Photoresist stripping apparatus using microwave pumped ultraviolet lamp

A method of removing organic polymers from the surface of an object, the steps of the method comprising:

• placing said object, having organic polymers on at least a portion of the object's surface, in a reaction chamber housing an ultraviolet lamp, said chamber having an exterior portion adjacent said ultraviolet lamp which is permeable to microwaves;
• pumping said ultraviolet lamp with microwaves generated outside said reaction chamber;
• and
• passing a reaction gas through said reaction chamber for carrying ablated organic polymers from said reaction chamber;
• wherein
• said object is placed so that at least a portion of the organic polymers on the surface of said object is exposed to light emitted by said ultraviolet lamp;
• and
• said ultraviolet lamp emits ultraviolet radiation having a preselected wavelength between 100 and 300 angstroms;
• whereby organic polymers can be stripped from a object's surface by energizing said ultraviolet lamp while passing a reaction gas through said reaction chamber and thereby ablating organic polymers and impurities from the surface of said object.

A method of stripping photoresist from the surface of a semiconductor wafer, the steps of the method comprising:

• placing a semiconductor wafer, having photoresist on at least a portion of the wafer's surface, in a reaction chamber housing an ultraviolet lamp, said chamber having an exterior portion adjacent said ultraviolet lamp which is permeable to microwaves;
• pumping said ultraviolet lamp with microwaves generated outside said reaction chamber;
• and
• passing a reaction gas through said reaction chamber for carrying ablated photoresist from said reaction chamber;
• wherein
• said semiconductor wafer is placed so that all of the photoresist on the surface of said wafer is exposed to light emitted by said ultraviolet lamp;
• and
• said ultraviolet lamp emits UV radiation having a preselected wavelength between 100 and 300 angstroms;
• whereby photoresist can be stripped from a semiconductor wafer by energizing said ultraviolet lamp while passing a reaction gas through said reaction chamber and thereby ablating organic polymers and impurities from the surface of said semiconductor wafer.

A method of preparing a semiconductor wafer for a coating process, the steps of the method comprising:

• placing said wafer, having surface contaminants on at least a portion of the wafer's upper surface, in a reaction chamber housing an ultraviolet lamp, said chamber having an exterior portion adjacent said ultraviolet lamp which is permeable to microwaves;
• pumping said ultraviolet lamp with microwaves generated outside said reaction chamber;
• and
• passing a reaction gas through said reaction chamber for carrying ablated surface contaminants from said reaction chamber;
• wherein
• said wafer is placed so that at least a portion of the upper surface of said wafer is exposed to light emitted by said ultraviolet lamp;
• and
• said ultraviolet lamp emits ultraviolet radiation having a preselected wavelength between 100 and 300 angstroms;
• whereby surface contaminants can be stripped from a wafer's surface by energizing said ultraviolet lamp while passing a reaction gas through said reaction chamber and thereby ablating surface contaminants from the surface of said wafer.