Patent · US Expired

Oxygen free plasma stripping process

US6281135A · kind A · utility

269Cited by
6References
23Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateAug 5, 1999
Grant dateAug 28, 2001
Priority date
Expiry dateAug 5, 2019

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
  • CPC primaryY10S438/963
  • WIPO fieldSemiconductors
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A method for stripping photoresist and/or removing post etch residues from an exposed low k dielectric layer of a semiconductor wafer in the presence or absence of copper. The method comprises creating an oxygen free plasma by subjecting an oxygen free gas to an energy source to generate the plasma having electrically neutral and charged particles, The charged particles are then selectively removed from the plasma. The electrically neutral particles react with the photoresist and/or post etch residues to form volatile gases which are then removed from the wafer by a gas stream. The oxygen free, plasma gas composition for stripping photoresist and/or post etch residues comprises a hydrogen bearing gas and a fluorine bearing wherein the fluorine bearing gas is less than about 10 percent by volume of the total gas composition.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.