METHOD FOR LOW TEMPERATURE THERMAL CLEANING

摘要

Methods and apparatus for cleaning undesired substances from a surface in a semiconductor processing chamber. A gas mixture containing a fluorine source and an oxygen source is pre-treated to contain active fluorine species. The pre-treated mixture is stored for a time in a gas storage device, and then introduced to a semiconductor processing chamber. Prior to introduction of the pre-treated gas, the temperature in the chamber is lowered to a temperature equal to or iower than the normal operating temperature. Undesired substances are removed or cleaned through chemical reaction with the pre-treated gas mixture, without the generation of a plasma or a high temperature condition in the chamber.