Patent ID: 7122125

Claim:
An integrated plasma etch process performed in a single etching reactor, comprising a plurality of etching cycles for processing sequential ones of a plurality of production substrates disposable on a pedestal adjacent a processing space of said reactor, wherein a side portion of said reactor surrounds said processing space, each etching cycle of said process comprising the following steps performed in the stated order of: while no production substrate is disposed on said pedestal, depositing from a first gas mixture admitted into said chamber a first polymeric coating onto said side portion; loading a sequential one of said plurality of production substrates onto said pedestal in said reactor adjacent said processing space; etching said sequential one of said plurality of production substrates in an etching process that deposits a second polymeric coating onto said side portion, wherein said etching step includes a first etching substep in which a third polymeric coating, which is at least a part of the second polymeric coating, is deposited onto said side portion, and a second and subsequent etching substep in which said third polymeric coating is etched from said side portion; unloading said sequential one of said plurality of production substrates from said pedestal; and while no production substrate is disposed on said pedestal, cleaning said side portion of said reactor such that said second polymeric coating is removed from said side portion.