Patent ID: 8308871

Claim:
A method for low temperature cleaning of a semiconductor processing chamber, comprising: a) providing at least one semiconductor processing chamber, wherein the chamber contains at least one undesired substance on at least one surface within the chamber; b) providing a cleaning gas mixture pre-reactor for production of a cleaning gas mixture, and a cleaning gas mixture buffer tank, wherein the pre-reactor, the buffer tank and the processing chamber are all in fluid communication with each other; c) preparing a cleaning gas mixture in the pre-reactor, wherein the cleaning gas mixture comprises: NF 3 ; NO; FNO; N 2 F 4 ; and N 2 ; d) removing at least part of the cleaning gas mixture from the pre-reactor and storing the cleaning gas mixture in the buffer tank; e) introducing at least part of the cleaning gas mixture from the buffer tank into the processing chamber; and f) removing the at least one undesired substance from the at least one surface of the chamber through a chemical reaction between the cleaning gas mixture and the undesired substance, without generating a plasma in the chamber or increasing a temperature of the chamber to a temperature greater than about 250° C.