Methods and apparatuses for atomic layer cleaning of contacts and vias

摘要

Described are cleaning methods for removing contaminants from an electrical contact interface of a partially fabricated semiconductor substrate. The methods may include introducing a halogen-containing species into a processing chamber, and forming an adsorption-limited layer, which includes halogen from the halogen-containing species, atop the electrical contact interface and/or the contaminants thereon. The methods may further include thereafter removing un-adsorbed halogen-containing species from the processing chamber and activating a reaction between the halogen of the adsorption-limited layer and the contaminants present on the electrical contact interface. The reaction may then result in the removal of at least a portion of the contaminants from the electrical contact interface. In some embodiments, the halogen adsorbed onto the surface and reacted may be fluorine. Also described herein are apparatuses having controllers for implementing such electrical contact interface cleaning techniques.

主权项

1. A cleaning method for removing contaminants from an electrical contact interface of a partially fabricated semiconductor substrate in a processing chamber, the contact interface for making an electrical connection with a metal, the method comprising:
(a) introducing a halogen-containing species into the processing chamber; (b) forming an adsorption-limited layer atop the electrical contact interface and/or contaminants thereon, the adsorption-limited layer comprising halogen from the halogen-containing species; (c) after (b), removing un-adsorbed halogen-containing species from the processing chamber; and (d) activating a reaction between the halogen of the adsorption-limited layer and the contaminants present on the electrical contact interface, the reaction resulting in the removal of at least a portion of the contaminants from the electrical contact interfacewherein the contaminants comprise one or more fluorocarbon polymer species deposited in a prior fabrication operation involving a reactive ion etch of the partially-manufactured semiconductor substrate.