IP Library Granted Patent US 7,078,161
Granted Patent B2
US 7,078,161 · App. 10/248,707 · Granted Jul 18, 2006

Plasma ashing process for removing photoresist and residues during ferroelectric device fabrication

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 7,078,161
App. No.
10/248,707
Granted
Jul 18, 2006
Kind
B2
Abstract

A low temperature plasma ashing process for use with substrates comprising a ferroelectric material. The process generally includes plasma ashing the photoresist and residues at a temperature of about room temperature to about 140° C., wherein the plasma is generated from a gas mixture consisting essentially of hydrogen and an inert gas, and wherein the ferroelectric material is exposed to the plasma.

Claims (27)

1. A method for removing photoresist and residues from a substrate comprising a ferroelectric material, which comprises:

plasma ashing the photoresist and residues at a temperature of about room temperature to about 140° C., wherein the plasma is generated from a gas mixture consisting essentially of hydrogen and an inert gas, and wherein the ferroelectric material is exposed to the plasma.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the inert gas is selected from the group consisting of argon, helium, xenon, krypton, and neon.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the gas mixture consists essentially of hydrogen and helium.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the ferroelectric material comprises a polymer, a ceramic, or a mineral.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the ferroelectric material comprises a polymer comprising polyvinylidine fluoride, polyvinylidine fluoride-trifluoroethylene, polyvinylidine fluoride tetrafluoroethylene, polyvinylidine fluoride trifluoroethylene-hexafluoropropylene, polyvinylidine fluoride-hexafluoropropylene, polyvinylidene fluoride-trifluorethylene-chlorofluoroethylene, polyvinylidene fluoride-trifluoroethylene-chlorotrifluoroethylene, polyvinylidene fluoride-tetrafluoroethylene-chlorotrifluoroethylene, polyvinylidene fluoride-trifluorethylene-hexafluoroethylene, polyvinylidene fluoride-tetrafluorethylene-hexafluoroethylene, polyvinylidene fluoride-trifluorethylene-tetrafluoroethylene, polyvinylidene fluoride-tetrafluorethylene-tetrafluoroethylene, polyvinylidene fluoride-trifluorethylene-vinyl fluoride, polyvinylidene fluoride-tetrafluorethylene-vinyl fluoride, polyvinylidene fluoride-trifluorethylene-perfluoro(methyl vinyl ether), polyvinylidene fluoride-tetrafluorethylene-perfluoro(methyl vinyl ether), polyvinylidene fluoride-trifluorethylene-bromotrifluoroethylene, polyvinylidene fluoride-tetrafluorethylene-bromotrifluoroethylene, polyvinylidene fluoride-tetrafluorethylene-chlorofluoroethylene, polyvinylidene fluoride-trifluorethylene-vinylidene chloride, or polyvinylidene fluoride-tetrafluorethylene-vinylidene chloride.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the temperature is about 50° C. to about 130° C.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the gas mixture consists essentially of hydrogen at about 1 to about 20 percent by volume and inert gas at about 80 to about 99 percent by volume based on the total volume of the gas mixture.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising rinsing the substrate with deionized water.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising rinsing the substrate with a wet chemical stripper.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the temperature is about 50° C. to about 100° C.

11. A method for removing photoresist and residues from a substrate comprising a polymer ferroelectric material, which comprises:

plasma ashing a crust portion of a photoresist layer at a temperature of about room temperature to about 140° C., wherein the plasma is generated from a gas mixture consisting essentially of hydrogen and an inert gas, and wherein the polymer ferroelectric material is exposed to the plasma; and

wet cleaning to remove a remaining portion of the photoresist layer underlying the crust portion.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the polymer ferroelectric material comprises polyvinylidine fluoride, polyvinylidine fluoride-trifluoroethylene, polyvinylidine fluoride tetrafluoroethylene, polyvinylidine fluoride trifluoroethylene-hexafluoropropylene, polyvinylidine fluoride-hexafluoropropylene, polyvinylidene fluoride-trifluorethylene-chlorofluoroethylene, polyvinylidene fluoride-trifluoroethylene-chlorotrifluoroethylene, polyvinylidene fluoride-tetrafluoroethylene-chlorotrifluoroethylene, polyvinylidene fluoride-trifluorethylene-hexafluoroethylene, polyvinylidene fluoride-tetrafluorethylene-hexafluoroethylene, polyvinylidene fluoride-trifluorethylene-tetrafluoroethylene, polyvinylidene fluoride-tetrafluorethylene-tetrafluoroethylene, polyvinylidene fluoride-trifluorethylene-vinyl fluoride, polyvinylidene fluoride-tetrafluorethylene-vinyl fluoride, polyvinylidene fluoride-trifluorethylene-perfluoro(methyl vinyl ether), polyvinylidene fluoride-tetrafluorethylene-perfluoro(methyl vinyl ether), polyvinylidene fluoride-trifluorethylene-bromotrifluoroethylene, polyvinylidene fluoride-tetrafluorethylene-bromotrifluoroethylene, polyvinylidene fluoride-tetrafluorethylene-chlorofluoroethylene, polyvinylidene fluoride-trifluorethylene-vinylidene chloride, or polyvinylidene fluoride-tetrafluorethylene-vinylidene chloride.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the temperature is about 50° C. to about 130° C.

14. The method of claim 11 , wherein the gas mixture consists essentially of hydrogen at about 1 to about 20 percent by volume and the inert gas at about 80 to about 99 percent by volume based on the total volume of the gas mixture.

15. The method of claim 11 , further comprising rinsing the substrate with deionized water.

16. The method of claim 11 , wherein the temperature is about 50° C. to about 100° C.

17. The method of claim 11 , wherein the inert gas is selected from the group consisting of argon, helium, xenon, krypton, and neon.

18. The method of claim 11 , wherein the gas mixture consists essentially of hydrogen and helium.

19. A method for removing photoresist and residues from a substrate comprising a ferroelectric polymer, the method comprising:

exposing the substrate to a plasma ashing process, wherein the plasma ashing process comprises generating a plasma from a gas mixture consisting essentially of hydrogen and an inert gas at a temperature less than about 140° C. and at a pressure of about 0.1 to about 3 Torr; and

volatilizing the photoresist and residues from the substrate without damaging the ferroelectric polymer.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein the gas mixture consists essentially of hydrogen at about 1 to about 20 percent by volume and helium at about 80 to about 99 percent by volume based on the total volume of the gas mixture.

21. The method of claim 19 , wherein the inert gas is selected from the group consisting of argon, helium, xenon, krypton, and neon.

22. The method of claim 19 , wherein the gas mixture consists essentially of hydrogen and helium.

Assignments (5)
TERMINATION OF SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Apr 16, 2013
From: SILICON VALLEY BANK
To: AXCELIS TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
Reel/Frame 030302/0719 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 21, 2012
From: AXCELIS TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
To: LAM RESEARCH CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 029529/0757 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded May 9, 2008
From: AXCELIS TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
To: SILICON VALLEY BANK
Reel/Frame 020986/0143 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 11, 2003
From: WALDFRIED, CARLO; HAN, QINGYUAN; ESCORCIA, ORLANDO
To: AXCELIS TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
Reel/Frame 013420/0356 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 11, 2003
From: ANDIDEH, EBRAHIM
To: INTEL CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 013420/0401 →