Surface treatment of carbon containing films using organic radicals
Surface treatment processes for treating a workpiece with organic radicals are provided. In one example implementation, a method for processing a workpiece having a semiconductor material and a carbon containing layer (e.g., photoresist) can include a surface treatment process on the workpiece. The surface treatment process can include generating one or more species in a first chamber (e.g., a plasma chamber). The surface treatment process can include mixing one or more hydrocarbon radicals with the species to create a mixture. The surface treatment process can include exposing the carbon containing layer to the mixture in a second chamber (e.g., a processing chamber).
1. A method for processing a workpiece, the workpiece comprising a semiconductor material and a carbon containing layer, the method comprising performing a surface treatment process on the carbon containing layer, the surface treatment process comprising:
generating one or more species using a plasma induced in a first chamber;
filtering the one or more species generated by the plasma to create a first mixture;
injecting one or more hydrocarbon molecules into the first mixture post filtering to create a second mixture, the second mixture comprising one or more organic radicals; and
exposing the carbon containing layer to the second mixture in a second chamber.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more hydrocarbon molecules have a chemical formula of C n H 2n+2 , where n is greater than or equal to 1 and less than or equal to 10.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more hydrocarbon molecules have a chemical formula of C n H 2n , where n is greater than or equal to 2 and n is less than or equal to 10.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more organic radicals are generated by dissociating one or more hydrocarbon molecules in the second mixture in the first chamber.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first chamber is separated from the second chamber with a separation grid, and wherein the hydrocarbon molecules are mixed with the species in the second chamber.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second mixture comprises one or more organic radicals.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second mixture comprises a CH 3 ; radical.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the carbon containing layer comprises photoresist.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the method comprises performing a dry strip process to remove at least a portion of the carbon containing layer.
10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more species are generated try the plasma induced in a process gas in the first chamber.
11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the process gas is an inert gas.
12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the inert gas is helium.
13. The method of claim 10 , wherein the process gas comprises a hydrogen gas and the species comprise hydrogen radicals.
14. The method of claim 10 , wherein the one or more organic radicals are generated in the plasma in the first chamber using an inductively coupled plasma source.
15. The method of claim 10 , wherein the method comprises filtering one or more ions to create the first mixture using a separation grid separating first chamber from the second chamber.
16. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more species comprise hydrogen radicals generated using a heated filament.
17. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more organic radicals are generated using pyrolysis of molecules or UV-assisted molecule dissociation.