Method of in-situ cleaning and deposition of device structures in a high density plasma environment

摘要

A method of in-situ cleaning and deposition of device structures in a high density plasma environment. A device structure is located in a reaction chamber containing a sputter target. An ion containing gas located in the reaction chamber is exposed to an RF voltage to generate a high density plasma containing ionized gas particles. The ionized gas particles are accelerated toward the device structure during a cleaning phase. By-products produced during the cleaning phase are either evacuated from the reaction chamber or platted to the chamber walls. Ionized gas particles are then accelerated toward the sputter target during a deposition phase so that a layer of the sputter target material is deposited on at least a portion of the device structure. The cleaning phase may be divided into a first cleaning phase during which no power is applied to the sputter target and a second cleaning phase during which power is supplied to the sputter target sufficient to remove at least a portion of by-products deposited on the sputter target during the first cleaning phase. The step of providing power to a sputter target preferably includes the step of providing power at a level that results in substantially no deposition of the sputter target material on the device structure. The ion containing gas used for cleaning may be different than the ion containing gas used for deposition.