Reduction of plasma charge-induced damage in microfabricated devices
AssigneeWisconsin Alumni Research Foundation
InventorsJ. Leon Shohet, Cristian Cismaru, Francesco Cerrina
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Abstract
A method and apparatus for reducing plasma-induced charging damage in a semiconducting device are provided. The method includes exposing an article having a dielectric material susceptible to plasma-induced charging, to vacuum-ultraviolet (VUV) radiation of an energy greater than the bandgap energy of the dielectric material during or after plasma processing of the device. The plasma-induced charge is conducted from, or recombined at, the charging site.
Claims18
A method for reducing plasma-induced charging damage in an article, the article including a dielectric material susceptible to plasma-induced charging, comprising the steps of:
- exposing the article to a user desired processing plasma such that the dielectric material undergoes a plasma-induced charging;
- and
- exposing the article to vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) radiation of an energy greater than the bandgap energy of the dielectric material during or after the step of exposing the article to the user desired processing plasma in order to reduce the plasma-induced charge in the dielectric material.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.