Patent ID: 8895449

Claim:
A method of removing a fluorocarbon layer from a low-k dielectric layer on a patterned substrate, the method comprising two sequential steps: (i) treating the patterned substrate with a local plasma formed from a silicon-and-fluorine-containing precursor, wherein the operation of treating the patterned substrate removes the fluorocarbon layer from patterned substrate and forms a fluorinated silicon oxide layer on the low-k dielectric layer and the local plasma is formed by applying a local plasma power; (ii) flowing a fluorine-containing precursor into a remote plasma region fluidly coupled to a substrate processing region while forming a remote plasma in the remote plasma region to produce plasma effluents, wherein forming the remote plasma in the remote plasma region to produce the plasma effluents comprises striking an RF plasma having an RF plasma power to the plasma region; and etching the fluorinated silicon oxide layer by flowing the plasma effluents into the substrate processing region.