Masanao Ando

US Patent:

7989353, Aug 2, 2011

Filed:

Jan 2, 2008

Appl. No.:

11/968369

Inventors:

Tadahiro Ishizaka - Watervliet NY, US
Kentaro Asakura - Kai, JP
Masanao Ando - Rensselaer NY, US
Toshio Hasegawa - Delmar NY, US

Assignee:

Tokyo Electron Limited - Tokyo

International Classification:

H01L 21/302

US Classification:

438724, 438714, 134 12

Abstract:

Method for operating a processing system and refurbishing a ceramic substrate holder within a process chamber of the processing system are described. The method includes plasma processing one or more substrates on the ceramic substrate holder, where the processing causes erosion of a nitride material of the ceramic substrate holder. The method further includes refurbishing the ceramic substrate holder in-situ without a substrate residing on the ceramic substrate holder, where the refurbishing includes exposing the ceramic substrate holder to a plasma-excited nitrogen-containing gas in the process chamber to at least partially reverse the erosion of the nitride material.