Etching and Thin Film Removal Utilizing Atmospheric Plasma

The following articles, papers and publications discuss different types of Etching and Thin Film Removal Utilizing Atmospheric Plasma. Most of this research is based in the semiconductor industry and focuses on photoresist etching or ashing as well as conformal coating removal or stripping such as polyimide or parylene.

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Han, K. H., Kang, J. G., Uhm, H. S., and Kang, B. K., “Photo-resist ashing by atmospheric pressure glow discharge,“ Appl. Phys. Lett. 7, 211 (2007). Abstract: Homogeneous glow plasma at atmospheric pressure without streamers and arcing was generated by making use of a radio-frequency (RF, 13.56 MHz) power supply. Oxygen gas was added to Ar/He gas as reactive agents for photo-resist (PR) ashing. The input power, flow rate, oxygen concentration, treatment time, substrate temperature are controlled for high ashing rate and uniform ashing. Thickness of PR film was measured by NANOSPEC (AFT200) and α-Step (P-10). An unstable discharge occurs destroying the uniformity, when the input power exceeds a threshold value determined from the distance between the substrate and plasma source. An increase of oxygen quantity or temperature increase makes high ashing rate, but the ashing surface is rugged. The PR ashing rate was related to oxygen atom in plasma. The number of treatment may not be important in PR ashing at the atmospheric pressure.
Li, H. J., Wang, S. G., Zhao, L. L., and Ye, T. C., “Study on an atmospheric pressure plasma jet and its application in etching photo-resistant materials,” Plasma Sources Sci.Technol. 6, 2481 (2004). Abstract: An atmospheric pressure radio-frequency plasma jet that can eject cold plasma has been developed. In this paper, the configuration of this type of plasma jet is illustrated and its discharge characteristics curves are studied with a current and a voltage probe. A thermal couple is used to measure the temperature distribution along the axis of the jet stream. The temperature distribution curve is generated for the He/O2 jet stream at the discharge power of 150 W. This jet can etch the photo-resistant material at an average rate of 100 nm/min on the surface of silicon wafers at a right angle.
Jeong, J. Y., Babayan, S. E., Schutze, A., Tu, V. J., Park, J., Henins, I., Selwyn, G. S., and Hicks, R. F., “Etching polyimide with a nonequilibrium atmospheric-pressure plasma jet,” J. Vac. Sci. Technol. A 17, 2581 (1999). Abstract: An atmospheric-pressure plasma jet has been used to etch polyimide ﬁlms at 1.0– 8.0 60.2 mm/min at 760 Torr and between 50 and 250 °C. The plasma was produced by ﬂowing helium and oxygen between two concentric electrodes, with the inner one coupled to 13.56 MHz rf power and the outer one grounded. The etch rate increased with the O2 partial pressure, the rf power and the substrate temperature.