Methods and apparatus for cleaning using a chlorine containing gas plasma

摘要

The present invention provides methods and apparatus for cleaning unwanted metal deposits using a halogen-containing gas, such as a chlorine-containing gas in some embodiments, with RF energy at a temperature of at least 400 DEG C to provide a plasma clean treatment. According to another embodiment, the present invention also provides a process of cleaning a deposition chamber (30) that includes steps of pressurizing the chamber to a first pressure with a non-reactive gas, reducing the first pressure to a cleaning process pressure, and flowing a reactive gas into the chamber at the cleaning process pressure such that the non-reactive gas outgasses from the interior space to minimise intrusion of the reactive gas into the interior space.