# US 10,872,761 B2 · Post etch defluorination process > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,872,761 B2 - Document ID: US10872761B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/403,722 - Filed: 2019-05-06 - Published: 2019-12-26 - Granted: 2020-12-22 - Earliest claimed: 2018-06-25 - Assignees: Mattson Technology, Inc.; Beijing E-Town Seminconductor Technology Co., Ltd. - Applicants: Mattson Technology, Inc.; Beijing E-Town Semiconductor Technology Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Vijay Vaniapura; Andrei Gramada - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10872761B2 ## CPC - H10P 70/23: {during, before or after processing of insulating materials} - H10P 70/30: {Cleaning after the substrates have been singulated} - H10P 50/242: {of Group IV materials} - H10P 50/28: of insulating materials - H10P 50/287: {by chemical means} - H10P 70/273: {the processing being a delineation of conductive layers, e.g. by RIE} - H10P: GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10 ## Abstract Defluorination processes for removing fluorine residuals from a workpiece such as a semiconductor wafer are provided. In one example implementation, a method for processing a workpiece can include supporting a workpiece on a workpiece support. The workpiece can have a photoresist layer. The workpiece can have one or more fluorine residuals on a surface of the workpiece. The method can include performing a defluorination process on the workpiece at least in part using a plasma generated from a first process gas. The first process gas can include a hydrogen gas. Subsequent to performing the defluorination process, the method can include performing a plasma strip process on the workpiece to at least partially remove a photoresist layer from the workpiece. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for processing a workpiece, the method comprising: supporting a workpiece on a workpiece support, the workpiece having a photoresist layer, the workpiece having one or more fluorine residuals on a surface of the workpiece; performing a defluorination process on the workpiece at least in part using a plasma generated from a first process gas, the first process gas comprising a hydrogen gas; subsequent to performing the defluorination process, performing a plasma strip process on the workpiece to at least partially remove the photoresist layer from the workpiece; wherein the workpiece comprises a metal layer. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein performing the defluorination process comprises: generating one or more hydrogen radicals in a plasma chamber from the first process gas using a plasma source; filtering ions generated using the plasma with a separation grid separating the plasma chamber from a processing chamber; exposing the workpiece to the hydrogen radicals in the processing chamber. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the first process gas further comprises a carrier gas, wherein the carrier gas comprises nitrogen or an inert gas. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the plasma strip process comprises: generating one or more species in a plasma chamber from a second process gas using a plasma source; filtering ions using a separation grid separating the plasma chamber from a processing chamber to allow the passage of one or more neutral radicals; exposing the workpiece to one or more neutral radicals in the processing chamber; wherein the second process gas comprises oxygen. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the defluorination process is implemented for a treatment time, the treatment time being in the range of about 5 seconds to about 60 seconds. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the defluorination process is conducted at a process pressure in the processing chamber, the process pressure being in the range of about 300 mT to about 4000 mT. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the defluorination process is conducted at a source power, the source power being in the range of about 600 W to about 5000 W. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the defluorination process is conducted with the workpiece at a process temperature, the process temperature being in the range of about 90° C. to about 400° C. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein a ratio of hydrogen gas to one or more carrier gases in the first process gas is about 2 to about 100. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the metal layer comprises tungsten. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the fluorine residuals result from an etch process. ### Claim 12 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein the hydrogen radicals react with the one or more fluorine residuals to generate an HF gas. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, further comprising pumping the HF gas from the processing chamber prior to performing the plasma strip process. ### Claim 14 (depends on 4) The method of claim 4, wherein the second process gas comprises oxygen and nitrogen. ### Claim 15 A method for implementing a defluorination process on a workpiece, the workpiece comprising a photoresist layer, the workpiece having one or more fluorine residuals on the workpiece, the method comprising: supporting the workpiece on a workpiece support in a processing chamber; generating one or more hydrogen radicals; exposing the one or more hydrogen radicals to the workpiece to react the hydrogen radicals with the one or more fluorine residuals and generate an HF gas; evacuating the HF gas from the processing chamber, wherein the one or more hydrogen radicals are generated using a tungsten filament. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein the one or more hydrogen radicals are generated from a process gas using an inductively coupled plasma source. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, wherein the one or more hydrogen radicals are generated by mixing a hydrogen gas with one or more excited inert gas molecules downstream of a plasma source. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, wherein the processing chamber is separated from the plasma source by a separation grid, the hydrogen gas being mixed with one or more excided inert gas molecules at or below the separation grid.