Patent ID: 6806038
Filing Date: 2004-10-19
Classification: H01L

Abstract:
A method for forming a conductive trace on a substrate, the method comprising the sequential steps of:patterning the conductive trace with a photoresist mask, etching the conductive trace, and thereby forming a polymer layer on a top surface and sidewalls of the photoresist mask and on sidewalls of the conductive trace, where the polymer layer contains entrained chlorine gas, moving the substrate, to a reaction chamber that is a different chamber from that in which the etching step was accomplished, heating the substrate on a chuck, generating a remote plasma from ammonia gas and oxygen gas using an inductive coupling generator, contacting the substrate with the ammonia and oxygen plasma, thereby withdrawing a substantial portion of the entrained chlorine gas from the polymer layer, applying a radio frequency potential to the chuck on which the substrate resides, thereby creating a reactive ion etchant from the ammonia and oxygen plasma in the reaction chamber and removing the polymer layer from the top surface of the photoresist mask, and thereby exposing the photoresist mask, and removing the exposed photoresist mask in an ashing process.