Reduction of reactive gas attack on substrate heater

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention provide a method of reducing damage to the substrate support by the cleaning gas during a cleaning process of the processing chamber, such as by reducing aluminum fluoride formation on the substrate support. In one embodiment, a method of cleaning a semiconductor process chamber which is used for processing a substrate disposed on a surface of a substrate support comprises introducing a cleaning gas into a process chamber through an inlet facing a surface of a substrate support. The inlet is spaced from the surface of the substrate support by a clean spacing. Reactive species are provided from the cleaning gas to clean the process chamber. The clean spacing is substantially greater than a process spacing between the inlet and the surface of the substrate support during processing of a substrate on the substrate support in the process chamber.

1 . A method of cleaning a semiconductor process chamber which is used for processing a substrate disposed on a surface of a substrate support, the method comprising: 
 introducing a cleaning gas into a process chamber through an inlet facing a surface of a substrate support, the inlet being spaced from the surface of the substrate support by a clean spacing; and    providing reactive species from the cleaning gas to clean the process chamber;    wherein the clean spacing is substantially greater than a process spacing between the inlet and the surface of the substrate support during processing of a substrate on the substrate support in the process chamber.    
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the clean spacing is at least about 4 times the process spacing.  
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the clean spacing is at least about 7 times the process spacing.  
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the reactive species comprise fluorine radicals.  
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the reactive species are generated by remote plasma from the cleaning gas and introduced into the process chamber through the inlet.  
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 1  wherein a temperature of the substrate support during cleaning is substantially identical to a temperature of the substrate support during processing of the substrate on the substrate support.  
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 6  wherein the temperature of the substrate support during cleaning is higher than about 500° C.  
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the clean spacing is at least about 1.3 inches.  
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 8  wherein the clean spacing is about 2.1 inches.  
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the process chamber has a pressure of about 1.5-6 torr during cleaning of the process chamber.  
   
   
       11 . A method of cleaning a semiconductor process chamber which is used for processing a substrate disposed on a surface of a substrate support, the method comprising: 
 introducing a cleaning gas into a process chamber through an inlet facing a surface of a substrate support, the inlet being spaced from the surface of the substrate support by a clean spacing; and    providing reactive species from the cleaning gas to clean the process chamber;    wherein the clean spacing is at least about 1.3 inches.    
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 11  wherein the clean spacing is about 2.1 inches.  
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 1   1  wherein the reactive species are generated by remote plasma from the cleaning gas and introduced into the process chamber through the inlet.  
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 11  wherein the reactive species comprise fluorine radicals.  
   
   
       15 . A method of processing a substrate on a substrate support disposed in a process chamber, the method comprising: 
 processing a substrate on a surface of a substrate support disposed in a process chamber by introducing a process gas into the process chamber through an inlet facing the surface of a substrate support, the inlet being spaced from the surface of the substrate support by a process spacing;    removing the substrate from the process chamber;    introducing a cleaning gas into the process chamber through the inlet facing the surface of a substrate support, the inlet being spaced from the surface of the substrate support by a clean spacing; and    providing reactive species from the cleaning gas to clean the process chamber;    wherein the clean spacing is substantially greater than the process spacing.    
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 15  wherein the clean spacing is at least about 4 times the process spacing.  
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 15  wherein the clean spacing is at least about 1.3 inches.  
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 15  wherein the reactive species comprise fluorine radicals.  
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 15  wherein processing the substrate comprises forming a dielectric layer on the substrate.  
   
   
       20 . A substrate processing system for processing a substrate, the system comprising: 
 a housing forming a chamber, the chamber including a substrate support having a surface for supporting a substrate to be processed in the chamber;    a gas distribution system configured to introduce one or more gases into the chamber via an inlet;    an adjustment mechanism coupled to the substrate support to adjust a position of the substrate support with respect to the inlet and change a spacing between the inlet and the surface of the substrate support;    a controller, including a computer, configured to control the substrate processing system; and    a memory coupled to the controller and including a computer-readable medium having a computer-readable program embodied therein for directing operation of the substrate processing system, the computer-readable program code including:    a first set of computer instructions for controlling the adjustment mechanism to provide a process spacing between the inlet and the surface of the substrate support;    a second set of computer instructions for controlling the gas distribution system to introduce a process gas into the process chamber through the inlet to process a substrate disposed on the surface of a substrate support;    a third set of computer instructions for controlling the substrate processing system to remove the substrate from the process chamber;    a fourth set of computer instructions for controlling the adjustment mechanism to provide a clean spacing between the inlet and the surface of the substrate support, the clean spacing being substantially greater than the process spacing;    a fifth set of computer instructions for controlling the gas distribution system to introduce a cleaning gas into the process chamber through the inlet facing the surface of the substrate support; and    a sixth set of computer instructions for controlling the substrate processing system to provide reactive species from the cleaning gas to clean the process chamber.