Method of resist stripping over low-k dielectric material
AssigneeTaiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
InventorsMing-Huei Lui, Mei-Hui Sung
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Abstract
An improved and new process for photoresist stripping for use during fabrication of semiconductor integrated circuits, which use porous low-k dielectric materials, such as OSG or HSQ, as the interlevel and intra-level insulating layers, has been developed. Photoresist stripping in microwave or rf generated plasmas in gaseous mixtures of NH3 and CO takes place without attack or damage to underlying layers of OSG or HSQ. Optimum results are obtained when the ratio of CO to NH3 is between about 0.8 and 1.2.
Claims28
A method of photoresist stripping during semiconductor device fabrication, the method comprising:
- providing a semiconductor substrate with a photoresist material formed thereon;
- placing the semiconductor substrate in a chamber having therein a plasma generating power source;
- passing a gaseous mixture comprising NH3 and CO, and no O2 through said chamber;
- applying power to said plasma generating power source to cause ionization of said gaseous mixture;
- and
- directing the ionized gas mixture at the semiconductor substrate to cause stripping of said photoresist material.
A method of stripping photoresist applied over a layer of low-k dielectric material during semiconductor device fabrication, the method comprising:
- providing a semiconductor substrate with a photoreist material applied over a layer of low-k dielectric material formed on the semiconductor substrate;
- placing the semiconductor substrate in a chamber having therein a plasma generating power source;
- passing a gaseous mixture comprising NH3 and CO, and no O2 through said chamber;
- applying power to said plasma generating power source to cause ionization of said gaseous mixture;
- and
- directing the ionized gas mixture at the semiconductor substrate to cause stripping of said photoresist material applied over said layer of low-k dielectric material.
A method of fabricating a vertically etched structure in a layer of low-k dielectric material applied to a semiconductor substrate comprising the steps of:
- providing the semiconductor substrate having a layer of low-k dielectric material applied thereon;
- applying a patterned layer of photoresist onto said layer of low-k dielectric material;
- etching said layer of low-k dielectric material to form vertical sidewall trenches and features in said low-k dielectric material;
- and
- stripping said patterned layer of photoresist in a plasma generated in a gaseous mixture comprising NH3 and CO, and no O2.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.