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US5811358A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Low temperature dry process for stripping photoresist after high dose ion implantation

Assignee: Promos Technologies Inc
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Filing: 1997-01-03
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Granted: 1998-09-22
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Expires: 2017-01-03
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Abstract

Abstract A dry process for stripping photoresist from a semiconductor device during the manufacturing process and after high dose ion implantation is describe. The implant-hardened surface of the photoresist is first stripped by oxygen and nitrogen/hydrogen plasma at a lower temperature (<220° C.) to prevent popping problem. The bulk body of the photoresist is then stripped by oxygen and nitrogen/hydrogen plasma at a higher temperature (>220° C.) to provide a faster reaction rate. The semiconductor wafer is cleaned by ammonium hydroxide and hydrogen peroxide to completely remove remaining contaminant and photoresist residuals. The three-step dry process can effectively strip the post implant photoresist so that it ensures the cleanliness of the wafer for the succeeding processes.

Inventors

  • 👤 Mao-Sung Tseng
  • 👤 Chao Feng-Hsien
  • 👤 Nen-Yu Tsai

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-11-04 23:01
CPC Classifications
H; H10; H10P; H10P50/00; H10P50/20; H10P50/28; H10P50/286; H10P50/287

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 11
Claim 1
Independent Claim 136 words
A method of post high dose ion-implantation photoresist stripping in a manufacture of a semiconductor device, said method comprising the steps of: providing semiconductor device structures on a semiconductor substrate; forming a photoresist layer as ion-implantation mask on the semiconductor substrate; performing high dose ion implantation into said semiconductor substrate while hardening a surface of said photoresist mask to form a mask with a hardened surface and a subsurface; first plasma-etching the implant-hardened surface of said photoresist layer, wherein said first plasma-etching includes oxygen and nitrogen/hydrogen plasmas; second plasma-etching the subsurface of said photoresist layer, wherein said second plasma-etching includes oxygen and nitrogen/hydrogen plasmas and takes place at a higher temperature than said first plasma-etching; third plasma-etching any residual oxide on said photoresist layer, wherein said third plasma-etching includes nitrogen/hydrogen plasmas; and cleaning said semiconductor substrate.
Claim 2
Independent Claim 136 words
A method of post high dose ion-implantation photoresist stripping in a manufacture of a semiconductor device, said method comprising the steps of: providing semiconductor device structures on a semiconductor substrate; forming a photoresist layer as ion-implantation mask on the semiconductor substrate; performing high dose ion implantation into said semiconductor substrate while hardening a surface of said photoresist mask to form a mask with a hardened surface and a subsurface; first plasma-etching the implant-hardened surface of said photoresist layer, wherein said first plasma-etching includes oxygen and nitrogen/hydrogen plasmas; second plasma-etching the subsurface of said photoresist layer, wherein said second plasma-etching includes oxygen and nitrogen/hydrogen plasmas and takes place at a higher temperature than said first plasma-etching; third plasma-etching any residual oxide on said photoresist layer, wherein said third plasma-etching includes nitrogen/hydrogen plasmas; and cleaning said semiconductor substrate.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 18 words
The method of claim 1, wherein said semiconductor device structure comprises a source/drain regions of an integrated circuit.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 23 words
The method of claim 1, wherein said high dose ion implantation has a dose of 10 15 to 5×10 16 cm -2 .
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 22 words
The method of claim 1, wherein said cleaning uses sulfuric acid and hydrogen peroxide followed by ammonium hydroxide and hydrogen peroxide solvents.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 13 words
The method of claim 1, wherein said higher temperature is above 220° C.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 23 words
The method of claim 1, wherein the first plasma-etching takes place at a temperature in the range of from 150° to 200° C.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 70 words
The method of claim 1, wherein the implant-hardened photoresist surface is removed by oxygen and nitrogen/hydrogen plasma in a low temperature environment and then the temperature is increased to a higher temperature than said first plasma-etching to accelerate stripping of the subsurface of said photoresist while using oxygen and nitrogen/hydrogen plasma and removing any oxide residual still remaining attached to the wafer with a third plasma-etching using nitrogen or hydrogen.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 15 words
The method of claim 7, wherein the residual oxide is As 2 O 3 .
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 17 words
The method of claim 8, wherein the third step plasma-etch is performed in an oxygen-free plasma environment.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 17 words
The method of claim 7, wherein the third step plasma-etch is performed in an oxygen-free plasma environment.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US4350563A Cited
US4961820A Cited
US5160404A Cited
US5628871A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 2001-09-21 2002-03-23 2002-09-22 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 2005-09-21 2006-03-23 2006-09-22 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 2009-09-21 2010-03-23 2010-09-22 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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