Abstract: The present invention relates to plasma cleaning methods for removing surface deposits from a surface, such as the interior of a depositions chamber that is used in fabricating electronic devices. The present invention also provides gas mixtures and activated gas mixtures which provide superior performance in removing deposits from a surface. The methods involve activating a gas mixture comprising a carbon or sulfur source, NF3, and optionally, an oxygen source to form an activated gas, and contacting the activated gas mixture with surface deposits to remove the surface deposits wherein the activated gas mixture acts to passivate the interior surfaces of the apparatus to reduce the rate of surface recombination of gas phase species.

Abstract: The invention provides HF vapor process conditions that can be precisely controlled with a high degree of reproducibility for a wide range of starting wafer conditions. These HF vapor processes for, e.g., etching oxide on a semiconductor substrate, cleaning a contaminant on a semiconductor substrate, removing etch residue from a metal structure on a semiconductor substrate, and cleaning a metal contact region of a semiconductor substrate. In the HF vapor process, a semiconductor substrate having oxide, a contaminant, metal etch residue, or a contact region to be processed is exposed to hydrofluoric acid vapor and water vapor in a process chamber held at temperature and pressure conditions that are controlled to form on the substrate no more than a sub-monolayer of etch reactants and products produced by the vapor as the substrate is processed by the vapor.

Abstract: A chlorine based dry-cleaning system appropriate for removing metal contaminants from the surface of substrate is described in which the metal contaminant is chlorinated and reduced to a volatile metal chloride by UV irradiation. The process parameters of chlorine gas partial pressure, temperature, ultraviolet bandwidth, and/or the sequence of exposure of the substrate to the chlorine containing gas and to the ultraviolet radiation are selected so as to effect substantial removal of the metal without excessive substrate roughening.

Abstract: Provided are methods for forming a fluorocarbon polymer thin film on the surface of a structure. In one method, a monomer gas is exposed to a source of heat having a temperature sufficient to pyrolyze the monomer gas and produce a source of reactive CF.sub.2 species in the vicinity of the structure surface. The structure surface is maintained substantially at a temperature lower than that of the heat source to induce deposition and polymerization of the CF.sub.2 species on the structure surface. In another method for forming a fluorocarbon polymer thin film, the structure is exposed to a plasma environment in which a monomer gas is ionized to produce reactive CF.sub.2 species. The plasma environment is produced by application to the monomer gas of plasma excitation power characterized by an excitation duty cycle having alternating intervals in which excitation power is applied and in which no excitation power is applied to the monomer gas.

Abstract: Plasma process analysis techniques are provided. The intensity of each of a number, P, of a plurality of radiation wavelengths that are emitted from a plasma process are monitored as the process proceeds. Indications of P-dimensional correlations between the intensities of the P monitored wavelengths are produced as the process proceeds. Then the produced correlation indications are compared with a prespecified correlation indication generated based on historical conditions for the plasma process, to determine the status condition of the process as the process proceeds. With this technique, the use of a priori, expected, specific templates is not required for evaluating radiation emission data during a plasma process. Instead the techniques investigate and discover the multiple complex correlations that form between various radiation emission wavelengths during a plasma process, and do not impose an expectation for a specific correlation or trend between the various wavelengths.

Abstract: Provided are methods for forming a fluorocarbon polymer thin film on the surface of a structure. In one method, a monomer gas is exposed to a source of heat having a temperature sufficient to pyrolyze the monomer gas and produce a source of reactive CF.sub.2 species in the vicinity of the structure surface. The structure surface is maintained substantially at a temperature lower than that of the heat source to induce deposition and polymerization of the CF.sub.2 species on the structure surface. In another method for forming a fluorocarbon polymer thin film, the structure is exposed to a plasma environment in which a monomer gas is ionized to produce reactive CF.sub.2 species. The plasma environment is produced by application to the monomer gas of plasma excitation power characterized by an excitation duty cycle having alternating intervals in which excitation power is applied and in which no excitation power is applied to the monomer gas.

Abstract: A process for removing a Group I or Group II metal species from a surface of a semiconductor substrate. The process comprises exposing the surface to a gaseous reactant mixture comprising HF, a second compound and a silane compound, and removing volatile products from the surface. The invention is further directed to a process for etching oxides from a semiconductor substrate comprising exposing the surface to a gaseous reactant mixture comprising HF, a second compound and a silane compound, and removing volatile products from the surface.

Abstract: A process for removing metallic material, for instance copper, iron, nickle and their oxides, from a surface of a substrate such as a silicon, silicon oxide or gallium arsenide substrate. The process includes the steps of: a) placing the substrate in a reaction chamber; b) providing in the reaction chamber a gas mixture, the mixture comprising a first component which is fluorine or a fluorine-containing compound, which will spontaneously dissociate upon adsorption on the substrate surface and a second component which is a halosilane compound, the halosilane, and the fluorine if present, being activated by: i) irradiation with UV; ii) heating to a temperature of about 800.degree. C. or higher; or iii) plasma generation, to thereby convert said metallic material to a volatile metal-halogen-silicon compound, and c) removing the metal-halogen-silicon compound from the substrate by volatilization. The process may be used to remove both dispersed metal and bulk metal films or islands.

Abstract: A chlorine based dry-cleaning system appropriate for removing metal contaminants from the surface of substrate is described in which the metal contaminant is chlorinated and reduced to a volatile metal chloride by UV irradiation. The process parameters of chlorine gas partial pressure, temperature, ultraviolet bandwidth, and/or the sequence of exposure of the substrate to the chlorine containing gas and to the ultraviolet radiation are selected so as to effect substantial removal of the metal without excessive substrate roughening.

Abstract: Provided are methods for forming a fluorocarbon polymer thin film on the surface of a structure. In one method, a monomer gas is exposed to a source of heat having a temperature sufficient to pyrolyze the monomer gas and produce a source of reactive CF.sub.2 species in the vicinity of the structure surface. The structure surface is maintained substantially at a temperature lower than that of the heat source to induce deposition and polymerization of the CF.sub.2 species on the structure surface. In another method for forming a fluorocarbon polymer thin film, the structure is exposed to a plasma environment in which a monomer gas is ionized to produce reactive CF.sub.2 species. The plasma environment is produced by application to the monomer gas of plasma excitation power characterized by an excitation duty cycle having alternating intervals in which excitation power is applied and in which no excitation power is applied to the monomer gas.

Abstract: A new technique has been developed to measure etching or deposition rate uniformity in situ using a CCD camera which views the wafer during plasma processing. The technique records the temporal modulation of plasma emission or laser illumination reflected from the wafer; this modulation is caused by interferometry as thin films are etched or deposited. The measured etching rates compare very well with those determined by Helium-Neon laser interference. This technique is capable of measuring etching rates across 100-mm or larger wafers. It can resolve etch rate variations across a wafer or within a die. The invention can also be used to make endpoint determinations in etching operations as well as measuring the absolute thickness of thin films.

Abstract: A toroidal ECR reactor is described in which a poloidal magnetic field is established in a plasma generating chamber in which a specimen to be processed is disposed on an electrode in a specimen chamber. Microwaves and gaseous reactants are introduced into the plasma generating chamber. A plasma discharge occurs in which high energy electrons are confined in a plasma source region extending between a magnetic mirror formed in the specimen chamber out of line-of-sight to the wafer(s) when disposed on the electrode. A baffle region formed between the two chambers prevents microwaves from entering the specimen chamber. The reactor is particularly suitable for etching or depositing films on semiconductor substrates, since the sensitive substrates are not exposed to the high energy ions and/or photons of the source region.