Patent · US Expired

Apparatus and plasma ashing process for increasing photoresist removal rate

US7449416B2 · kind B2 · utility

6Cited by
11References
22Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateSep 1, 2005
Grant dateNov 11, 2008
Priority date
Expiry dateApr 18, 2026

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH01L21/76814
  • WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A plasma ashing process for removing photoresist material and post etch residues from a substrate comprising carbon, hydrogen, or a combination of carbon and hydrogen, wherein the substrate comprises a low k dielectric layer, the process comprising forming a plasma from an essentially oxygen free and nitrogen free gas mixture; introducing the plasma into a process chamber, wherein the process chamber comprises a baffle plate assembly in fluid communication with the plasma; flowing the plasma through the baffle plate assembly and removing photoresist material, post etch residues, and volatile byproducts from the substrate; periodically cleaning the process chamber by introducing an oxygen plasma into the process chamber; and cooling the baffle plate assembly by flowing a cooling gas over the baffle plate assembly. A process chamber adapted for receiving downstream plasma, the process chamber comprising an upper baffle plate comprising at least one thermally conductive standoff in thermal communication with a wall of the process chamber; and a lower baffle plate spaced apart from the upper baffle plate.

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