Method and apparatus for removing photoresist
US8043434B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Oct 23, 2008 |
| Grant date | Oct 25, 2011 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Sep 19, 2029 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH01J37/32449
- WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A method and apparatus remove photoresist from a wafer. A process gas containing sulfur (S), oxygen (O), and hydrogen (H) is provided, and a plasma is generated from the process gas in a first chamber. A radical-rich ion-poor reaction medium is flown from the first chamber to a second chamber where the wafer is placed. The patterned photoresist layer on the wafer is removed using the reaction medium, and then the reaction medium flowing into the second chamber is stopped. Water vapor may be introduced in a salvation zone provided in a passage of the reaction medium flowing down from the plasma such that the water vapor solvates the reaction medium to form solvated clusters of species before the reaction medium reaches the wafer. The photoresist is removed using the solvated reaction medium.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.