Photoresist Removal Using Atomic Hydrogen Generated by Hot-Wire Catalyzer and Effects on Si-Wafer Surface

We investigated an environmentally friendly method using atomic hydrogen generated by contact catalysis on a tungsten hot-wire catalyzer to remove photoresist instead of using chemicals and its effects on a Si-wafer surface. We eventually obtained a photoresist removal rate of 2.5 µm/min attributable to a reaction of atomic hydrogen with a positive-tone novolak photoresist, without thermal shrinkage of the photoresist film during atomic hydrogen irradiation because the photoresist shrank only under the influence of substrate heating by the catalyzer. The effects of atomic hydrogen irradiation on the substrate surfaces cannot be confirmed.