METHOD FOR ELIMINATING A PHOTORESIST MASK USED IN ETCHING A METAL LAYER

摘要

PURPOSE: A method for eliminating a photoresist mask is provided to effectively eliminate a polymer layer generated as a byproduct in etching a metal layer, by making the polymer layer soft so that the polymer layer remaining near a metal layer pattern can be eliminated in a subsequent ashing process together with the photoresist mask. CONSTITUTION: A semiconductor substrate(100) is transferred from an etching chamber to an ashing chamber without a vacuum interception. N2 gas is supplied into the ashing chamber maintaining a vacuum state to perform a blowing of the N2 gas on the semiconductor substrate heated to a predetermined temperature while a radio frequency power supply to the ashing chamber is blocked. A photoresist mask(114) remaining on a semiconductor substrate is eliminated by an ashing process in the ashing chamber.