Method for removing photoresist using a thermal bake in the presence of hydrogen and a semiconductor device manufactured using the same

1. A method for stripping a patterned photoresist located over a substrate, comprising:

subjecting the patterned photoresist layer to a thermal bake in the presence of hydrogen; and

removing the photoresist layer,

wherein the thermal bake in the presence of hydrogen is a non-plasma process carried out prior to the step of removing the photoresist layer.

2. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein subjecting in the presence of hydrogen includes subjecting in the presence of a forming gas comprising N 2 H 2 .

3. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein subjecting includes subjecting using a temperature ranging from about 140° C. to about 150° C.

4. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein subjecting includes subjecting for a period of time ranging from about 90 seconds to about 150 seconds.

5. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein removing the photoresist layer includes plasma ashing the photoresist layer.

6. The method as recited in claim 5 wherein the plasma ashing includes a high temperature plasma ash using a temperature ranging from about 180° C. to about 270° C.

7. The method as recited in claim 6 wherein the plasma ashing further includes a low temperature plasma ash using a temperature ranging from about 120° C. to about 160° C.

8. The method as recited in claim 7 wherein the low temperature plasma ash occurs before the high temperature plasma ash.

9. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the thermal bake introduces hydrogen into the photoresist layer.

10. A method for manufacturing a semiconductor device, comprising:

implanting a dopant in a substrate through an opening in a photoresist layer located over the substrate;

following the implant, subjecting the photoresist layer to a thermal bake in the presence of hydrogen; and

removing the photoresist layer, wherein the thermal bake in the presence of hydrogen is a non-plasma process carried out prior to the step of removing the photoresist layer.

11. The method as recited in claim 10 wherein subjecting in the presence of hydrogen includes subjecting in the presence of a forming gas.

12. The method as recited in claim 10 wherein subjecting includes subjecting using a temperature ranging from about 140° C. to about 150° C.

13. The method as recited in claim 10 wherein subjecting includes subjecting for a period of time ranging from about 90 seconds to about 150 seconds.

14. The method as recited in claim 10 wherein implanting the dopant includes implanting the dopant using a dose of about 1.0 E 15 atoms/cm 2 or greater.

15. The method as recited in claim 14 wherein the dose causes the photoresist layer to have a hardened skin portion and a bulk portion.

16. The method as recited in claim 15 wherein removing the photoresist layer includes plasma ashing the photoresist layer.

17. The method as recited in claim 16 wherein the plasma ashing includes a high temperature plasma ash using a temperature ranging from about 180° C. to about 270° C.

18. The method as recited in claim 17 wherein the plasma ashing further includes a low temperature plasma ash using a temperature ranging from about 120° C. to about 160° C.

19. The method as recited in claim 18 wherein the low temperature plasma ash occurs before the high temperature plasma ash, the low temperature plasma ash configured to remove at least a portion of the hardened skin portion and the high temperature plasma ash configured to remove any remaining portion of the hardened skin portion and at least a portion of the bulk portion.

20. The method as recited in claim 10 wherein the thermal bake introduces hydrogen into the photoresist layer.

21. A method for manufacturing a semiconductor device, comprising:

implanting a dopant in a substrate through an opening in a photoresist layer located over the substrate;

following the implanting, subjecting the photoresist layer to a thermal bake in the presence of hydrogen; and

removing the photoresist layer using a plasma ashing process, wherein the thermal bake in the presence of hydrogen is a non-plasma process and is carried out prior to the plasma ashing process.