Patent ID: 7803708

Claim:
A method for reducing resist poisoning, comprising the steps of: forming a first structure in a dielectric layer on a substrate; reducing amine related contaminants from the dielectric and the substrate prior to a formation of a second structure on the substrate such that the amine related contaminates will not diffuse out from either the substrate or the dielectric, wherein the reducing utilizes a plasma treatment which one of chemically ties up the amine related contaminates and binds, traps, or consumes the amine related contaminates during subsequent processing steps; after the forming the first structure, forming an oxide cap on an exposed portion of the substrate and on an upper surface of the dielectric layer; forming the second structure in the dielectric layer on the substrate, wherein a portion of the dielectric layer separates the first structure from the second structure; and after the forming of the first structure, preventing poisoning of a resist layer in subsequent processing by the reducing.