Lam Research Corporation
Method to clean SnO.sub.2 film from chamber

Abstract:

A method for cleaning SnO.sub.2 residue from a processing chamber is provided as one embodiment. The method embodiment includes introducing hydrocarbon and hydrogen gas at a ratio of 1%-60% into a plasma processing system. The SnO.sub.2 residue is etched from surfaces the processing chamber using plasma generated by a plasma source, which produces SnH.sub.4 gas. The SnH.sub.4 gas reacts with the hydrocarbon gas to produce an organotin compound that is volatilizable. The method further provides for evacuating the processing chamber of the organotin compound. The introduction of the hydrocarbon gas along with the hydrogen gas at the ratio of 1%-60% reduces a rate of SnH.sub.4 gas decomposition into Sn powder.