METHOD FOR IMPROVED CLEANING OF SUBSTRATE PROCESSING SYSTEMS

A method for a multiple-stage microwave plasma cleaning technique for efficiently cleaning a substrate processing chamber. In a specific embodiment, a two-stage cleaning process is described. The first stage begins by flowing a reactive gas from a gas source into a processing chamber where microwaves ignite and maintain a plasma from the reactive gas. Reactive radicals generated which react with residues on the interior surfaces of the processing chamber. In the second stage, an inert gas is flowed into the processing chamber in addition to the reactive gas. Microwaves then ignite and maintain a plasma from the reactive gas and optionally, the inert gas as well. Optionally, an inert gas can be flowed into the processing chamber prior to the first stage to remove loose particles from the processing chamber. The reactive gas in such embodiments is preferably NF3, but other fluorine-containing gases such as carbon tetrafluoride (CF4) or sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) may also be used. Moreover, chlorine- or other halogen-containing gases may also be used as the reactive gas in other embodiments in place of fluorine-containing gases.