In semiconductor manufacturing, the selective removal of the carbon mask after etching has become increasingly challenging with the introduction of Gate-All-Around (GAA) technologies. This transition has brought greater procedural complexity, necessitating more process steps to accommodate intricate and vertically structured designs. Consequently, there arises a need to reassess the appropriateness of traditional methods. Traditionally, the process relied on high RF power plasma to eliminate the carbon mask, resulting in the generation of large quantities of ions that could potentially compromise the integrity of thin film materials. As materials refine and designs require increased vertical scaling, associated risk factors are accentuated. Over-cleaning leads to ion damage, exemplifying the limitations in enhancing device performance. To overcome these challenges, an innovative selective mask removal (SMR) technology has been developed using Metastable Activated Radical Source (MARS). Utilizing MARS, radicals derived from hydrogen or oxygen exhibit lower energy levels, minimizing material damage on the wafer surface during the SMR process. This revolutionary technique significantly reduces the thickness of native oxide layers after SMR, lessening electrical resistance in critical processing steps and enhancing device performance. Furthermore, it enables improved surface passivation strategies, preventing the formation of native oxide and enabling multivalent passivation. These advancements mark a significant step in reducing pattern-induced damage in the GAA era, aligning with sustained progression in line with Moore's Law.
Radicals have been effectively used for photoresist removal for many decades, however, most radical treatments have an energy distribution with high energy tails. This contributes to unwanted surface change or damage of other exposed materials. Tighter energy control is needed. We propose an ultra-low energy radical treatment with sufficient energy for surface modification but also a tighter energy distribution that minimizes unwanted film damage or loss. In this method, a reactive chemistry is introduced below the plasma generation region so that reactive radicals are generated indirectly though collision with inert metastable species.
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