FIELD

Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to substrate processing equipment and, more specifically, to reducing particle formation irk substrate processing equipment.

BACKGROUND

Sputtering, also known as physical vapor deposition (PVD), is a method of forming features in integrated circuits. Sputtering deposits a layer of material onto a substrate. A source material, such as a target, is bombarded by ions to eject material form the target. The material then deposits on the substrate. The inventors have observed that during the deposition process, material or contaminants can deposit onto chamber components. The material deposited onto the chamber components may form a series of deposit layers during each successive deposition process. The deposit layers may be prone to flaking, especially when the PVD chamber undergoes thermal cycling during and between processes, which generates unwanted particles and contaminants within the PVD chamber.

Therefore, the inventors have provided improved PVD processing chambers and methods of use to reduce unwanted particles therein.

SUMMARY

Embodiments of methods and apparatus for reducing particle formation in physical vapor deposition (PVD) chambers are provided herein. In some embodiments, a method of reducing particle formation in a PVD chamber includes: performing a plurality of first deposition processes on a corresponding series of substrates disposed on a substrate support in the PVD chamber, wherein the PVD chamber includes a process kit disposed about the substrate support and having a texturized outer surface, and wherein a silicon nitride (SiN) layer having a first thickness is deposited onto the texturized outer surface during each of the plurality of first deposition processes; and performing a second deposition process on the process kit between subsets of the plurality of first deposition processes to deposit an amorphous silicon layer having a second thickness onto an underlying silicon nitride (SiN) layer.

In some embodiments, a method of reducing particle formation in a physical vapor deposition (PVD) chamber, includes: performing a plurality of first deposition processes on a corresponding series of substrates disposed on a substrate support in the PVD chamber, wherein the PVD chamber includes a cover ring disposed about the substrate support and having a texturized outer surface, and wherein a silicon nitride (SiN) layer having a first thickness is deposited onto the texturized outer surface during each of the plurality of first deposition processes; performing a second deposition process on the cover ring between subsets of the plurality of first deposition processes to deposit an amorphous silicon layer having a second thickness onto an underlying silicon nitride (SiN) layer, wherein the second thickness is greater than the first thickness; and performing a third deposition process on the cover ring between a second subset of the plurality of first deposition processes to deposit an amorphous silicon layer having a third thickness greater than the second thickness.

In some embodiments, a method of reducing particle formation in a physical vapor deposition (PVD) chamber, includes: performing a first deposition process on a substrate disposed on a substrate support in the PVD chamber, wherein the PVD chamber includes a cover ring disposed about the substrate support and having a texturized outer surface, and wherein a silicon nitride (SiN) layer having a first thickness is deposited onto the texturized outer surface during the first deposition process: repeating the first deposition process on about 10 to about 20 subsequent corresponding substrates in the PVD chamber; and performing a second deposition process on the cover ring in the PVD chamber to deposit an amorphous silicon layer having a second thickness onto an underlying silicon nitride (SiN) layer.

Other and further embodiments of the present disclosure are described below.

