Substrate cleaning chamber and cleaning and conditioning methods

Abstract

A substrate cleaning chamber includes a contoured ceiling electrode having an arcuate surface that faces a substrate support and has a variable cross-sectional thickness to vary the gap size between the arcuate surface and the substrate support to provide a varying plasma density across the substrate support. A dielectric ring for the cleaning chamber comprises a base, a ridge, and a radially inward ledge that covers the peripheral lip of the substrate support. A base shield comprises a circular disc having at least one perimeter wall. Cleaning and conditioning processes for the cleaning chamber are also described.

1 . A process for removing material from one or more substrates, comprising:
 (a) removing an amount of material from each substrate in a first batch of substrates in a process chamber, wherein removing the material from each substrate in the first batch forms a first process residue on an internal surface of the process chamber;   (b) depositing a conditioning layer comprising a conditioning material over the first process residue by sputtering a material from a surface of a conditioner substrate, the conditioning material being different than the material removed from the substrates in the first batch; and   (c) removing an amount of material from each substrate in a second batch of substrates in the process chamber, wherein removing the material from each substrate in the second batch forms a second process residue over the conditioning layer.   
     
     
         2 . The process of  claim 1 , further comprising sequentially repeating steps (b) and (c) at least 10 times before removing a process kit on which the internal surface is formed. 
     
     
         3 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the conditioner substrate comprises a silicon containing substrate having a layer of material disposed over a surface, wherein the conditioning material comprises a metal. 
     
     
         4 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the conditioning material comprises aluminum or titanium. 
     
     
         5 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the material removed from the first batch of substrates comprises silicon nitride. 
     
     
         6 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the material removed from the first batch of substrates comprises polyimide. 
     
     
         7 . The process of  claim 6 , wherein the conditioning material comprises a metal. 
     
     
         8 . The process of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 depositing an additional conditioning layer comprising the conditioning material over the second process residue by sputtering a material from the surface of the conditioner substrate, wherein the conditioning material comprises aluminum or titanium.   
     
     
         9 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the first process residue has a thickness of at least about 1 micron. 
     
     
         10 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the conditioning layer has a thickness of at least about 500 angstroms. 
     
     
         11 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein step (a) comprises energizing a cleaning gas in the process chamber by delivering a dual frequency electrical power to the cleaning gas, the dual frequency electrical power comprising a power ratio of a first frequency to a second frequency of at least about 1:2, and the first frequency being less than the second frequency. 
     
     
         12 . The process of  claim 11 , wherein the first frequency is 13.5 MHz. 
     
     
         13 . The process of  claim 11 , wherein the second frequency is 60 MHz. 
     
     
         14 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein step (a) further comprises setting a gap between a ceiling electrode and a substrate support, wherein the gap is set for each of the substrates processed in the first batch of production substrates during step (a). 
     
     
         15 . A process for removing material from one or more substrates, comprising:
 (a) removing an amount of material from each substrate in a first batch of substrates in a process chamber by sputtering, wherein removing the amount of material from each substrate in the first batch forms a first process residue comprising silicon on an internal surface of the process chamber,   (b) depositing a conditioning layer comprising aluminum or titanium over the first process residue by sputtering a material from a layer disposed on a surface of a conditioner substrate; and   (c) removing an amount of material from each substrate in a second batch of substrates in the process chamber by sputtering, wherein removing the amount of material from each substrate in the second batch forms a second process residue comprising silicon over the conditioning layer.   
     
     
         16 . The process of  claim 15 , further comprising sequentially repeating steps (b) and (c) at least 10 times before removing a process kit component on which the internal surface is formed. 
     
     
         17 . The process of  claim 15 , wherein the conditioner substrate comprises a silicon containing substrate that has a layer of material disposed over a surface, wherein the layer of material comprises aluminum. 
     
     
         18 . The process of  claim 15 , wherein the process residue comprises silicon nitride. 
     
     
         19 . The process of  claim 15 , wherein the process residue further comprises polyimide. 
     
     
         20 . The process of  claim 15 , wherein removing the amount of material from each substrate in the first and the second batch each further comprise energizing a cleaning gas by delivering a dual frequency electrical power to the cleaning gas that is disposed in the process chamber. 
     
     
         21 . The process of  claim 20 , wherein delivering the dual frequency electrical power comprises delivering a first amount of electrical power at a first frequency of about 13.5 MHz and delivering a second amount of electrical power at a second frequency of about 60 MHz. 
     
     
         22 . The process of  claim 15 , wherein step (a) further comprises setting a gap between a contoured ceiling electrode and a substrate support, wherein the gap is set for each of the substrates processed in the first batch of production substrates during step (a).