# US 2019/0378692 A1 · Generation of Hydrogen Reactive Species For Processing of Workpieces > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2019/0378692 A1 - Document ID: US20190378692A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 16/420,542 - Filed: 2019-05-23 - Published: 2019-12-12 - Earliest claimed: 2018-06-11 - Assignees: Mattson Technology, Inc. - Applicants: Mattson Technology, Inc. - Inventors: Qi Zhang; Xinliang Lu; Hua Chung; Michael X. Yang - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20190378692A1 ## CPC - H01J 37/3244: {Gas supply means} - B08B 7/00: Cleaning by methods not provided for in a single other subclass or a single group in this subclass - C01B 3/02: Production of hydrogen; Production of gaseous mixtures containing hydrogen - C23C 16/06: characterised by the deposition of metallic material - C23C 16/452: by activating reactive gas streams before {their} introduction into the reaction chamber, e.g. by {ionisation} or addition of reactive species - C23C 16/45565: {Shower nozzles} - C23C 16/507: using external electrodes, e.g. in tunnel type reactors - H01J 37/321: {the radio frequency energy being inductively coupled to the plasma} - H01J 37/32357: {Generation remote from the workpiece, e.g. down-stream} - H01J 37/32422: {Arrangement for selecting ions or species in the plasma} - H10P 70/20: {Cleaning during device manufacture} - H10P 72/0406: {for cleaning followed by drying, rinsing, stripping, blasting or the like} - H01J 2237/006: Details of gas supplies, e.g. in an ion source, to a beam line, to a specimen or to a workpiece, (H01J37/3244 takes precedence; environmental cells for electron microscopes H01J2237/2003; microscopes with environmental specimen chamber H01J2237/2608) - H01J 2237/335: Cleaning - H10P 50/242: {of Group IV materials} - H10P 50/283: {by chemical means} - H10P 50/287: {by chemical means} - H01J: ELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS (spark-gaps H01T; electric arc lamps H05B31/00; particle accelerators H05H) - B08B: CLEANING IN GENERAL; PREVENTION OF FOULING IN GENERAL - C01B: NON-METALLIC ELEMENTS; COMPOUNDS THEREOF; {METALLOIDS OR COMPOUNDS THEREOF NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASS C01C} - C23C: COATING METALLIC MATERIAL; COATING MATERIAL WITH METALLIC MATERIAL; SURFACE TREATMENT OF METALLIC MATERIAL BY DIFFUSION INTO THE SURFACE, BY CHEMICAL CONVERSION OR SUBSTITUTION; COATING BY VACUUM EVAPORATION, BY SPUTTERING, BY ION IMPLANTATION OR BY CHEMICAL VAPOUR DEPOSITION, IN GENERAL (making metal-coated products by extrusion B21C23/22; covering with metal by connecting pre-existing layers to articles, see the relevant places, e.g. B21D39/00, B23K; metallising of glass C03C; metallising mortars, concrete, artificial stone, ceramics or natural stone C04B41/00; enamelling of, or applying a vitreous layer to, metals C23D; treating metal surfaces or coating of metals by electrolysis or electrophoresis C25D; single-crystal film growth C30B; by metallising textiles D06M11/83; decorating textiles by locally metallising D06Q1/04) - H10P: GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10 ## Abstract Methods, systems, and apparatus for generating hydrogen radicals for processing a workpiece, such as a semiconductor workpiece, are provided. In one example implementation, a method can include generating one or more species in a plasma chamber from an inert gas by inducing a plasma in the inert gas using a plasma source; mixing hydrogen gas with the one or more species to generate one or more hydrogen radicals; and exposing the workpiece in a processing chamber to the one or more hydrogen radicals. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for processing a workpiece, the method comprising: generating one or more species in a plasma chamber from an inert gas by inducing a plasma in the inert gas using a plasma source; mixing hydrogen gas with the one or more species downstream of the plasma source to generate one or more hydrogen radicals; and exposing the workpiece in a processing chamber to the one or more hydrogen radicals. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the inert gas comprises helium. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein mixing hydrogen gas with the one or more species comprises injecting hydrogen gas into the species at a location outside of the plasma chamber. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the plasma chamber is separated from the processing chamber by a separation grid, wherein the separation grid filters one or more ions generated in the plasma so that neutral species pass through the separation grid. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The method of claim 4, wherein mixing hydrogen gas with the one or more species comprises injecting hydrogen gas into the neutral species downstream of the plasma chamber at or below the separation grid. ### Claim 6 (depends on 4) The method of claim 4, wherein the separation grid comprises one or more grid plates. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, wherein injecting the hydrogen gas into the neutral species comprises injecting the hydrogen gas downstream of one or more of the grid plates. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, wherein injecting the hydrogen gas into the neutral species comprises injecting the hydrogen gas between two grid plates of the separation grid. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the plasma is generated using an inductively coupled plasma source. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein exposing the workpiece in a processing chamber to the one or more hydrogen radicals comprises at least partially removing a photoresist layer on the workpiece with the one or more hydrogen radicals. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein exposing the workpiece in a processing chamber to the one or more hydrogen radicals comprises at least partially removing a residual organic material on the workpiece. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the method comprises heating the workpiece to a temperature greater than about 400° C., wherein exposing the workpiece in a processing chamber to the one or more hydrogen radicals comprises modifying silicon atom mobility with the one or more hydrogen radicals. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein exposing the workpiece in a processing chamber to the one or more hydrogen radicals comprises at least partially removing a damaged silicon layer. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein exposing the workpiece in a processing chamber to the one or more hydrogen radicals comprises at least partially removing a suboxide layer. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising mixing the one or more hydrogen radicals with a metal-containing gas to deposit a metal on the workpiece. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein the metal-containing gas comprises titanium. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein the metal-containing gas comprises tantalum. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein the metal-containing gas comprises aluminum. ### Claim 19 A method for processing a workpiece, the method comprising: generating one or more species in an inert gas in a first chamber; filtering one or more ions in the first chamber using a separation grid to generate a filtered mixture; injecting a hydrogen gas downstream of the first chamber into the filtered mixture to generate one or more hydrogen radicals; exposing the workpiece to the one or more hydrogen radicals in a second chamber, the second chamber being separated from the first chamber by the separation grid. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The method of claim 19, wherein the hydrogen gas is injected into the filtered mixture at or after the separation grid.