Treatment method and cleaning method for metal oxyfluorides
A treatment method according to the present invention includes bringing a metal oxyfluoride of the general formula: MO (6-x)/2 F x (where 0<x<6; and M=W or Mo) into contact with a fluorine-containing gas at a reaction temperature higher than or equal to 0° C. and lower than 400° C., thereby converting the metal oxyfluoride to a metal hexafluoride of the general formula: MF 6 (where M=W or Mo). This treatment method enables conversion of the metal oxyfluoride to the high vapor pressure compound without the use of a plasma generator and can be applied to cleaning of a metal fluoride production apparatus or cleaning of a film forming apparatus.
1. A treatment method for a metal oxyfluoride, comprising bringing a metal oxyfluoride of the general formula: MO (6-x)/2 F x (where 0<x<6; and M=W or Mo) into contact with at least one kind of fluorine-containing gas selected from the group consisting of F 2 gas, NF 3 gas, ClF 3 gas, and IF 7 gas at a reaction temperature ranging from 10° C. to 200° C., thereby converting the metal oxyfluoride to a metal hexafluoride of the general formula: MF 6 (where M=W or Mo).
2. The treatment method according to claim 1 ,
wherein a contact pressure of the metal oxyfluoride and the fluorine-containing gas is 0.01 kPa to 300 kPa in terms of absolute pressure.
3. A cleaning method of a metal fluoride production apparatus, the metal fluoride production apparatus being configured for producing a metal hexafluoride of the general formula: MF 6 (where M=W or Mo), the cleaning method comprising: converting a metal oxyfluoride of the general formula: MO (6-x)/2 F x (where 0<x<6; and M=W or Mo) deposited on an inner surface of the metal fluoride production apparatus to a metal hexafluoride by the treatment method according to claim 1 and thereby removing the metal oxyfluoride.
4. A cleaning method of a film forming apparatus, the film forming apparatus being configured for forming a film from a metal hexafluoride of the general formula: MF 6 (where M=W or Mo), the cleaning method comprising: converting a metal oxyfluoride of the general formula: MO (6-x)/2 F x (where 0<x<6; and M=W or Mo) deposited on an inner surface of the film forming apparatus to a metal hexafluoride by the treatment method according to claim 1 and thereby removing the metal oxyfluoride.
5. The treatment method according to claim 1 , wherein the fluorine-containing gas is F 2 gas.
6. The treatment method according to claim 1 , wherein the fluorine-containing gas is NF 3 gas.
7. The treatment method according to claim 1 , wherein the fluorine-containing gas is ClF 3 gas.
8. The treatment method according to claim 1 , wherein the fluorine-containing gas is IF 7 gas.
9. The treatment method according to claim 1 , wherein, in the general formula: MO (6-x)/2 F x , x is 4.
10. The treatment method according to claim 1 , wherein the fluorine-containing gas is diluted with an inert gas so that the fluorine-containing gas diluted with the inert gas comes into contact with the metal oxyfluoride.
11. The treatment method according to claim 1 , wherein the metal oxyfluoride is brought into contact with the nitrogen-containing gas in a plasmaless manner.