Plasma mediated ashing processes
AssigneeAxcelis Technologies, Inc.
InventorsIvan L. Berry, Carlo Waldfried, Shijian Luo, Orlando Escorcia
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Abstract
A plasma ashing process for removing photoresist, polymers and/or residues from a substrate comprises placing the substrate including the photoresist, polymers, and/or residues into a reaction chamber; generating a plasma from a gas mixture comprising oxygen gas (O2) and/or an oxygen containing gas; suppressing and/or reducing fast diffusing species in the plasma; and exposing the substrate to the plasma to selectively remove the photoresist, polymers, and/or residues from the substrate, wherein the plasma is substantially free from fast diffusing species.
Claims30
A plasma ashing process for removing photoresist, polymers and/or residues from a substrate, the process comprising:
- placing the substrate including the photoresist, polymers, and/or residues into a reaction chamber;
- generating a plasma from a gas mixture comprising oxygen gas (O2) and/or an oxygen containing gas;
- suppressing and/or reducing fast diffusing species in the plasma;
- and
- exposing the substrate to the plasma to selectively remove the photoresist, polymers, and/or residues from the substrate, wherein the plasma is substantially free from fast diffusing species.
A process for ashing organic matter from a substrate, comprising:
- generating a plasma from a gas mixture comprising O2 or oxygen containing gas, wherein the plasma is substantially free from fast diffusing species;
- combining the plasma with an atomic oxygen scavenging gas;
- exposing the substrate having the organic matter thereon to the plasma;
- and
- selectively removing the organic matter from the substrate.
A plasma apparatus for ashing photoresist, polymers, and/or residues from a substrate, the apparatus comprising:
- a plasma generating component for generating a plasma, wherein the plasma is formed from gas mixtures comprising oxygen gas (O2) or an oxygen containing gas, combined with an atomic oxygen scavenging gas;
- a scavenging material intermediate the plasma and the substrate configured to suppress and/or reduce fast diffusing species in the plasma;
- and
- a process chamber for housing the substrate in fluid communication with the plasma generating component, said process chamber configured to expose the substrate to the plasma having suppressed and/or reduced fast diffusing species therein to selectively remove photoresist, polymers, and/or residues from the substrate.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.