Patent ID: 6360754
Filing Date: 2002-03-26
Classification: C23C,H01J,H01L,Y10S

Abstract:
A method of plasma cleaning interior surfaces of a semiconductor processing chamber having quartz hardware between production runs during which a semiconductor wafer does not reside within said semiconductor processing chamber, si method comprising the steps of:a) introducing a mixture including fluorocarbon gas, oxygen and water vapor into said semiconductor processing chamber, wherein said fluorocarbon gas comprises CF4 and wherein a ratio of O2/CF4/H2O is approximately 10:1:3; b) activating said mixture to form a plasma cleaning gas inert to quartz; and c) removing contaminants deposited on interior surfaces of said semiconductor processing chamber by using said plasma cleaning gas between said production runs, wherein corrosion of quartz hardware of said semiconductor processing chamber by said plasma cleaning gas is substantially suppressed by presence of said water vapor.