摘要 |
Water vapor plasma etching of metal surfaces facilitates removal of organic residues over metal surfaces. By plasma etching metal surfaces covered with an organic material, such as photoresist, in an atmosphere in which the water vapor to O2 ratio exceeds 5:3 (such as about 5:1, for example), superior organic material removal results are observed, particularly over relatively wide metal surfaces. The duration of the water vapor plasma etch also may be increased, relative to conventional organic material-removing processes. The effectiveness of the high vapor etch according to the present invention allows the elimination of a subsequent dry organic material stripping step, reducing processing time and cost while increasing yields.
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