Systems and methods for drying high aspect ratio structures without collapse using sacrificial bracing material that is removed using hydrogen-rich plasma

A system for drying a substrate including a plurality of high aspect ratio (HAR) structures, comprising:

• a processing chamber;
• a substrate support arranged in the processing chamber;
• a gas delivery system to deliver a gas mixture to the processing chamber;
• a fluid delivery system configured to deliver fluid to the substrate;
• a plasma generator configured to generate plasma in the processing chamber;
• a controller in communication with the fluid delivery system, the gas delivery system and the plasma generator and configured to, after one of wet etching or wet cleaning the substrate using at least one of wet etching solution and/or wet cleaning solution, respectively, and without drying the substrate:
• displace fluid between the plurality of HAR structures using a solvent including a bracing material,
• wherein as the solvent evaporates, the bracing material precipitates out of solution and at least partially fills the plurality of HAR structures;
• and
• expose the plurality of HAR structures to plasma generated by the plasma generator using a plasma gas chemistry that is hydrogen rich to remove the bracing material and to dry the substrate including the HAR structures.