Superimposition of rapid periodic and extensive post multiple substrate uv-ozone clean sequences for high throughput and stable substrate to substrate performance

Abstract

A method for cleaning a substrate processing chamber, including processing a batch of substrates within a processing chamber defining one or more processing regions. Processing the batch of substrates may be executed in a sub-routine having various sub-steps including processing a substrate from the batch within the processing chamber, removing the substrate from the processing chamber, introducing ozone into the processing chamber, and exposing the chamber to ultraviolet light for less than one minute. The substrate batch processing sub-steps may be repeated until the last substrate in the batch is processed. After processing the last substrate in the batch, the method includes removing the last substrate from the processing chamber, introducing ozone into the processing chamber; and exposing the processing chamber to ultraviolet light for three to fifteen minutes.

1 . A method of cleaning a substrate processing chamber, the method comprising:
 processing a batch of substrates within the processing chamber that defines one or more processing regions, the processing further comprising:
 processing a substrate from the batch within the processing chamber; 
 removing the substrate from the processing chamber 
 initiating a discrete cleaning process comprising:
 introducing ozone into the processing chamber; 
 exposing the chamber to ultraviolet light for less than one minute; 
 
 repeating the previous steps until the last substrate in the batch is processed; 
   after processing the last substrate in the batch, removing the last substrate from the processing chamber;   initiating a batch cleaning process comprising:
 introducing ozone into the processing chamber; and 
 exposing the processing chamber to ultraviolet light for three to fifteen minutes. 
   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the ultraviolet light comprises wavelengths between 185 nm and 255 nm. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein processing the substrate comprises removing porogen from a polymer previously deposited on the substrate. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein processing the substrate further comprises:
 pressurizing the chamber to five Torr;   heating the chamber to 385° C.   introducing helium into the chamber at 10 standard liters per minute;   introducing argon into the chamber at 10 standard liters per minute; and exposing the chamber to ultraviolet light for 165 seconds.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the chamber is exposed to ultraviolet light for 15 to 30 seconds during the discrete cleaning process. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the discrete cleaning process further comprises:
 pressurizing the chamber to five Torr;   heating the chamber to 385° C.;   introducing ozone into the chamber at 10 standard liters per minute;   exposing the chamber to ultraviolet light for 15 seconds;   purging the chamber with helium at 10 standard liters per minute for 10 seconds; and   pumping the chamber for 10 seconds.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the batch cleaning process further comprises:
 pressurizing the chamber to five Torr;   heating the chamber to 385° C.;   introducing ozone into the chamber at 10 standard liters per minute; and   exposing the chamber to ultraviolet light for 6 minutes.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the batch of substrates comprises 13 substrates. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising generating ozone remotely from the processing region. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein introducing ozone into the chamber comprises activating oxygen with ultraviolet light. 
     
     
         11 . A method of cleaning a substrate processing chamber, the method comprising:
 flowing precursor gas comprising methyldiethoxysilane and alpha-terpinine into a first processing chamber;   depositing a polymer film on a substrate within the first chamber;   processing a batch of substrates having the polymer film within a second processing chamber that defines one or more processing regions, the processing further comprising:
 processing a substrate from the batch within the processing chamber; 
 removing the substrate from the processing chamber 
 initiating a discrete cleaning process comprising:
 introducing ozone into the processing chamber; 
 exposing the chamber to ultraviolet light for less than one minute; 
 
 repeating the previous steps until the last substrate in the batch is processed; 
   after processing the last substrate in the batch, removing the last substrate from the processing chamber;   initiating a batch cleaning process comprising:
 introducing ozone into the processing chamber; and 
 exposing the processing chamber to ultraviolet light for three to fifteen minutes. 
   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1   1 , wherein processing the substrate comprises removing porogen from the polymer film deposited on the substrate. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11  wherein processing the batch of substrates comprises:
 pressurizing the chamber to five Torr;   heating the chamber to 385° C.   introducing helium into the chamber at 10 standard liters per minute;   introducing argon into the chamber at 10 standard liters per minute; and   exposing the second chamber to ultraviolet light for 165 seconds.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the discrete cleaning process further comprises:
 pressurizing the second chamber to five Torr;   heating the second chamber to 385° C.;   introducing ozone into the second chamber at 10 standard liters per minute;   exposing the second chamber to ultraviolet light for 15 seconds;   purging the second chamber with helium at 10 standard liters per minute for 10 seconds; and   pumping the second chamber for 10 seconds.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the batch cleaning process further comprises:
 pressurizing the second chamber to five Torr;   heating the second chamber to 385° C.;   introducing ozone into the second chamber at 10 standard liters per minute; and   exposing the second chamber to ultraviolet light for 6 minutes.   
     
     
         16 . A substrate processing chamber, comprising:
 a processing chamber defining one or more processing regions; and   a controller comprising a computer readable medium containing instructions which, when executed, cause the substrate processing chamber to process a batch of substrates within the processing chamber, the process comprising:   processing a substrate from the batch within the processing chamber;   removing the substrate from the processing chamber;
 initiating a discrete cleaning process comprising:
 introducing ozone into the processing chamber; 
 exposing the chamber to ultraviolet light for less than one minute; 
 
 repeating the previous steps until the last substrate in the batch is processed; 
 after processing the last substrate in the batch, removing the last substrate from the processing chamber; 
 initiating a batch cleaning process comprising:
 introducing ozone into the processing chamber; and 
 exposing the processing chamber to ultraviolet light for three to fifteen minutes. 
 
   
     
     
         17 . The chamber of  claim 16 , wherein processing the substrate comprises removing porogen from the polymer film deposited on the substrate. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16  wherein processing the batch of substrates comprises:
 pressurizing the chamber to five Torr;   heating the chamber to 385° C.   introducing helium into the chamber at 10 standard liters per minute;   introducing argon into the chamber at 10 standard liters per minute; and exposing the chamber to ultraviolet light for 165 seconds.   
     
     
         19 . The chamber of  claim 16 , wherein the discrete cleaning process further comprises:
 pressurizing the chamber to five Torr;   heating the chamber to 385° C.;   introducing ozone into the chamber at 10 standard liters per minute;   exposing the chamber to ultraviolet light for 15 seconds;   purging the chamber with helium at 16 standard liters per minute for 10 seconds; and   pumping the chamber for 10 seconds.   
     
     
         20 . The chamber of  claim 16 , wherein the batch cleaning process further comprises:
 pressurizing the chamber to five Torr;   heating the chamber to 385° C.;   introducing ozone into the chamber at 10 standard liters per minute; and   exposing the chamber to ultraviolet light for 6 minutes.