Sequential stage mixing for single substrate strip processing

A method for stripping a resist on a substrate with a treatment liquid in a resist removal system, the resist removal system comprising a processing chamber coupled to a treatment liquid delivery system, the treatment liquid delivery system having a treatment liquid supply line including a reaction zone followed by a temperature adjustment zone, the processing chamber configured to strip a single substrate, the substrate having a surface and one or more layers of silicon nitride, silicon dioxide, or silicon, the method comprising:

• selecting one or more target stripping objectives for stripping the resist on the substrate including a rate of stripping the resist with a treatment liquid and a selectivity for stripping the resist versus etching of the one or more layers of silicon nitride, silicon dioxide, or silicon, and determining target operating ranges of process parameters to achieve the target stripping objectives, the process parameters including a target reaction ratio of a primary stripping chemical to a secondary stripping chemical, a target reaction temperature, a target reaction time, a target dispense temperature and a target dispense composition for dispensing the treatment liquid into the processing chamber, the target dispense composition including a target concentration of a reactive product and a target stripping ratio of the primary stripping chemical to the secondary stripping chemical;
• flowing a primary stripping chemical into the treatment liquid supply line at a first temperature, first concentration, and at a first flow rate;
• injecting a secondary stripping chemical into the reaction zone of the treatment liquid supply line at a second temperature, second concentration, and at a second flow rate to mix with the primary stripping chemical to form the treatment liquid at the target reaction temperature and the target reaction ratio, and reacting the primary and secondary stripping chemicals in the reaction zone to provide the treatment liquid with the target concentration of the reactive product formed by the reacting within the target reaction time;
• increasing a back pressure in the treatment liquid delivery system to prevent boiling or approaching the bubble point of the treatment liquid;
• dispensing the treatment liquid onto a portion of the surface of the substrate using nozzles at the target dispense temperature and target dispense composition of the treatment liquid;
• and
• adjusting one or more of the first temperature, first concentration, first flow rate, second temperature, second concentration, second flow rate, back pressure in the treatment liquid supply line, temperature of the treatment liquid in the reaction zone, or temperature of the treatment liquid in the temperature adjustment zone, in order to meet the target operating ranges of the process parameters to meet the target stripping objectives;
• wherein the target reaction ratio of the primary stripping chemical to the secondary stripping chemical is different than the target stripping ratio;
• and
• wherein the target reaction temperature of the treatment liquid is different than the target dispense temperature.