Abstract: A method for stripping photoresist and/or removing post etch residues from an exposed low k dielectric layer of a semiconductor wafer in the presence or absence of copper. The method comprises creating an oxygen free plasma by subjecting an oxygen free gas to an energy source to generate the plasma having electrically neutral and charged particles, The charged particles are then selectively removed from the plasma. The electrically neutral particles react with the photoresist and/or post etch residues to form volatile gases which are then removed from the wafer by a gas stream. The oxygen free, plasma gas composition for stripping photoresist and/or post etch residues comprises a hydrogen bearing gas and a fluorine bearing wherein the fluorine bearing gas is less than about 10 percent by volume of the total gas composition.

Abstract: A method of predicting etch efficacy of vias in a semiconductor manufacturing process wherein a photo focus exposure matrix (FEM) array is used as a via etch monitor. The FEM is an array of matrices wherein each array has a different size set of vias. The matrices in the array start with a size approximately double the minimum dimension of vias in the wafer and decrement in size to a size approximately half the minimum dimension.