PROCESS FOR PHOTORESIST DESCUMMING AND STRIPPING IN SEMICONDUCTOR APPLICATIONS BY NH3 PLASMA

摘要

In general, the present disclosure pertains to a method for removing photoresist from locations on a semiconductor structure where its presence is undesired. In one embodiment, a method is disclosed for descumming residual photoresist material from areas where it is not desired after patterning of the photoresist. In another embodiment, a misaligned patterned photoresist is stripped from a semiconductor substrate surface. In particular, the method comprises exposing the semiconductor structure to a plasma generated from a source gas comprising NH₃. A substrate bias voltage is utilized in both methods in order to produce anisotropic etching. In the descumming embodiment, the critical dimensions of the patterned photoresist are maintained. In the photoresist stripping embodiment, a patterned photoresist is removed without adversely affecting a partially exposed underlying layer of an organic dielectric.