Lam Research Corporation

Yousun Kim

John Edward Daugherty

Duane Outka

Anthony L Chen

A method of reducing aluminum fluoride deposits in a plasma etch reactor. The deposits can be reduced during a cleaning step wherein the cleaning gas includes BCl energized into a plasma such that dissociated and undissociated BCl are formed and the undissociated BCl reacts with aluminum fluoride deposits and forms volatile products which are removed from the chamber. The introduction of Cl into the cleaning gas allows control of the degree of BCl dissociation. The deposits can also be reduced during etching of an aluminum layer by controlling the amount of fluorocarbon used in the main etch and adding BCl during the overetch. The cleaning step may be performed without a substrate in the chamber and may be followed by a conditioning step.

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Santa Clara, CA, United States of America

Yousun Kim