing the shape of the parabolic surface of the interior space. In addition, the quartz liners 304 can transmit infrared light and reflect the ultraviolet light emitted by the bulbs 302 due to the dichroic film. The dichroic film typically constitutes a periodic multilayer film comprised of a dissimilar dielectric material having staggered high and low refractive indices. Because the coating is non-metallic, the microwave radiation incident from the power source 214 downwardly on the back side of the cast quartz liner 304 does not significantly react with or be absorbed by the alignment layer, and is easily The gas within the bulbs 302 is ionized.

Turning to Figure 4, an embodiment of the invention is described. The method 400 of cleaning a substrate processing chamber includes various steps and combinations to effectively clean the substrate processing chamber while reducing chamber downtime and maintaining substrate throughput. The method 400 includes processing a batch of substrates in a processing chamber defining one or more processing zones, a block 404 comprising a plurality of sub-steps that can be repeated in the entire cleaning process of the method 400 Circles are performed depending on the number of substrates processed in the chamber. Preferably, the batch of substrates comprises from 10 to 15 substrates, such as 13 substrates.

Processing a batch of substrates in the processing chamber, block 404, may be performed in a subroutine having a plurality of sub-steps, including processing a substrate from the batch, block 406, from the processing chamber The chamber is removed from the substrate, block 408, and a discontinuous cleaning process is initiated, including passing ozone into the processing chamber, block 410, and exposing the processing chamber to ultraviolet light for less than one minute, block 412. The quick cleaning, block 412, can be performed once every two or three substrates (repeating blocks 406 to 408 2x or 3x) when a trace of ultraviolet window coating is present due to curing of the substrates. The previous step can be repeated until block 414 is processed after processing the last substrate in the batch. For example, if five substrates are processed, the block 404 can be repeated four times, including the sub-loop blocks 406, 408, 410, and 412 until the fifth and last substrates are processed. In one embodiment, treating the substrates comprises removing the porogen from the polymer previously deposited on the substrate.

After processing the last substrate in the batch, the last substrate, block 416, is removed from the processing chamber. A batch of cleaning process is initiated, including passing ozone into the processing chamber, block 418, and exposing the processing chamber to ultraviolet light for three to fifteen minutes, block 420. The ultraviolet light can comprise a wavelength between 185 nm and 255 nm. In block 412, the chamber can be exposed to ultraviolet light for 15 to 30 seconds between processing each substrate. Ozone can be generated at the distal end of the treatment zone, or the passage of ozone into the chamber can include the excitation of oxygen by ultraviolet light to produce ozone.

Fig. 5 shows another embodiment of the present invention. The block 406 of the method 400 of processing the substrate to clean a substrate processing chamber may further comprise a set of sub-steps 500. Processing the substrate can include pressurizing the chamber to 5 Torr, block 502, heating the chamber to 385 ° C, block 504, and introducing helium into the chamber at 10 standard liters per minute, block 506 Argon gas was introduced into the chamber at 10 standard liters per minute, block 508, and the chamber was exposed to ultraviolet light for 165 seconds, block 510.

Fig. 6 shows another embodiment of the present invention. A discrete cleaning process performed between each of the substrates, including blocks 410 and 412, may further comprise a set of sub-steps 600. The cleaning process can include pressurizing the chamber to 5 Torr, block 602, heating the chamber to 385 ° C, block 604, and introducing ozone into the chamber at 10 standard liters per minute, block 606, The chamber was exposed to ultraviolet light for 15 seconds, block 608, the chamber was purged with 10 standard liters of helium per minute for 10 seconds, block 610, and then the chamber was pumped for 10 seconds, block 612.

Fig. 7 shows still another embodiment of the present invention. The batch cleaning process performed after processing the batch of substrates, including blocks 416, 418, and 420, may further comprise a set of sub-steps 700. The cleaning process can include pressurizing the chamber to 5 Torr, block 702, heating the chamber to 385 ° C, block 704, and introducing ozone into the chamber at 10 standard liters per minute, block 706, and The chamber was exposed to ultraviolet light for 6 minutes, block 708.

As shown in Figures 1-3, another embodiment of the present invention includes a substrate processing chamber containing a processing chamber 106 defining a processing zone 300. A controller 140, comprising a computer readable medium, such as memory 142, contains instructions that, when executed, cause the substrate processing chamber to process a batch of substrates within the ultraviolet hardening tandem processing chamber 106. The process includes processing, in the processing chamber, a substrate from the batch, removing the substrate from the processing chamber, introducing ozone into the processing chamber, exposing the processing chamber to ultraviolet light for less than one minute, and repeating The previous steps are until the last substrate in the batch is processed. The instructions further provide for removing the last substrate from the processing chamber after processing the last substrate in the batch, introducing ozone into the processing chamber, and exposing the processing chamber to ultraviolet light for three to ten five minutes.

Example 1

At Applied Materials, a Producer SE plasma-assisted chemical vapor deposition chamber is used to deposit black diamonds using a mixture of a ruthenium precursor such as methyldiethoxy decane (mDEOS) and a pore former such as alpha terpinene (ATRP). II (BDIIx) dielectric film (k=2.5 at 45 nm node). The film was deposited using the following parameters: 1000 mg (mgm) of mDEOS flow rate, 1000 mgm of ATRP, and 1000 standard cubic centimeters per minute of helium as a carrier gas. The film was deposited at a pressure of 5 Torr at 300 ° C and an RF power of 500 watts.

The porogen is later removed using a Producer SE UV chamber to create a porous oxide network. Both the intact pore former and the rupture debris of the pore former are removed from the tantalum carbide BDIIx matrix and are exposed to ultraviolet light at elevated temperatures (above 300 ° C). The hardening formulation comprises exposing the chamber to ultraviolet light for 165 seconds while pressurizing the chamber to 5 Torr, heating the chamber to 385 ° C, and 10 standard liters of helium per minute and 10 standard liters per minute Argon gas is introduced into the chamber.

After hardening, the chamber is cleaned using a cleaning routine (1x cleaning) performed between each of the substrates being processed and a deep cleaning step (13x cleaning) performed after 13 substrates, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention . The 1x cleaning contains 15 seconds of UV exposure at 385 ° C while pressurizing the chamber to 5 Torr and ozone was introduced into the chamber at 10 standard liters per minute. The chamber was then purged with 10 standard liters of helium per minute for 10 seconds, then the chamber was pumped for 10 seconds. The 13x cleaning contained 6 minutes of UV exposure at 385 °C while pressurizing the chamber to 5 Torr and introducing ozone to the chamber at 10 standard liters per minute. The chamber was then purged with helium for 20 seconds and pumped for another 20 seconds.

In Table 1, the film thickness measurement results after deposition and ultraviolet curing using a KLA-TENCOR F5 ellipsometer are shown, when the process chamber is cleaned according to an embodiment of the present invention. In a typical substrate UV curing process, the film shrinks, which is defined as the reduction in film thickness divided by the initial thickness, which varies from substrate to substrate due to accumulation of UV window particles and accumulation of particles in the cold zone. The shrinkage ratio is linearly proportional to the degree of UV exposure, and the shrinkage uniformity is defined as the one-sigma of the shrinkage ratio, which corresponds primarily to the uniformity of UV exposure, among other variables. The results of the shrinkage ratio and shrinkage uniformity ratio based on the KLA Tencor F5 ellipsometer shown are for the operation of 32 substrates.

As shown in Table 1, the shrinkage ratio change of all substrates was less than 3%, and the shrinkage uniformity ratio of all operations was maintained below 3.5%. Some degree of variation comes from the difference between the substrate and the substrate on thin film chemical vapor deposition which also affects film shrinkage. With the embodiment of the invention, the UV window coating is scarcely present, as can be readily seen by the complete recovery of the shrinkage uniformity.

Embodiments of the present invention can assist in the removal of porogens and by-products of intact and ruptured debris that coat the ultraviolet window and accumulate in the cooler regions of the chamber, such as the flow valve region of the processing chamber. These cooler regions are particularly a source of residue that can contaminate the substrate during processing. The UV window coating above the substrate in particular results in a reduction in the effective UV intensity of the substrate. In addition, because the coating of the window is not uniform, the film on the substrate will not harden uniformly in the processing chamber.

In order to restore UV intensity and uniformity, a rapid chamber cleaning can be performed after each substrate or semi-periodically after every two or three substrates, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. A longer ozone cleaning process can be used between batch substrates in accordance with embodiments of the present invention to remove accumulation of residue at the cold spot of the chamber, which assists in minimizing equipment downtime while maintaining substrate throughput. Accordingly, the present invention provides a fast one or half cycle substrate cleaning to improve UV window recovery, as well as a deep multi-substrate cleaning to improve the removal of residue sources, thereby reducing particulate contamination of the substrate. The rapid cleaning between each substrate is designed to be lower than the chamber downtime during substrate transfer, resulting in zero throughput loss.

Example 2

As in Example 1, the Producer SE UV chamber was used to remove the porogen to create a porous oxide network. In this example, the UV hardening and cleaning system was performed at 50 Torr and an increased flow rate, and the other conditions were the same as in Example 1. The hardening formulation comprises exposing the chamber to ultraviolet light for 165 seconds while pressurizing the chamber to 50 Torr, heating the chamber to 385 ° C, and at 30 standard liters per minute of helium and 30 standards per minute. Liters of argon gas are introduced into the chamber.

After hardening, the chamber is cleaned using a cleaning routine (1x cleaning) performed between each of the substrates being processed and a deep cleaning step (13x cleaning) performed after 13 substrates, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention . The 1x cleaning contained 15 seconds of UV exposure at 385 °C while pressurizing the chamber to 50 Torr and introducing ozone to the chamber at 30 standard liters per minute. The chamber was then purged with 10 standard liters of helium per minute for 10 seconds, then the chamber was pumped for 10 seconds. The 13x cleaning contained 6 minutes of UV exposure at 385 °C while pressurizing the chamber to 50 Torr and introducing ozone to the chamber at 30 standard liters per minute. The chamber was then purged with helium for 20 seconds and pumped for another 20 seconds.

Example 3

As in Example 1, the Producer SE UV chamber was used to remove the porogen to create a porous oxide network. In this example, the film thickness after deposition increased to 6K. To compensate for more porogen removal per substrate, batch cleaning was performed every six substrates. For a 6K post-deposition film thickness, the hardening formulation comprises exposing the chamber to ultraviolet light for 400 seconds while pressurizing the chamber to 5 Torr, heating the chamber to 385 ° C, and at 10 per minute Standard liters of helium and 10 standard liters of argon per minute are introduced into the chamber.

After hardening, the chamber is cleaned using a cleaning routine (1x cleaning) performed between each of the substrates being processed and a deep cleaning step (6x cleaning) performed after 6 substrates, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention . The 1x cleaning contained 15 seconds of UV exposure at 385 ° C while pressurizing the chamber to 5 Torr and introducing ozone to the chamber at 10 standard liters per minute. The chamber was then purged with 10 standard liters of helium per minute for 10 seconds, then the chamber was pumped for 10 seconds. The 6x batch cleaning contained 6 minutes of UV exposure at 385 °C while pressurizing the chamber to 5 Torr and introducing ozone to the chamber at 10 standard liters per minute. The chamber was then purged with helium for 20 seconds and pumped for another 20 seconds.

Example 4

As in Example 1, the Producer SE UV chamber was used to remove the porogen to create a porous oxide network. In this example, the film thickness after deposition was reduced to 1.2K. Batch cleaning is performed every 26 substrates because less porogen removal per substrate. For a 1.2K post-deposition film thickness, the hardening formulation comprises exposing the chamber to ultraviolet light for 100 seconds while pressurizing the chamber to 5 Torr, heating the chamber to 385 ° C, and per minute 10 standard liters of helium and 10 standard liters of argon per minute were introduced into the chamber.

After hardening, the chamber is cleaned using a cleaning routine (1x cleaning) performed between each of the substrates being processed and a deep cleaning step (26x cleaning) performed after 26 substrates, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention . The 1x cleaning contained 15 seconds of UV exposure at 385 ° C while pressurizing the chamber to 5 Torr and introducing ozone to the chamber at 10 standard liters per minute. The chamber was then purged with 10 standard liters of helium per minute for 10 seconds, then the chamber was pumped for 10 seconds. The 26x batch cleaning contained 6 minutes of UV exposure at 385 °C while pressurizing the chamber to 5 Torr and introducing ozone to the chamber at 10 standard liters per minute. The chamber was then purged with helium for 20 seconds and pumped for another 20 seconds.

Example 5

As in Example 1, the Producer SE UV chamber was used to remove the porogen to create a porous oxide network. In this example, the film thickness after deposition was reduced to 1.2K. Because of the less porogen removal per substrate, this fast cleaning of each substrate is replaced by cleaning of every two substrates. The batch cleaning cycle is maintained at 13x. For a 1.2K post-deposition film thickness, the hardening formulation comprises exposing the chamber to ultraviolet light for 100 seconds while pressurizing the chamber to 5 Torr, heating the chamber to 385 ° C, and per minute 10 standard liters of helium and 10 standard liters of argon per minute were introduced into the chamber.

The chamber was cleaned after each of the two substrates was cured, and a deep cleaning step (13x cleaning) was performed after 13 substrates, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. Each of the two substrate cleanings contained a 15 second UV exposure at 385 ° C while pressurizing the chamber to 5 Torr and introducing ozone to the chamber at 10 standard liters per minute. The chamber was then purged with 10 standard liters of helium per minute for 10 seconds, then the chamber was pumped for 10 seconds. The 13x batch cleaning contained 6 minutes of UV exposure at 385 °C while pressurizing the chamber to 5 Torr and introducing ozone to the chamber at 10 standard liters per minute. The chamber was then purged with helium for 20 seconds and pumped for another 20 seconds.

Any of the embodiments described herein can be combined or adjusted to encompass aspects of other embodiments. While the foregoing is directed to embodiments of the present invention, the subject matter of the present invention may be devised without departing from the basic scope thereof.

100. . . Semiconductor processing system

101. . . Main frame structure

102. . . Front active area

103. . . Gas distribution plate

105. . . Power distribution disk

106. . . Tandem processing room

109. . . Substrate

111. . . Load lock room

112. . . Load lock room

113. . . Substrate processor

138. . . rear end

140. . . Controller

142. . . Memory

144. . . Central processing unit

146. . . Support circuit

200. . . main body

202. . . Upper cover

204. . . Cover

206. . . Entrance

208. . . Export

210. . . Pressurized air source

212. . . Exhaust system

214. . . Power source

215. . . hole

300. . . Processing area

302. . . Ultraviolet light bulb

304. . . Quartz lining

306. . . Heating base

308. . . Substrate

310. . . Strut

312. . . Drive System

314. . . Windows

316. . . Entrance channel

318. . . Export埠

400. . . method

404, 406, 408, 410, 412, 414, 416, 418, 420, 502, 504, 506, 508, 510, 602, 604, 606, 608, 610, 612, 702, 704, 706, 708. . . Block

500, 600, 700. . . Substep

The manner in which the above-described features of the present invention are described in detail, that is, the more detailed description of the present invention, which is briefly described above, may be obtained by reference to the embodiments, some of which are illustrated in the drawings. It is to be understood, however, that the appended claims

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Figure 1 is a plan view of a semiconductor processing system in which embodiments of the present invention may be implemented.

Figure 2 is a view of one of the semiconductor processing systems in series with a processing chamber configured to perform ultraviolet curing.

Figure 3 is a partial cross-sectional view of the tandem processing chamber with a lid assembly, along with two ultraviolet bulbs disposed above the two processing zones.

Figure 4 is a process flow diagram of an embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 5 is a process flow diagram of another embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 6 is a process flow diagram of another embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 7 is a process flow diagram of another embodiment of the present invention.

To promote understanding, the same element symbols are used where possible to indicate the same elements that are common to the drawings. It is contemplated that elements disclosed in one embodiment may be advantageously utilized in other embodiments without particular detail.

404-420. . . Block

Claims (12)

A method of cleaning a substrate processing chamber, the method comprising: (a) introducing a precursor gas containing methyldiethoxysilane and alpha-terpinine to a first treatment Indoor (b) depositing a dielectric material in a first processing chamber on a substrate from a batch of substrates; (c) processing in a second processing chamber defining one or more processing zones The substrate of the dielectric material from the batch of substrates; (d) removing the substrate from the second processing chamber; (e) performing a rapid chamber cleaning, comprising: pressurizing the second processing chamber to About 5 Torr; heating the second processing chamber to about 385 ° C; introducing ozone into the second processing chamber; exposing the second processing chamber to ultraviolet light for less than one minute; and (f) repeating step ( a) to (e) until the last substrate in the batch is completed by the treatment of step (d); (g) after step (f) and the last substrate in the batch from the second After the processing chamber is removed, performing a batch of chamber cleaning comprising: pressurizing the second processing chamber to about 5 Torr; heating the second processing chamber to about 385 ° C Passing ozone into the second treatment chamber; The ozone in the second treatment chamber is exposed to ultraviolet light for three to fifteen minutes. The method of claim 1, wherein treating the substrate comprises removing the porogen from the dielectric material deposited on the substrate. The method of claim 1, wherein the step (e) further comprises: purifying the second processing chamber by 10 standard liters of helium per minute for 10 seconds; and pumping the second processing chamber for 10 seconds. A method of cleaning a substrate processing chamber, the method comprising: (a) introducing a gas mixture containing a ruthenium precursor and a porogen into a first processing chamber; (b) depositing a low portion in the first processing chamber a dielectric constant film on a substrate; (c) processing a batch of substrate in a second processing chamber to remove pore former from the low dielectric constant film that has been deposited on the substrate; Removing the substrate from the second processing chamber; (e) performing a rapid chamber cleaning comprising: pressurizing the second processing chamber to about 5 Torr; Heating the second processing chamber to about 385 ° C; introducing ozone into the second processing chamber at 10 standard liters per minute; and exposing the second processing chamber to ultraviolet light for about 15 to about 30 seconds; (f) repeating Steps (c) through (e) until the last substrate in the batch is completed by the treatment of step (d); (g) removing the last substrate from the second processing chamber; and (h) performing a batch of chamber cleaning comprising: pressurizing the second processing chamber to about 5 Torr; heating the second processing chamber to about 385 ° C; and introducing ozone into the second processing chamber at 10 standard liters per minute; The second processing chamber is exposed to ultraviolet light for about 3 minutes to about 15 minutes. The method of claim 4, wherein the cerium-containing precursor comprises methyldiethoxysilane and the porogen comprises alpha-terpinine. The method of claim 4, wherein the fast chamber cleaning is performed for less than a chamber downtime during the substrate transfer. The method of claim 4, wherein the step (e) further comprises: purifying the processing chamber with 10 standard liters of helium per minute for about 10 seconds; and pumping the processing chamber for about 10 seconds. The method of claim 4, wherein the porogen is removed from the low dielectric constant film by pressurizing the second processing chamber to about 50 Torr and heating the second processing chamber to about At 385 ° C, the substrate was exposed to ultraviolet light for about 165 seconds at a temperature above about 300 ° C, and helium gas was introduced into the second processing chamber at about 10 standard liters per minute. The method of claim 8, further comprising: introducing argon gas into the second processing chamber at about 10 standard liters per minute. A method of cleaning a substrate processing chamber, the method comprising: (a) processing a substrate from a batch of substrates in the processing chamber to remove pore formers from a dielectric material deposited on the substrate (b) removing the substrate from the processing chamber; (c) performing a rapid chamber cleaning by exposing the processing chamber to ultraviolet light by pressurizing the processing chamber and introducing ozone into the processing chamber Performing the rapid chamber cleaning for about 15 seconds to about 30 seconds; (d) repeating steps (a) through (c) until the last substrate in the batch is completed by the treatment of step (b); (e) removing the last substrate from the processing chamber; and (f) Performing a batch of chamber cleaning, after step (d) and after the last substrate is removed from the processing chamber, by exposing the processing chamber and introducing ozone into the processing chamber The chamber is subjected to chamber cleaning by ultraviolet light for about 3 minutes to about 15 minutes. The method of claim 10, wherein the ozone in steps (c) and (f) is introduced into the processing chamber at about 10 standard liters per minute. The method of claim 10, wherein the step (c) further comprises: purifying the processing chamber with about 10 standard liters of helium per minute for about 10 seconds; and pumping the processing chamber for about 10 seconds.