Patent ID: 8025736

Claim:
A method of cleaning semiconductor device fabrication equipment having a processing chamber in which a PEOX process using SiH 4 is carried out, and a remote plasma generator connected to the processing chamber, the method comprising: supplying N 2 into the processing chamber of the semiconductor device fabrication equipment through a main process gas supply piping connected to the processing chamber and through which process gas, comprising SiH 4 , is supplied into the processing chamber during the processing of a substrate; supplying NF 3 into a reactor of the remote plasma generator of the semiconductor device fabrication equipment and forming plasma in the reactor using the NF 3 , to thereby clean the reactor of the remote plasma generator and the processing chamber while the N 2 is flowing through the main process gas supply piping into the processing chamber; after the reactor of the remote plasma generator and the processing chamber are cleaned, supplying N 2 into the processing chamber to purge the processing chamber; supplying Ar to the remote plasma generator and generating plasma using the Ar to remove any NF 3 remaining in the remote plasma generator and the processing chamber while the process chamber is being purged by the N 2 ; and subsequently performing a full flush operation a predetermined number of times to remove from the processing chamber any gases remaining in the process chamber.