Patent ID: 6248179
Filing Date: 2001-06-19
Classification: B08B,H01L,Y10S

Abstract:
A method of removal of polymeric material from substantially vertical walls which are formed on a semiconductor wafer including at least a portion covered with a resist layer, the method comprising the steps of:providing a semiconductor wafer having a polysilicon layer and a resist layer above the polysilicon layer, the polysilicon layer having undergone an etching to form a pattern including substantially vertical walls, the etching forming polymeric material on the substantially vertical walls, the polymeric material including at least one element selected from the group consisting of bromine, chlorine, and silicon;rotating the semiconductor wafer at a speed between 500 and 2000 CPM in an enclosure filled with nitrogen;sprinkling the rotating semiconductor wafer with water, substantially at the center of the semiconductor wafer,introducing gaseous hydrogen fluoride, while rotating the semiconductor wafer and maintaining the sprinkling with water, to remove the polymeric material without removing the resist layer;stopping the introduction of gaseous hydrogen fluoride; andrinsing the rotating wafer by continuing the sprinkling with water to remove any trace of hydrogen fluoride from the semiconductor wafer.