Influence of C4F8/Ar-based etching and H2-based remote plasma ashing processes on ultralow k materials modifications

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The authors evaluated photoresist (PR) stripping processes that are compatible with ultralow dielectric constant (ULK) materials using H2-based remote plasmas generated in an inductively coupled plasma reactor. The materials used were 193 nm PR and nanoporous SiCOH-based ULK (JSR LKD 5109). PR ashing rates and ULK damage (carbon depletion) were measured for H2, H2/N2, and H2/Ar discharges as a function of substrate temperature over the range of 200–275 °C. They employed ellipsometry, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), optical emission spectroscopy, and time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectroscopy (ToF-SIMS) for analysis. For their H2 remote plasmas and a substrate temperature in the range of 200–275 °C, the PR ashing rate varied from 270 to 880 nm/min, whereas 3–5 nm of ULK damage was measured for 20 s remote plasma exposure. As a useful process metric, they defined ashing efficiency as the thickness of PR removed over the thickness of ULK simultaneously damaged. PR stripping processes can be optim...