Patent ID: 6841141

Claim:
A method for in-situ generation of fluorine radicals and/or fluorine-containing interhalogen compounds for use in cleaning a semiconductor processing chamber, comprising the steps of: (a) providing a fluorine source for supplying fluorine gas; (b) providing a halogen source for supplying at least one halogen species selected from the group consisting of Cl 2 , Br 2 , and I 2 ; wherein said method is characterized by at least one of the following sequences (I), (II), and (III) of steps: (I) (i) flowing the fluorine gas and the halogen species from said respective sources therefor into the semiconductor processing chamber communicatively connected with said sources, without any intervening holdup of said fluorine gas and halogen species between the respective sources and the semiconductor processing chamber; and (ii) generating the fluorine radicals and/or fluorine-containing interhalogen compounds by introducing external energy from an energy source into the semiconductor processing chamber containing the fluorine gas and the halogen species; (II) (i) providing a diluent gas source for supplying at least one inert gas; (ii) flowing the fluorine gas and the halogen species into the semiconductor processing chamber communicatively connected with the fluorine source and the halogen source; (iii) generating the fluorine radicals and/or fluorine-containing interhalogen compounds by introducing external energy from an energy source into the semiconductor processing chamber containing the fluorine gas and the halogen species; and (iv) flowing the diluent gas into the semiconductor processing chamber to dilute the fluorine radicals and/or fluorine-containing interhalogen compounds contained therein; and (III) (i) flowing the fluorine gas and the halogen species into a mixing chamber communicatively connected with the fluorine source and the halogen source; (ii) generating the fluorine radicals and/or fluorine-containing interhalogen compounds by introducing external energy from an energy source into the mixing chamber containing the fluorine gas and the halogen species; (iii) flowing the generated fluorine radicals and/or fluorine-containing interhalogen compounds from the mixing chamber into a holding chamber for storage until a pre-determined pressure threshold is reached; and (iv) flowing the generated fluorine radicals and/or fluorine-containing interhalogen compounds from the holding chamber into the semiconductor processing chamber to effect cleaning therein, wherein the flow rate of the formed fluorine radicals and/or fluorine-containing interhalogen compounds from the holding chamber into the semiconductor processing chamber is monitored and controlled.