Patent ID: 6734120
Filing Date: 2004-05-11
Classification: G03F,H01L,Y10S

Abstract:
A method of processing a semiconductor wafer comprising the steps of:coating the wafer with a photoresist; imaging a pattern on the photoresist with ultraviolet radiation; developing the photoresist; hardbaking or stabilizing the photoresist; forming integrated circuit components on the wafer; and removing the photoresist from the wafer, by a) performing an ashing process on the photoresist with a plasma which removes the photoresist except for a residue; and b) removing the residue without the use of a laser by applying a gas and/or vapor to which the residue is reactive, and which need not be in supercritical or dense phase form, by i) applying said gas and/or vapor to which the residue is reactive to the wafer while the temperature of the wafer is at an elevated level with respect to ambient temperature; ii) exposing the wafer to ultraviolet radiation provided by an ultraviolet lamp simultaneous with said gas and/or vapor applying step, wherein the applying and exposing steps are continued for a period of time sufficient to render the residue to be soluble in deionized water; and iii) rinsing the substrate with deionized water.