Chamber Cleaning and Semiconductor Etching Gases

Abstract

The present invention relates to fluoroolefin compositions useful as gases for CVD semiconductor manufacture, particularly for etching applications including methods for removing surface deposits from the interior of a chemical vapor deposition chamber by using an activated gas mixture, and methods for etching the surface of a semiconductor.

1 - 5 . (canceled) 
     
     
         6 . A method of operation of a semiconductor manufacturing process chamber, comprising etching a film on a semiconductor using an etch gas comprising a first fluoroolefin which is 1,1,4,4,4-hexafluoro-2-butyne. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the step of etching a film further comprises,
 transferring a photomask to the semiconductor to create a masked surface and an exposed surface,   forming a plasma of said etch gas, and   exposing the exposed surface of the semiconductor to the plasma to remove portions of the exposed surface of the semiconductor to form an etched surface of the semiconductor.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the method further comprises the steps of forming a second etch gas, activating the second etch gas to form a second plasma, depositing the second plasma on the etched surface to form a polymer layer on the etched surface of the semiconductor. 
     
     
         9 - 10 . (canceled) 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 7  wherein the said surface film deposit is selected from the group consisting of silicon oxide, gallium nitride, silicon nitride, silicon oxynitride, silicon carbonitride, tungsten nitride, titanium nitride, and tantalum nitride. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein step of forming a plasma from the etch gas is performed in a remote chamber or in the process chamber. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the gas mixture further comprises oxygen in molar ratio of oxygen:fluoroolefin that is at least about 1:1. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the pressure in the process chamber is no more than 30 torr. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the pressure in the remote chamber is from 0.5 torr to 50 torr. 
     
     
         16 . A method for removing surface deposits from a surface in a process chamber, comprising: activating a gas mixture comprising oxygen and 1,1,4,4,4-hexafluoro-2-butyne, wherein the molar percentage of 1,1,4,4,4-hexafluoro-2-butyne in the said gas mixture is from about 5% to about 99%, and contacting said activated gas mixture with the surface deposits and thereby removing at least some of said deposits. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein said process chamber is the interior of a deposition chamber that is used in fabricating electronic devices. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the step of activating said gas mixture takes place in a remote chamber. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the etch gas further comprises a second fluoroolefin which is hexafluoro-1,2-butadiene. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the step of etching a film further comprises,
 transferring a photomask to the semiconductor to create a masked surface and an exposed surface,   forming a plasma of said etch gas, and   exposing the exposed surface of the semiconductor to the plasma to remove portions of the exposed surface of the semiconductor to form an etched surface of the semiconductor.   
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the method further comprises the steps of forming a second etch gas, activating the second etch gas to form a second plasma, depositing the second plasma on the etched surface to form a polymer layer on the etched surface of the semiconductor. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the surface film is selected from the group consisting of silicon oxide, gallium nitride, silicon nitride, silicon oxynitride, silicon carbonitride, tungsten nitride, titanium nitride, and tantalum nitride. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein step of forming a plasma from the etch gas is performed in a remote chamber or in the process chamber. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the gas mixture further comprises oxygen in molar ratio of oxygen : fluoroolefin that is at least about 1:1. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein the pressure in the process chamber is no more than 30 torr. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein the pressure in the remote chamber is from 0.5 torr to 50 torr. 
     
     
         27 . A method for removing surface deposits from a surface in a process chamber, comprising: activating a gas mixture comprising oxygen, a first fluoroolefin, and a second fluoroolefin, wherein the molar percentage of fluoroolefin in the said gas mixture is from about 5% to about 99%, and contacting said activated gas mixture with the surface deposits and thereby removing at least some of said deposits; wherein the first fluoroolefin is 1,1,4,4,4-hexafluoro-2-butyne and the second fluoroolefin is hexafluoro-1,2-butadiene. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein said process chamber is the interior of a deposition chamber that is used in fabricating electronic devices. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein the step of activating said gas mixture takes place in a remote chamber.