AVS 49th International Symposium
    Plasma Science Wednesday Sessions
       Session PS+TF-WeP

Paper PS+TF-WeP11
Effect of N-based Additive Gases to C@sub 4@F@sub 8@/O@sub 2@ on Global Warming Gas Emission during Silicon Nitride PECVD Chamber Cleaning Process Using a Remote Plasma Source

Wednesday, November 6, 2002, 11:00 am, Room Exhibit Hall B2

Session: Plasma Etching & Deposition
Presenter: C.H. Oh, Sungkyunkwan University, Korea
Authors: C.H. Oh, Sungkyunkwan University, Korea
N.-E. Lee, Sungkyunkwan University, Korea
J.H. Kim, Sungkyunkwan University, Korea
G.Y. Yeom, Sungkyunkwan University, Korea
S.S. Yoon, Jusung Engineering Co., Ltd., Korea
Correspondent: Click to Email
PFCs have been used for CVD chamber cleaning and oxide etching processes. During cleaning and etching processes, the emission of perfluorocompounds(PFCs) into the atmosphere has caused growing concern in the semiconductor industry because of their potential global warming effects. Therefore, the semiconductor industry is proactively seeking ways to reduce PFCs emissions through alternative process chemicals, process optimization, and different abatement technologies including destruction and recovery. In this study, N-based additive gases were added to C@sub 4@F@sub 8@/O@sub 2@ for silicon nitride plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition(PECVD) chamber cleaning and their effects on the perfluorocompounds(PFCs) emission properties were investigated. We determined an optimum cleaning condition of C@sub 4@F@sub 8@/O@sub 2@ chemistry as a function of processing condition such as additional gas mixture ratio, total gas flow, and working pressure. Under the optimum condition, we quantified the net emission of PFCs during cleaning of silicon nitride using Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and then compared the effects of adding N-based additive gases to C@sub 4@F@sub 8@/O@sub 2@ by evaluating the destruction removal efficiency (DRE) and the million metric tons of carbon equivalent (MMTCE). DRE and MMTCE were calculated by evaluating the volumetric emission. Ar/NF@sub 3@ gas mixtures, which are commercially used for PECVD chamber cleaning, were also investigated with the remote plasma source to compare with the results of C@sub 4@F@sub 8@/O@sub 2@/N-based additives gas mixtures. Comparing MMTCE with C@sub 4@F@sub 8@/O@sub 2@/N-based additives and NF@sub 3@/Ar in optimum condition, we could obtain similar MMTCE values for each gas mixture. Therefore, it is believed that Ar/NF@sub 3@ can be replaced by C@sub 4@F@sub 8@/O@sub 2@/N-based additive gas chemistry using a remote plasma source for the silicon nitride PECVD chamber cleaning.