DILUTE REMOTE PLASMA CLEAN

摘要

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a method and an apparatus for enhancing the etch characteristics of a plasma formed in a remote plasma generator. SOLUTION: A plasma formed in a remote plasma generator (27) flows through a tube (62) to a plenum (60) where it is diluted to form a plasma mixture before the plasma mixture flows into a processing chamber (15). The plasma mixture is used to clean deposits from the interior surfaces of the processing chamber, or can be used to perform an etch step on a processed wafer within the processing chamber. In one embodiment, a plasma formed from NF3 is diluted with N2 to etch residue from the surfaces of the processing chamber used to deposit silicon oxide glass. Diluting the plasma increases the etching rate and makes the etching rate more uniform across the diameter of the processing chamber.