Patent ID: 7381344

Claim:
Providing a method of reducing particle count at the end of Power-down for an Inductive Coupled Plasma (ICP) dry-etch cleaning chamber, comprising the steps of: providing a ICP dry-etch cleaning chamber; positioning a workpiece within said cleaning chamber; and following a dry-etch chamber power-down procedure, whereby said power-down is a six step power-down procedure, whereby said six steps of said power-down procedure follow in a given sequence and without interruption or time-lag in between any of said six steps, and whereby step 1 is specified as 30 mt/600 w ICP/15 w RIE/30 sccm O 2 /2.5 min., whereby further step 2 is specified as 30 mt/560 w ICP/15 w RIE/30 sccm O 2 /30 sec., whereby further step 3 is specified as 30 mt/520 w ICP/15 w RIE/30 sccm O 2 /30 sec., whereby further step 4 is specified as 30 mt/480 w ICP/15 w RIE/30 sccm O 2 /30 sec., whereby further step 5 is specified as 30 mt/440 w ICP/15 w RIE/30 sccm O 2 /30, whereby further step 6 is specified as 30 mt/400 w ICP/15 w RIE/30 sccm O 2 /30 sec.