Superwave Technology, Inc.

Ultraphase Equipment, Inc.

Behrooz Minaee

Sanjeev R Chitre

Apparatus and method for removing organic polymers, such as photoresist, from the surface of an object, such as a semiconductor wafer. The apparatus comprises a microwave energy source and a reaction chamber housing an ultraviolet lamp and a platform for holding a semiconductor wafer. A portion of the chamber's exterior, between the ultraviolet lamp and the microwave energy source, is permeable to microwaves. The reaction chamber has an inlet and an outlet for passing a reaction gas through the reaction chamber. The platform is situated so that the full surface of a semiconductor wafer thereon is exposed to light emitted by the ultrtaviolet lamp which responds to microwave stimulation from the microwave energy source by emitting ultraviolet radiation having a preselected wavelength between 100 and 300 angstroms. Photoresist can be stripped from a semiconductor wafer on the platform by energizing the ultraviolet lamp while passing a reaction gas through the reaction chamber and thereby ablating organic polymers and impurities from the surface of the semiconductor wafer.

Photoresist stripping apparatus using microwave pumped ultraviolet lamp

A system for heating objects serially within a plurality of separate heating zones is described. Objects are placed on pallets and sequentially moved through the plurality of heating zones. In a preferred embodiment, the pallets are fabricated of a microwave absorptive material and sequentially moved through a plurality of microwave cavities. The microwave cavities are provided with a source of microwave energy which heats the pallets, and by conduction, the objects placed thereon.

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Campbell, CA, United States of America

Behrooz Minaee