Wet photoresist stripping is a process technology that uses chemical solutions to completely remove photoresist films and their residues from the wafer surface through physical dissolution, chemical degradation, or redox reactions. Compared with dry stripping (e.g., plasma stripping), wet stripping effectively avoids plasma-induced etching damage to sensitive layers on the wafer surface, making it particularly suitable for wafers containing delicate structures such as metal wiring and ultra-thin dielectric layers.

Its core principles can be categorized into three types:

1. 1.Dissolution Effect: Organic solvents disrupt intermolecular forces in photoresist, dissolving the resist layer into the solution.

2. 2.Degradation Effect: Alkaline or acidic solutions break the polymer backbone of photoresist, converting macromolecular polymers into small, water-soluble fragments.

3. 3.Oxidation Effect: Strong oxidizing solutions (e.g., sulfuric acid-hydrogen peroxide mixtures) oxidize organic components in photoresist to carbon dioxide and water for complete removal.

The selection of these principles depends on precise matching of photoresist type (positive/negative), wafer surface structure, and subsequent process requirements.