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AssigneesMattson Technology, Inc., Beijing E-Town Semiconductor Technology Co., Ltd.
InventorsJeyta Anand Sahay, Hua Chung, Qi Zhang
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Apparatus, systems, and methods for conducting a hardmask (e.g., boron doped amorphous carbon hardmask) removal process on a workpiece are provided. In one example implementation, a method includes supporting a workpiece on a workpiece support in a processing chamber. The method can include generating a plasma from a process gas in a plasma chamber using a plasma source. The process gas includes a fluorine containing gas. The method can include exposing the workpiece to one or more radicals generated in the plasma to perform a plasma strip process on the workpiece to at least partially remove the hardmask layer from the workpiece. The method can include exposing the workpiece to one or more hydrogen radicals as a passivation agent during the plasma strip process.
A method for processing a workpiece, the method comprising:
The method of claim 19, wherein exposing the workpiece to one or more hydrogen radicals as a passivation agent comprises introducing HF gas into the processing chamber at a location beneath a separation grid.
The method of claim 19, wherein exposing the workpiece to one or more hydrogen radicals as a passivation agent comprises introducing HF gas at a location between a first grid plate and a second grid plate of a separation grid.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.