Systems and methods for reducing effluent build-up in a pumping exhaust system

1. A method for reducing effluent buildup in a pumping exhaust system of a substrate processing system, the method comprising:

during a substrate treatment process:

arranging a substrate on a substrate support in a processing chamber;

supplying one or more process gases to the processing chamber, wherein the one or more process gases include a precursor gas and an oxidizer gas;

supplying only an inert dilution gas to the pumping exhaust system, the inert dilution gas being supplied at a first flow rate, wherein the first flow rate is greater than a first predetermined flow rate that is sufficient to prevent combustion of the precursor gas and the oxidizer gas in the pumping exhaust system;

performing the substrate treatment process on the substrate in the processing chamber; and

evacuating substances from the processing chamber using the pumping exhaust system; and

after the substrate treatment process:

supplying cleaning plasma including cleaning gas in the processing chamber during a cleaning process for reducing effluent buildup in the pumping exhaust system of the substrate processing system; and

supplying only the inert dilution gas to the pumping exhaust system during the cleaning process, the inert dilution gas being supplied at a second flow rate that is less than the first flow rate, wherein the second flow rate is at a second predetermined flow rate that would be insufficient to prevent combustion of the precursor gas and the oxidizer gas if used during the substrate treatment process;

wherein the pumping exhaust system includes a valve, a pump, an abatement device including a gas burner and a water scrubber, and exhaust lines connecting the valve to the processing chamber, the pump to the valve, and the abatement device to the pump; and

wherein the inert dilution gas is supplied between at least one of the valve and the pump, and the pump and the abatement device.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the substrate treatment process includes one of plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposition and plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more process gases include the precursor gas, the oxidizer gas, and a carrier gas.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the precursor gas includes silicon precursor gas.

5. The method of claim 3 , wherein the oxidizer gas is selected from a group including molecular oxygen and nitrous oxide.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the inert dilution gas includes molecular nitrogen.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

the pumping exhaust system includes the pump having a resistive heater to heat the substances and the inert dilution gas flowing through the pump; and

the method further comprising not activating the resistive heater during the cleaning process.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first flow rate is greater than or equal to twice the second flow rate.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein supplying the cleaning plasma includes:

supplying the cleaning gas to the processing chamber during the cleaning process; and

striking the cleaning plasma in the processing chamber.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein supplying the cleaning plasma includes:

remotely generating the cleaning plasma; and

supplying the cleaning plasma to the processing chamber.

11. The method of claim 1 , further comprising heating the exhaust lines during the cleaning process.