Evaluation of a dilute nitrogen trifluoride plasma clean in a dielectric PECVD reactor

The use of nitrogen trifluoride in the presence of a helium diluent has bee n investigated in a dielectric plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (P ECVD) chamber cleaning application. Experiments indicated that chamber clea ns with equivalent or better clean times and significantly reduced global w arming emissions relative to the standard C2F6/O-2 process are possible. On e run using NF3 reduced the chamber clean time by over 30% while reducing g lobal warming emissions by over 90% relative to a C2F6-based process of rec ord. A tradeoff between high NF3 destruction efficiency, which corresponds to low global warming emissions, and short clean times (faster throughput) was observed. A Novellus Concept One 200 dielectric PECVD tool was used in this work. (C) 1999 The Electrochemical Society. S1099-0062(99)05-105. All rights reserved.