Oxygen free plasma stripping process

A method for removing photoresist and/or post etch residues from a substrate comprising:

• a. placing at least one substrate having photoresist and/or post etch residues thereon into a wafer processing chamber;
• b. forming a reactive species by generating a plasma in the absence of oxygen wherein a gas for generating said plasma comprises a hydrogen bearing gas and a fluorine bearing gas;
• and
• c. selectively removing the photoresist and/or the etch residues including sidewall polymer depositions from an underlying layer in contact with the photoresist and/or post etch residues by exposing the substrate to said reactive species;
• d. said selectivity of etching by said plasma between the photoresist and/or post etch residues to the underlying layer is greater than about 10 to 1.

An ashing method for stripping photoresist and/or post etch residues from a semiconductor wafer, the method comprising:

• a. forming a reactive species by generating an oxygen free plasma, wherein said plasma is generated from a gas mixture comprising hydrogen gas;
• b. exposing a wafer having a pattern of photoresist and/or post etch residues thereon to said plasma, wherein said wafer comprises a top layer of patterned photoresist and an underlying insulating layer;
• c. selectively removing the photoresist and/or post etch residues from the insulating layer including sidewall polymer depositions at a removal rate about 10 times greater than a rate of removal of the insulating layer by exposing the substrate to said reactive species;
• and
• d. turning off said plasma after the photoresist and/or post etch residues have been removed.