Method for removing implanted photo resist from hard disk drive substrates

• US 8,354,035 B2
• Filed: 06/23/2010
• Issued: 01/15/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/13/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Inventors: Hilkene, Martin A., Foad, Majeed A., Scotney-Castle, Matthew D., Gouk, Roman, Verhaverbeke, Steven, Porshnev, Peter I.
• Primary Examiner(s): CULBERT, ROBERTS P
• Application Number:
  US12/821,400
• Publication Number:
  US 20110006034A1
• Time in Patent Office: 937 Days
• Field of Search: 216/22
• US Class Current: 216/22
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/427 using plasma means only
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 5/84 Processes or apparatus specially adapted for manufacturing record carriers

Abstract

A method of removing resist material from a substrate having a magnetically active surface is provided. The substrate is disposed in a processing chamber and exposed to a fluorine-containing plasma formed from a gas mixture having a reagent, an oxidizing agent, and a reducing agent. A cleaning agent may also be included. The substrate may be cooled by back-side cooling or by a cooling process wherein a cooling medium is provided to the processing chamber while the plasma treatment is suspended. Substrates may be flipped over for two-sided processing, and multiple substrates may be processed concurrently.

Claims

1. A method of removing a resist layer from a magnetically active substrate, comprising:

providing a gas mixture comprising a reagent gas comprising fluorine, an oxidizing gas, and a reducing gas to a processing chamber;

forming an inductive plasma from the gas mixture by applying energy selected from the group consisting of RF energy, pulsed DC energy, and microwave energy to the gas mixture; and

etching the resist layer by immersing the magnetically active substrate in the plasma.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein a bias voltage less than about 50 V is applied to the substrate.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising discontinuing the plasma, purging the processing chamber with an inert gas, and repeating providing the gas mixture, forming the inductive plasma, and etching the resist layer.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the gas mixture further comprises a cleaning agent.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the gas mixture comprises a fluorocarbon, hydrogen (H₂), and oxygen (O₂).

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising thermally controlling the magnetically active substrate by flowing a cooling gas through the processing chamber.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising exposing the magnetically active substrate to a cleaning agent.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the cleaning agent is selected from the group consisting of water vapor provided during the plasma exposure process and liquid water provided after the plasma process.

9. A method of processing a substrate having a magnetically active layer and a resist layer contacting the magnetically active layer, the method comprising:

applying energy selected from the group consisting of RF energy, pulsed DC energy, and microwave energy to a gas mixture comprising fluorine to form a plasma; and

exposing the resist layer to the plasma while maintaining the magnetic characteristics of the magnetically active layer in a substantially unchanged state.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the gas mixture comprises a reagent, a reducing agent, an oxidizing agent, and a cleaning agent, and the energy is RF energy.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising treating the substrate with hydrogen or a hydrogen containing plasma.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the reagent is a fluorine containing substance, the reducing agent is a hydrogen containing substance, the oxidizing agent is an oxygen containing substance, and the cleaning agent is a solvent.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the plasma process comprises:

exposing the substrate to the plasma;

discontinuing the plasma and purging the processing chamber;

exposing the substrate to an inert gas; and

repeating the exposing the substrate to the plasma, discontinuing the plasma, purging the processing chamber, and exposing the substrate to an inert gas.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the plasma process further comprises cooling the substrate by increasing a pressure of the inert gas in the processing chamber while exposing the substrate to the inert gas.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein a plurality of substrates is processed concurrently.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising flipping the plurality of substrates and processing at least two sides of the plurality of substrates.

17. A method of processing a substrate in a processing chamber, the substrate having a magnetically active layer and a resist layer disposed thereon, the method comprising:

implanting ions into the magnetically active layer and the resist layer;

performing a resist removal process on the substrate, the resist removal process comprising;

immersing the substrate in a plasma at a first pressure, the plasma comprising one or more elements from the group consisting of fluorine and nitrogen;

applying a bias energy between about 0 W and about 100 W to the substrate;

discontinuing the plasma and purging the processing chamber;

exposing the substrate to a non-reactive gas at a second pressure greater than the first pressure;

purging the non-reactive gas from the processing chamber; and

repeating the resist removal process until the resist layer is removed; and

exposing the substrate to a cleaning agent, wherein the implanting, repeated resist removal process, and exposure to the cleaning agent are performed in the same processing chamber.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the plasma is formed by applying RF energy to a gas mixture comprising a fluorocarbon, a hydrogen containing compound, and an oxygen containing compound.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the cleaning agent is selected from the group consisting of water, isopropyl alcohol, and hydrogen peroxide.