Abstract: A reactor is provided for removing polymer from a backside of a workpiece. The reactor includes a vacuum chamber having a ceiling, a floor and a cylindrical side wall. A workpiece support apparatus within the chamber is configured to support a workpiece thereon, so that the workpiece has its front side facing the ceiling. The support apparatus leaves at least an annular periphery of the backside of the workpiece exposed. A confinement member defines a narrow gap with the outer edge of the workpiece, the narrow gap being on the order of about 1% of workpiece diameter, the narrow gap corresponding to a boundary dividing the chamber between an upper process zone and a lower process zone. A vacuum pump is coupled to the lower process zone. A lower external plasma-generating chamber introduces a plasma by-product into the lower process zone and a supply of a polymer etch precursor gas coupled to the lower external plasma-generating chamber.

Abstract: A process is provided for removing polymer from a backside of a workpiece and/or photoresist from a front side of the workpiece. For backside polymer removal, the wafer is positioned near the ceiling to above a localized or remote plasma source having a side outlet through the sidewall of the chamber, and backside polymer is removed by rotating the workpiece while flowing plasma by-products from the side outlet to the wafer backside. For front side photoresist removal, the wafer is positioned away from the ceiling and below the side outlet of the localized plasma source, and front side photoresist is remove by rotating the workpiece while flowing plasma by-products from the side outlet to the wafer front side.

Abstract: A process is provided for removing polymer from a backside of a workpiece. The process includes supporting the workpiece on the backside in a vacuum chamber while leaving a peripheral annular portion of the backside exposed. Gas flow is confined at the edge of the workpiece within a gap at the edge of the workpiece, the gap configured to be on the order of about 1% of the diameter of the chamber, the gap defining a boundary between an upper process zone containing the front side and a lower process zone containing the backside. The process further includes evacuating the lower process zone, generating a plasma in an external chamber from a polymer etch precursor gas, and introducing a by-product from the plasma into the lower process zone. The process further includes pumping a purge gas into the upper process zone to remove polymer etch species from the upper process zone.

Abstract: A process is provided for removing polymer from a backside of a workpiece. The process includes supporting the workpiece on the backside in a vacuum chamber while leaving at least a peripheral annular portion of the backside exposed. The process further includes confining gas flow at the edge of the workpiece within a gap at the edge of the workpiece on the order of about 1% of the diameter of the chamber, the gap defining a boundary between an upper process zone containing the wafer front side and a lower process zone containing the wafer backside. The process also includes providing a polymer etch precursor gas underneath the backside edge of the workpiece and applying RF power to a region underlying the backside edge of the workpiece to generate a first plasma of polymer etch species concentrated in an annular ring concentric with and underneath the backside edge of the workpiece.

Abstract: A process is provided for removing polymer from a backside of a workpiece. The process includes supporting the workpiece on the backside in a vacuum chamber while leaving a peripheral annular portion of the backside exposed. The process further includes confining gas flow at the edge of the workpiece within a gap at the edge of the workpiece on the order of about 1% of the diameter of the chamber, the gap defining a boundary between an upper process zone containing the front side and a lower process zone containing the backside. A first plasma is generated in a lower external chamber from a polymer etch precursor gas, and an etchant by-product is introduced from the first plasma into the lower process zone. A second plasma is generated in an upper external plasma chamber from a precursor gas of a scavenger of the etchant by-product, and scavenger species are introduced from the second plasma into the upper process zone.

Abstract: A workpiece is supported on the backside in a vacuum chamber while leaving at least a peripheral annular portion of a backside of the workpiece exposed. The process first increases the temperature of the workpiece starting at a temperature below about 200 degrees C. The edge of the workpiece is confined so as to establish a gap at the edge on the order of about 1% of the diameter of the chamber, the gap corresponding to a boundary between an upper process zone containing the front side and a lower process zone containing the backside. Before the workpiece temperature exceeds about 200 degrees C., backside polymer is removed using a first plasma containing polymer etch species in the lower process zone. After the workpiece temperature reaches about 300 degrees C., photoresist is stripped from the workpiece front side using by-products of a second plasma containing a photoresist strip species in the upper process zone.

Abstract: A process is provided for removing polymer from a backside of a workpiece. The process includes supporting the workpiece on the backside in a vacuum chamber while leaving a peripheral annular portion of the backside exposed. The process further includes confining gas flow at an edge of the workpiece within a gap at the edge of the workpiece on the order of about 1% of the diameter of the chamber, the gap defining a boundary between an upper process zone containing the front side and a lower process zone containing the backside. A first plasma is generated in a local plasma chamber from a polymer etch precursor gas. The process includes directing a localized stream of an etchant by-product from the first plasma onto a target portion of the backside of the workpiece, the target portion having a diameter corresponding to a diameter of the stream, while rotating the workpiece.

Abstract: A reactor is provided for removing polymer from a backside of a workpiece. The reactor includes a vacuum chamber having a ceiling, a floor and a cylindrical side wall. A workpiece support apparatus within the chamber is configured to support a workpiece thereon so that the workpiece has its front side facing the ceiling. The support apparatus leaves at least an annular periphery of the backside of the workpiece exposed. A confinement member defines a narrow gap with the outer edge of the workpiece, the narrow gap being on the order of about 1% of the workpiece diameter, the narrow gap corresponding to a boundary dividing the chamber between an upper process zone and a lower process zone. A vacuum pump is coupled to the lower process zone.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for confining a plasma are provided herein. In one embodiment, an apparatus for confining a plasma includes a substrate support and a magnetic field forming device for forming a magnetic field proximate a boundary between a first region disposed at least above the substrate support, where a plasma is to be formed, and a second region, where the plasma is to be selectively restricted. The magnetic field has b-field components perpendicular to a direction of desired plasma confinement that selectively restrict movement of charged species of the plasma from the first region to the second region dependent upon the process conditions used to form the plasma.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for determining the composition of an effluent stream from a vacuum processing chamber. A cell placed in the effluent stream from the vacuum processing chamber creates a glow discharge from the constituents in the effluent stream. An optical detector measures a particular wavelength corresponding to the presence of a particular species. In one embodiment the output from the optical detector is used to determine the endpoint of a chamber cleaning process.

Abstract: The present invention provides an apparatus and methods for controlling gas pressure within a semiconductor process chamber. The apparatus comprises a throttle valve 32 positioned downstream of the process chamber outlet for controlling gas flow therethrough. The throttle valve includes a valve body 41 having a through-hole and a plug 44 movably disposed within the valve body for controlling gas flow through the through-hole. The throttle valve incorporates an abrasive element 86 disposed within the valve body in abrading contact with an exposed surface 89 of the plug. The abrasive element effectively removes gas deposited onto the exposed surface of the valve plug during operation of the throttle valve.