New Plasma Technology That Make Processes Easier And Economical in 20202

Very frequently new technologies are being invented in this world that helps many industries to revolutionize their processes. As competition increases many of the industries will need to find cheaper methods of production. This means that their processes must be more efficient and cheaper. New technologies also help to make industrial production safer for the people and the environment. Such technologies are greatly accepted and appreciated by the industries. Plasma technology is one such technology that has helped many industries to make production very economical and fast. Photo resist removal is one process that has become very economical and fast with the introduction of plasma technology.

Understanding Photoresists And Its Removal

Photoresists are light-sensitive polymers. They are used as masks when a pattern must be imprinted on a plate using the etching process. The parts other than the pattern are masked with the photoresist materials. They are used in various applications like printing plates, printed circuit boards, LCDs, etc. But the main use of photoresists is in the semiconductor industry. They are highly used in the production of ICs like microprocessors for computers. The use of photoresist for etching has helped the industry in reducing the prices and producing smaller device features in Malaysia. Smaller device features help improve speeds in computers while also reducing production costs. Removing photoresist residue is very crucial for the proper functioning of the components.

Resist removal in the case of semiconductor wafers must be quick and complete. The photoresist must be removed several times in an IC fabrication process. The photoresist and residue must be completely removed before they get a chance to react with the underlying materials. The difficulty or ease of removing the photoresist will depend on the process that it was subjected to during the etching. The method of cleaning will also depend on the material of the photoresist.

The Advantages Of Using Plasma Technology For Photoresist Removal

The earlier methods of resist stripping process included the use of chemicals. Both organic and inorganic chemicals were used for the purpose. The organic chemicals were mostly phenol-based. Their storage and disposal were very difficult. There were potential dangers with the storage of large quantities of such chemicals in the factories. This made the use of inorganic chemicals for the process. But the use of chemicals always comes with the difficulties of safe disposal. The cost of these chemicals is another big factor as large quantity is required for complete removal of the residue.

The use of plasma for the removal of photoresist has come as a great support for the semiconductor industry. Plasma is a technology where gas is pressurized into changing to the plasma state. As plasma is an unstable state of matter it easily mixes with the photoresist and removes it after forming stable molecules. Using plasma is very economical. It is also a very clean method as it doesn't involve any chemicals. There is no danger in using the technology and there is no harm caused to the environment. Modern methods of microwave technology help to remove photoresist completely without causing any damage to the underlying material even if it is sensitive to the reaction. This has what has made plasma technology the choice method not only in photoresist removal but also in descum.

After the pattern has been developed there is a need to remove the photoresist and this requires a gentler method. This is called the descum process where strict control over the use of plasma is necessary. Here again, the microwave method is very effective.