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US 7,597,816 B2Granted
Wafer bevel polymer removal
AssigneeLam Research Corporation
InventorsJeremy Chang, Andreas Fischer, Peter Loewenhardt
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method of forming a semiconductor device is provided. A wafer with a dielectric layer disposed under a photoresist mask is placed in an etch chamber. The dielectric layer is etched. The wafer is raised. A cleaning gas is provided. A plasma is formed from the cleaning gas. A polymer that has formed on the bevel of the wafer is removed using the plasma from the cleaning gas. The wafer is removed from the etch chamber.
Claims20
A method for forming a semiconductor device, comprising:
- placing a wafer with a dielectric layer disposed under a photoresist mask in an etch chamber;
- etching the dielectric layer, thereby forming polymer on the bevel of the wafer;
- providing a stripping gas;
- forming a plasma from the stripping gas;
- stripping the photoresist mask using the plasma from the stripping gas;
- quenching the plasma from the stripping gas;
- raising the wafer;
- providing a cleaning gas after quenching the plasma and raising the wafer;
- forming a plasma from the cleaning gas;
- removing the polymer that has formed on the bevel of the wafer using the plasma from the cleaning gas on the raised wafer;
- and
- removing the wafer from the etch chamber, wherein the etching of the dielectric layer takes place within the etch chamber and wherein the removing of the polymer takes place within the etch chamber.
9 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.