Abstract: Methods for reducing contamination of semiconductor substrates after processing are provided. The methods include heating the processed substrate to remove adsorbed chemical species from the substrate surface by thermal desorption. Thermal desorption can be performed either in-situ or ex-situ. The substrate can be heated by convection, conduction, and/or radiant heating. The substrate can also be heated by treating the surface of the processed substrate with an inert plasma during which treatment ions in the plasma bombard the substrate surface raising the temperature thereof. Thermal desorption can also be performed ex-situ by applying thermal energy to the substrate during transport of the substrate from the processing chamber and/or by transporting the substrate to a transport module (e.g., a load lock) or to a second processing chamber for heating. Thermal desorption during transport can be enhanced by purging an inert gas over the substrate surface.

Abstract: Methods for reducing contamination of semiconductor substrates after processing are provided. The methods include heating the processed substrate to remove absorbed chemical species from the substrate surface by thermal desorption. Thermal desorption can be performed either in-situ or ex-situ. The substrate can be heated by convection, conduction, and/or radiant heating. The substrate can also be heated by treating the surface of the processed substrate with an inert plasma during which treatment ions in the plasma bombard the substrate surface raising the temperature thereof. Thermal desorption can also be performed ex-situ by applying thermal energy to the substrate during transport of the substrate from the processing chamber and/or by transporting the substrate to a transport module (e.g., a load lock) or to a second processing chamber for heating. Thermal desorption during transport can be enhanced by purging an inert gas over the substrate surface.

Abstract: A process of etching openings in a dielectric layer includes supporting a semiconductor substrate in a plasma etch reactor, the substrate having a dielectric layer and a patterned photoresist and/or hardmask layer above the dielectric layer; supplying to the plasma etch reactor an etchant gas comprising (a) a fluorocarbon gas (CxFyHz, where x≧1, y≧1, and z≧0), (b) a silane-containing gas, hydrogen or a hydrocarbon gas (CxHy, where x≧1 and y≧4), (c) an optional oxygen-containing gas, and (d) an optional inert gas, wherein the flow rate ratio of the silane-containing gas to fluorocarbon gas is less than or equal to 0.1, or the flow rate ratio of the hydrogen or hydrocarbon gas to fluorocarbon gas is less than or equal to 0.5; energizing the etchant gas into a plasma; and plasma etching openings in the dielectric layer with enhanced photoresist/hardmask to dielectric layer selectivity and/or minimal photoresist distortion or striation.

Abstract: Methods for reducing contamination of semiconductor substrates after processing are provided. The methods include heating the processed substrate to remove adsorbed chemical species from the substrate surface by thermal desorption. Thermal desorption can be performed either in-situ or ex-situ. The substrate can be heated by convection, conduction, and/or radiant heating. The substrate can also be heated by treating the surface of the processed substrate with an inert plasma during which treatment ions in the plasma bombard the substrate surface raising the temperature thereof. Thermal desorption can also be performed ex-situ by applying thermal energy to the substrate during transport of the substrate from the processing chamber and/or by transporting the substrate to a transport module (e.g., a load lock) or to a second processing chamber for heating. Thermal desorption during transport can be enhanced by purging an inert gas over the substrate surface.

Abstract: Methods for reducing contamination of semiconductor substrates after processing are provided. The methods include heating the processed substrate to remove adsorbed chemical species from the substrate surface by thermal desorption. Thermal desorption can be performed either in-situ or ex-situ. The substrate can be heated by convection, conduction, and/or radiant heating. The substrate can also be heated by treating the surface of the processed substrate with an inert plasma during which treatment ions in the plasma bombard the substrate surface raising the temperature thereof. Thermal desorption can also be performed ex-situ by applying thermal energy to the substrate during transport of the substrate from the processing chamber and/or by transporting the substrate to a transport module (e.g., a load lock) or to a second processing chamber for heating. Thermal desorption during transport can be enhanced by purging an inert gas over the substrate surface.

Abstract: A plasma processing chamber includes a substrate holder and a gas distribution plate having an inner surface facing the substrate holder, the inner surface being maintained below a threshold temperature to minimize process drift during processing of substrates. The inner surface is cooled by adding a heat transfer gas such as helium to process gas supplied through the gas distribution plate. The chamber can include a dielectric window between an antenna and the gas distribution plate. The control of the temperature of the inner surface facing the substrate minimizes process drift and degradation of the quality of the processed substrates during sequential processing of the substrates such as during oxide etching of semiconductor wafers.

Abstract: A plasma processing chamber includes a substrate holder and a gas distribution plate having an inner surface facing the substrate holder, the inner surface being maintained below a threshold temperature to minimize process drift during processing of substrates. The inner surface is cooled by adding a heat transfer gas such as helium to process gas supplied through the gas distribution plate. The chamber can include a dielectric window between an antenna and the gas distribution plate. The control of the temperature of the inner surface facing the substrate minimizes process drift and degradation of the quality of the processed substrates during sequential processing of the substrates such as during oxide etching of semiconductor wafers.