Removal of resist or residue from semiconductors using supercritical carbon dioxide
AssigneeTokyo Electron Limited
InventorWilliam H. Mullee
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A commercially available solvent, such as a stripping chemical and/or an organic solvent, is supported by supercritical CO2 to remove a resist, its residue, and/or an organic contaminant off the surface of a semiconductor wafer. Supercritical CO2 has a high solvency which increases with pressure. The supercritical CO2 permits a tremendous reduction in reaction time and amount of chemical utilized for the resist removal process. In a preferred embodiment, the wafer is exposed to the CO2 and chemical mixture in a process chamber heated to a temperature of 20 to 80° C. at a pressure of 1050 to 6000 psig for a period of 10 seconds to 15 minutes.
Claims57
A method of processing a semiconductor wafer having a surface supporting resist comprising the steps of:
- exposing the resist to supercritical CO2 in combination with a first solvent, the first solvent being selected from the group consisting of n-methyl pyrrolidone, di-isopropyl amine, tri-isopropyl amine, diglycol amine, hydroxyl amine, and a mixture thereof;
- and
- maintaining the supercritical carbon dioxide and the first solvent in contact with the resist until substantially all of the resist has been removed from the surface of the wafer.
A method of processing a semiconductor wafer having a surface supporting resist comprising the steps of:
- exposing the resist to supercritical CO2 in combination with a first solvent at a pressure greater than or equal to 1,050 psig and less than or equal to 6,000 psig, the first solvent being selected from the group consisting of n-methyl pyrrolidone, di-isopropyl amine, tri-isopropyl amine, diglycol amine, hydroxyl amine, and a mixture thereof;
- and
- maintaining the supercritical carbon dioxide and the first solvent in contact with the resist until substantially all of the resist has been removed from the surface of the wafer.
A method of processing a semiconductor wafer having a surface supporting resist comprising the steps of:
- exposing the resist to supercritical CO2 in combination with a first solvent at a temperature greater than or equal to 46° C. and less than or equal to 80° C., the first solvent being selected from the group consisting of n-methyl pyrrolidone, di-isopropyl amine, tri-isopropyl amine, diglycol amine, hydroxyl amine, and a mixture thereof;
- and
- maintaining the supercritical carbon dioxide and the first solvent in contact with the resist until substantially all of the resist has been removed from the surface of the wafer.
A method of processing a semiconductor wafer having a surface supporting resist comprising the steps of:
- exposing the resist to supercritical CO2 in combination with n-methyl pyrrolidone;
- and
- maintaining the supercritical carbon dioxide and the n-methyl pyrrolidone in contact with the resist until substantially all of the resist has been removed from the surface of the wafer.
A method of processing a semiconductor wafer having a surface supporting resist residue comprising the steps of:
- exposing the resist residue to supercritical CO2 in combination with a first solvent, the first solvent being selected from the group consisting of n-methyl pyrrolidone, di-isopropyl amine, tri-isopropyl amine, diglycol amine, hydroxyl amine, and a mixture thereof;
- and
- maintaining the supercritical carbon dioxide and the first solvent in contact with the resist residue until substantially all of the resist residue has been removed from the surface of the wafer.
A method of processing a semiconductor wafer having a surface supporting resist residue comprising the steps of:
- exposing the resist residue to supercritical CO2 in combination with a first solvent at a pressure greater than or equal to 1,050 psig and less than or equal to 6,000 psig, the first solvent being selected from the group consisting of n-methyl pyrrolidone, di-isopropyl amine, tri-isopropyl amine, diglycol amine, hydroxyl amine, and a mixture thereof;
- and
- maintaining the supercritical carbon dioxide and the first solvent in contact with the resist residue until substantially all of the resist residue has been removed from the surface of the wafer.
A method of processing a semiconductor wafer having a surface supporting resist residue comprising the steps of:
- exposing the resist residue to supercritical CO2 in combination with a first solvent at a temperature greater than or equal to 46° C. and less than or equal to 80° C., the first solvent being selected from the group consisting of n-methyl pyrrolidone, diisopropyl amine, tri-isopropyl amine, diglycol amine, hydroxyl amine, and a mixture thereof;
- and
- maintaining the supercritical carbon dioxide and the first solvent in contact with the resist residue until substantially all of the resist residue has been remove from the surface of the wafer.
A method of processing a semiconductor wafer having a surface supporting resist residue comprising the steps of:
- exposing the resist residue to supercritical CO2 in combination with n-methyl pyrrolidone;
- and
- maintaining the supercritical carbon dioxide and the n-methyl pyrrolidone in contact with the resist residue until substantially all of the resist residue has been removed from the surface of the wafer.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.