Effect of N₂O to C₄F₈/O₂ on global warming during silicon nitride plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) chamber cleaning using a remote inductively coupled plasma source

For the silicon nitride plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) chamber cleaning, a remote inductively coupled plasma (ICP) source was used with C₄F₈/O₂/N₂O and the effects of N₂O on the silicon nitride cleaning rates and global warming were investigated. By adding 5% of N₂O to C₄F8/O₂, the cleaning rate comparable to that of optimized Ar/NF₃ could be obtained. At the exhaust line, CF₄, C₄F₈, NF₃, etc. were detected and the significant decrease of million metric tons of carbon equivalent (MMTCE) observed by the addition of N₂O to C₄F₈/O₂ was due to the decrease of emitted CF₄. The MMTCE for the optimized C₄F₈/O₂/N₂O was also similar to that for Ar/NF₃ at the highest cleaning condition.