| abstract |
Means for increasing the selectivity of photoresist stripping to oxide etching are disclosed. A plasma of an oxidizing gas, a fluoride-containing compound, and a hydrocarbon contains reactive species that preferentially strip photoresist from a substrate with little etching of oxide on the substrate's surface when the reactive species contact the substrate. The reactor, compositions, and methods disclosed are particularly useful in processes for etching silicon wafers to form semiconductor or microelectromechanical devices. |