Method for photoresist stripping and treatment of low-k dielectric material
AssigneeTaiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
InventorsJang-Shiang Tsai, Yi-Nien Su, Chung-Chi Ko, Jyu-Horng Shieh, Peng-Fu Hsu, Hun-Jan Tao
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Abstract
A plasma processing operation uses a gas mixture of N2 and H2 to both remove a photoresist film and treat a low-k dielectric material. The plasma processing operation prevents degradation of the low-k material by forming a protective layer on the low-k dielectric material. Carbon from the photoresist layer is activated and caused to complex with the low-k dielectric, maintaining a suitably high carbon content and a suitably low dielectric constant. The plasma processing operation uses a gas mixture with H2 constituting at least 10%, by volume, of the gas mixture.
Claims20
A method for stripping photoresist and treating a dielectric to prevent dielectric constant degradation, in a single plasma operation, said method comprising:
- providing a dielectric over a substrate;
- forming a photoresist film over an upper surface of said dielectric before treating said dielectric with a plasma;
- patterning said photoresist film and etching at least an opening in said dielectric;
- and
- using a single plasma operation to both strip said patterned photoresist film and treat at least said upper surface of said dielectric with carbon, said single plasma operation having process conditions that cause carbon from said photoresist to at least one of penetrate and complex with said dielectric.
A method for stripping photoresist and treating a carbon-containing dielectric to prevent dielectric constant degradation, in a single plasma operation, said method comprising:
- providing a carbon-containing dielectric over a substrate;
- forming a photoresist film over an upper surface of said carbon-containing dielectric before treating said carbon-containing dielectric with a plasma;
- patterning said photoresist film and etching at least an opening in said carbon-containing dielectric;
- and
- stripping said patterned photoresist film and treating at least said upper surface of said carbon-containing dielectric with carbon, in a single plasma operation that includes a gas mixture of H2 and N2, wherein said gas mixture contains greater than 10 volume percent of H2.
A method for stripping photoresist and treating a carbon-containing dielectric to prevent dielectric constant degradation, in a single plasma operation, said method comprising:
- providing a carbon-containing dielectric over a substrate;
- forming a photoresist film over an upper surface of said carbon-containing dielectric before treating said carbon-containing dielectric with a plasma;
- patterning said photoresist film and etching at least an opening in said carbon-containing dielectric;
- and
- stripping said patterned photoresist film and forming a protective layer on at least said upper surface of said carbon-containing dielectric in a single plasma operation, said protective layer comprising at least one of an Si—N material and an Si—O—N material, wherein said single plasma operation includes a gas mixture including H2 and N2, and in which a H2 concentration is greater than a N2 concentration.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.