Patent ID: 6429142
Filing Date: 2002-08-06
Classification: H01L,Y10S

Abstract:
A method of removal of photoresist used in patterning a metal layer after fabricating integrated circuit wafers, comprising:providing an integrated circuit wafer having devices formed therein; forming a metal layer over said integrated circuit wafer; forming a photoresist layer over said metal layer; selectively exposing said photoresist layer; developing said selectively exposed photoresist layer thereby forming a photoresist mask; performing steps as follows: a) introducing said wafer into a multi-chamber system, b) etching away that part of said metal layer not covered by said photoresist mask, c) preparing the photoresist mask which had been previously developed for removal thereof by exposing the photoresist mask to shorter wavelength light than light in the infrared wavelengths to red wavelengths in a cooled chamber, whereby polymerization and hard baking of the photoresist mask are avoided, d) removing said wafer from said multi-chamber system, loading said wafer into a photoresist stripping tank thereby removing said photoresist mask using a wet photoresist stripper; placing said wafer in a batch type plasma chamber after removing said photoresist mask; establishing a plasma discharge in said batch type plasma chamber for a first time while flowing oxygen gas through said batch type plasma chamber; terminating said plasma discharge; and removing said wafer from said batch type plasma chamber.