H2O vapor as a processing gas for crust, resist, and residue removal for post ion implant resist strip

摘要

H₂O vapor is used as a processing gas for stripping photoresist material from a substrate having a patterned photoresist layer previously used as an ion implantation mask, wherein the patterned photoresist layer is defined by a photoresist crust covering a bulk photoresist portion. Broadly speaking, the H₂O vapor is demonstrated to more efficiently strip the photoresist material having a cross-linked photoresist crust without causing the photoresist crust to pop and without causing the bulk photoresist to be undercut. Thus, H₂O vapor provides a safe, efficient, and economical processing gas for stripping photoresist material having a photoresist crust resulting from an ion implantation process.