Method for High Aspect Ratio Photoresist Removal in Pure Reducing Plasma

A method for removing photoresist, an oxidation layer, or both from a semiconductor substrate, comprising:

• placing a substrate in a processing chamber, the processing chamber located downstream from a plasma chamber for generating a non-oxidizing plasma to be used in treating the substrate;
• generating a first non-oxidizing plasma from a first reactant gas and a first carrier gas in the plasma chamber, wherein the first non-oxidizing plasma comprises from about 10% to about 40% of the first reactant gas, wherein the first reactant gas has a flow rate of from about 0.05 standard cubic centimeters per minute per square centimeter of the substrate to about 12.5 standard cubic centimeters per minute per square centimeter of the substrate, and wherein the first carrier gas has a flow rate of from about 0.25 standard cubic centimeters per minute per square centimeter of the substrate to about 15 standard cubic centimeters per minute per square centimeter of the substrate;
• and
• treating the substrate by exposing the substrate to the first non-oxidizing plasma in the processing chamber.