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  Method of removing oxide film on a substrate with hydrogen and fluorine radicalsUSPTO Application #: 20060207724Title: Method of removing oxide film on a substrate with hydrogen and fluorine radicals Abstract: A dry cleaning process for removing native oxide at improved efficiency is disclosed. The dry cleaning process minimizes the amount of fluorine atoms absorbed on the surface of a processed substrate. Fluorine radicals are provided to the substrate together with hydrogen radicals. The substrate is processed by the reaction of the fluorine radicals and the hydrogen radicals. (end of abstract) Agent: Crowell & Moring LLP Intellectual Property Group - Washington, DC, US Inventors: Hiroshi Shinriki, Shintaro Aoyama USPTO Applicaton #: 20060207724 - Class: 156345350 (USPTO) The Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20060207724. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS [0001] This application is a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/678,045 filed Oct. 3, 2003, which claims priority to Japanese patent application Ser. No. JP2002-291579 filed Oct. 3, 2002, the entire disclosures of which are herein incorporated in their entireties. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] 1. Field of the Invention [0003] The present invention generally relates to the fabrication of a semiconductor device, and particularly, to a so-called pre-cleaning process for removing native oxide formed on the surface of a silicon substrate. [0004] 2. Description of the Related Art [0005] Native oxide formed on the surface of a silicon substrate needs to be removed before various processes such as an insulation film forming process and an epitaxial process on the silicon substrate. The native oxide includes, for example, an oxide film formed due to the atmospheric oxidation of hydrophobic silicon surface formed by cleaning the silicon surface with diluted fluorine acid and an oxide film unintentionally formed in oxidation processing, dilution processing, and CVD processing, for example, even at a low temperature. [0006] The native oxide needs to be completely removed in the recent fabrication of super fine semiconductor devices in which, for example, a high dielectric gate insulation film, which is 1 nm thick or less, needs to be formed. The native oxide also needs to be removed not only for forming a super thin insulation film such as the high dielectric gate insulation film but also for forming a silicon/metal contact and metal silicide. [0007] The native oxide is removed from the surface of a silicon substrate in dry atmosphere so that the silicon substrate the native oxide of which is removed is transported in vacuum to the next step with its cleaned surface kept as clean as it is. Thus, the removal of the native oxide is referred to as dry cleaning. [0008] For example, the following methods for dry cleaning processing are known: a method of processing the surface of the silicon substrate in anhydrous HF gas, a method of processing the surface of the silicon substrate in an atmosphere of HF gas and water vapor, and a method of processing the surface of the silicon substrate in an atmosphere of F.sub.2 gas excited by ultra violet ray thereby to generate fluorine radicals with additional H.sub.2 gas. [0009] Japanese Laid-open Patent Application No. 7-321046 is known as a prior art literature related to the present invention. [0010] The method of processing the surface of the silicon substrate with anhydrous HF gas is a method in which the native oxide is removed by reacting remnant moisture contained on the surface of the native oxide or in the native oxide with the anhydrous HF gas thereby to form HF aqueous solution. The native oxide can be selectively removed by controlling the density of HF. [0011] The method of processing the surface of the silicon substrate in an atmosphere of HF gas and water vapor is a method in which HF gas and H.sub.2O gas condense on the native oxide into HF aqueous solution thereby to etch the native oxide. When the etching of the native oxide is completed, the supply of the HF gas and the water vapor is terminated. The liquid condensed on the silicon substrate evaporates. [0012] One of the problems of the conventional methods is that a large amount of fluorine (F) atoms remain on the surface of the processed silicon substrate after processing, and residual substance is easily left after the liquid evaporates. Another problem of the conventional methods is caused by organic substance absorbed on the surface of the silicon substrate that is difficult to remove before the removal of native oxide. The organic substance may cause the residual substance. [0013] In the case of the method of processing a substrate surface with fluorine radicals generated by exciting an atmosphere of F.sub.2 gas and hydrogen gas with ultra violet light, the problem that residual substance remains on the substrate surface after processing does not occur. However, a large amount of fluorine (F) atoms are absorbed on the surface of the silicon substrate. The fluorine atoms need to be removed after processing for removing native oxide. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0014] Accordingly, it is a general object of the present invention to provide a novel and useful method of and an apparatus for processing a substrate in which at least one of the problems are eliminated. [0015] Another and more specific object of the present invention is to provide a method of and an apparatus for removing native oxide in which no residual substance is left and the amount of absorbed fluorine is minimized. [0016] At least one of the above objects is achieved by the following: [0017] as described in claim 1, [0018] an apparatus for processing a substrate, comprising: [0019] a processing vessel that is vacuated at a first end, said processing vessel provided with a mount on which the substrate is retained, [0020] a remote plasma source provided at a second end of said processing vessel, [0021] a processing gas port provided at the second end of said processing vessel, Continue reading... 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