The extent to which gas-surface chemical reactions can be enhanced by energetic radiation (primarily ions and electrons) incident on the surface is described. Emphasis is placed on chemical systems which lead to volatile reaction products. In particular, the reactions of Si, Si0 2 , and Si3N4 with XeF 2 , F 2 , and Cl 2 are examined experimentally. Possible mechanisms for the radiation-induced enhancement are discussed and some technological implications of this process in plasma etching technology and lithography are considered.
It is shown that silicon is isotropically etched by exposure to XeF2(gas) at T=300 K. Si etch rates as large as 7000 Å/min were observed for P (XeF2) <1.4×10−2 Torr and the etch rate varies linearly with P (XeF2). There was no observable etching of SiO2, Si3N4, or SiC, demonstrating an extremely large selectivity between silicon and its compounds. Therefore, thin masks constructed from silicon compounds can be used for pattern delineation. The implication of these experimental results for understanding mechanisms associated with plasma etching (including RIE) will be discussed.
Trilevel reactive ion etching processes for fabrication of 60 nm germanium structures with high aspect ratio Fabrication of deep submicron patterns with high aspect ratio using magnetron reactive ion etching and sidewall process J.
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