IUVSTA 15th International Vacuum Congress (IVC-15), AVS 48th International Symposium (AVS-48), 11th International Conference on Solid Surfaces (ICSS-11)
    Plasma Science Thursday Sessions
       Session PS-ThP

Paper PS-ThP7
Investigation of the Performance of MERIE Etcher for Extended Conditions of Consumable Upper Electrode/Gas Distribution Plate Lifetime

Thursday, November 1, 2001, 5:30 pm, Room 134/135

Session: Plasma Etching Poster Session
Presenter: D.V. Semach, Silicon Manufacturing Partners Pte. Ltd., Singapore
Correspondent: Click to Email

Lifetime of consumable parts used in semiconductor industry correlates directly with cost-of-ownership and overall equipment effectiveness. In this study lifetime of Bush upper electrode that is the consumable part of TEL85DRM dielectric etch chamber had been improved from conventional 500 to 1200 RF hours. The part is produced of aluminum, anodized and equipped with inserts gas holes been drilled through. During processing gas holes are enlarged because of the inserts material etching hence the gas distribution pattern conductance is increased. Continuously monitoring equipment and process parameters (process gases partial pressure, particle count, etch rate, non-uniformity, etching profile, etc.) subject to the gas holes integrated size there had been found that the pattern conductance increasing up to 400 % (during the part operation from 500 to 1200 RF hours) and even by 40 times (as a result of special inserts boring) had not affected these parameters. It proves that the pattern conductance is not a limitation factor for the chamber performance and plasma is stable and uniform under these conditions. As is well known, during running and wet clean the surfaces of the chamber parts deteriorate progressively. Series of chemical analysis of polymeric stratums been peeled out from the electrode surface had shown significant increase of AL and O level at the stratum side being in contact with the surface with increasing of the part operational time. However surface analysis of wafers been processed after the chamber wet clean and seasoning had not disclosed any AL and the other metal contaminations as at the initial stage as at 1200 RF hours of the part operation. All the results had been confirmed for several electrodes and chambers. The real possibility to extend the part lifetime to 2000 RF hours and more if apply soft wet clean method detailed in the body has also been shown.