Patent ID: 8366953
Filing Date: 2013-02-05
Classification: C23C,H01J,H01L

Abstract:
1. A plasma CVD method for depositing a silicon nitride film on a surface of a target substrate inside a process container of a plasma CVD apparatus, the method comprising: performing a film formation process on a first product substrate placed inside the process container to form a silicon nitride film on a substrate surface by CVD, wherein the film formation process includes supplying a process gas including a nitrogen-containing gas and a silicon-containing gas and generating plasma of the process gas; performing the film formation process on a second product substrate placed inside the process container; and performing a cleaning process inside the process container with extraneous deposits deposited therein due to the film formation process, after the film formation process on the first product substrate and before the film formation process on the second product substrate, wherein the cleaning process includes: a first step of supplying a rare gas, which is selected from the group consisting of Ar gas, Kr gas, Xe gas, and He gas, and NF a second step of supplying the rare gas and hydrogen gas into the process container, without supplying any other gas into the process container, and generating plasma of the rare gas and plasma of the hydrogen gas inside the process container to remove residual fluorine inside the process container by a plasma process after the first step, the second step ending with a second exhaust period of vacuum-exhausting the process container without supplying the hydrogen gas in to the process container and without generating any plasma inside the process container; and a third step of supplying the rare gas into the process container, without supplying any other gas into the process container, and generating plasma of the rare gas inside the process container to remove residual hydrogen inside the process container by a plasma process after the second step, the third step ending with a third exhaust period of vacuum-exhausting the process container without generating any plasma inside the process container.