Claims
- 1. A method for the plasma cleaning of surfaces of a semiconductor process chamber having involatile contaminants deposited thereon, said process comprising the steps of:
- (a) placing a non-gaseous source of reactive-species-generating material within the processing chamber, the source being adequate to provide reactive species generation for at least one complete plasma cleaning operation;
- (b) exposing said non-gaseous source of reactive-species-generating material to a plasma generated from a gas fed into said processing chamber, whereby volatile reactive species are generated; and
- (c) contacting said semiconductor processing chamber surfaces with said plasma further comprising said volatile reactive species generated in step b) from said non-gaseous source, whereby at least a portion of said involatile contaminants residing on said surfaces are converted to volatile molecules by said plasma comprising said volatile reactive species.
- 2. The method of claim 1, wherein said source of reactive-species-generating material is a solid disk or sheet of material having a constant composition.
- 3. The method of claim 1, wherein said source of reactive-species-generating material is a non-species-generating substrate having a coating of said reactive-species-generating material deposited upon said substrate.
- 4. The method of claim 1, wherein said source of reactive-species-generating material is a liquid contained within a support structure.
- 5. The method of claim 1, wherein said plasma generated in step (b) from said gas fed into said process chamber also acts upon at least a portion of said involatile contaminants to render said involatile contaminants volatile.
- 6. The method of claim 1, wherein said reactive-species-generating material is a carbon-comprising polymer.
- 7. The method of claim 6, wherein said, carbon-containing polymer is a photoresist material, and wherein said reactive species generated from said photoresist material migrates to a surface of said semiconductor processing chamber to react with said involatile contaminants on said surface, whereby at least a portion of said involatile contaminants are converted to volatile materials.
- 8. The method of claim 6, wherein said carbon-comprising polymer is a polyimide, a photoresist comprising a phenyl formaldehyde novalac, or a polymer generated using CHF.sub.3 as a starting material.
Parent Case Info
This application is a Continuation of prior U.S. application Ser. No. 08/104,318, filed Aug. 9, 1993, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,486,235.
US Referenced Citations (16)
Foreign Referenced Citations (1)
Number |
Date |
Country |
A-416400 |
Mar 1991 |
EPX |
Non-Patent Literature Citations (3)
Entry |
Kay, E. and A. Dilks, "Plasma Polymerization of Fluorocarbns in RF Capacitively Coupled Diode System", J. Vac. Sci. Technol. 18(1) Jan./Feb. 1981, pp. 1-11. |
Singer, Peter H., Assoc. Ed., "Today's Plasma Etch Chemistries", Semiconductor International, Mar. 1988, pp. 68-73. |
Singer, Peter H., Assoc. Ed., "Plasma Etching of Metals", Semiconductor International, Mar. 1987, pp. 76-79. |
Continuations (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
104318 |
Aug 1993 |
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