Process for treating solid surface and substrate surface
View Patent ↗Ruthenium, osmium and their oxides can be etched simply and rapidly by supplying an atomic oxygen-donating gas, typically ozone, to the aforementioned metals and their oxides through catalysis between the metals and their oxides, and the ozone without any damages to wafers and reactors and application of the catalysis not only to the etching but also to chamber cleaning ensures stable operation of reactors and production of high quality devices.
1. A process for cleaning a reactor for producing a semiconductor device, the reactor comprising a treatment chamber for treating a substrate, which comprises removing at least one of ruthenium, osmium and a reaction product comprising at least one of ruthenium and osmium accumulated or deposited on the surfaces of members in the treatment chamber by supplying a gas comprising an atomic oxygen-donating gas, and forming a tetraoxide of at least one of ruthenium and osmium, having a high vapor pressure, using an oxidation reaction with the at least one of the ruthenium, osmium and the reaction product at a temperature of 350° C. or lower, thereby cleaning the reactor by non-plasma etching.
2. A process according to claim 1 , wherein the reactor for producing a semiconductor device is a CVD reactor for forming a film comprising at least one member selected from the group consisting of ruthenium, ruthenium oxide, osmium and osmium oxide above the substrate, an etching reactor for forming a pattern above the substrate by treating the film by etching, or a cleaning reactor for removing any one of ruthenium, osmium and the reaction product containing at least one of ruthenium and osmium, deposited above the substrate.
3. A process according to claim 1 , wherein the surfaces of members is at least one of a susceptor surface, an inlet surface for the gas, an outlet surface for the gas, an inside wall of the treatment chamber and an inside wall of pipes.
4. A process according to claim 1 , wherein the atomic oxygen-donating gas comprises at least one member selected from the group consisting of ozone, oxygen halide, nitrogen oxide and atomic oxygen.
5. A process according to claim 1 , wherein the atomic oxygen-donating gas contains a halogen gas, a hydrogen halide gas or a reductive gas and is subjected to the cleaning of the surfaces of members.
6. A process according to claim 1 , wherein the atomic oxygen-donating gas contains at least one member selected from the group consisting of fluorine, chlorine, bromine, chlorine fluoride, hydrogen fluoride, hydrogen chloride, hydrogen bromide, hydrogen, carbon monoxide, ammonia and phosphorus hydride and is subjected to the cleaning of the surfaces of members.
7. A process according to claim 1 , wherein the surfaces of members are cleaned so as not to form an ion sheath on or above the surfaces of members.
8. A process according to claim 1 , wherein when a gas comprising an atomic oxygen-donating gas is supplied onto the surfaces of members, the surfaces of members are at a temperature of 40° to 200° C.
9. A process according to claim 1 , wherein when a gas comprising an atomic oxygen-donating gas is supplied onto the surface of members, the surfaces of members are at a temperature of 40° to 180° C.
10. A process for cleaning a reactor for producing a semiconductor device, the reactor comprising a treatment chamber for treating a substrate, which comprises (1) a step of transferring a substrate into the treatment chamber, (2) a step of treating the substrate, (3) a step of transferring the treated substrate from the treatment chamber, and (4) a step of cleaning to remove products accumulated or deposited on the surfaces of members in the treatment chamber after the transfer of the substrate, where the product is at least one of ruthenium, osmium and a reaction product comprising at least one of ruthenium and osmium, the product is removed by supplying a gas comprising an atomic oxygen-donating gas, and forming a tetraoxide of at least one of ruthenium and osmium, having a high vapor pressure, using an oxidation reaction with the product at a temperature of 350° C. or lower, thereby cleaning the reactor by non-plasma etching, and the step (4) is carried out after desired repetitions of the step (2).
11. A process according to claim 10 , wherein the reactor for producing a semiconductor device is a CVD reactor for forming a film comprising at least one member selected from the group consisting of ruthenium, ruthenium oxide, osmium and osmium oxide above the substrate, an etching reactor for forming a pattern above the substrate by treating the film by etching, or a cleaning reactor for removing any one of ruthenium, osmium and the reaction product containing at least one of ruthenium and osmium, deposited above the substrate.