An exemplary
semiconductor processing method may include a substrate received in a
processing region. A layer of
silicon-containing material may be disposed on the substrate, a patterned
resist material may be disposed on the layer of
silicon-containing material, and a layer of carbon-containing material may be disposed on the patterned
resist material and the layer of
silicon-containing material. The method may include providing a
hydrogen-containing precursor, a
nitrogen-containing precursor, or both to a
processing region of a
semiconductor processing chamber, forming a
plasma effluent of a
hydrogen-containing precursor and / or a
nitrogen-containing precursor, and contacting the substrate with the
hydrogen-containing precursor and / or the
plasma effluent of the
nitrogen-containing precursor. The contacting may remove a portion of the layer of carbonaceous material. The method may include providing a
fluorine-containing precursor to the processing region, forming a
plasma effluent of the
fluorine-containing precursor, and contacting the substrate with the plasma effluent of the
fluorine-containing precursor.