Etching characteristics of Si and SiO2 with a low energy argon/hydrogen d.c. plasma source

Strass, A; Hänsch, W.; Bieringer, Peter; Neubecker, Alexandra; Kaesen, F; Fischer, Andreas; Eisele, I.

doi:10.1016/s0257-8972(97)00144-8

Cited by 23 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 3 publications

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“…However, prolonged exposure of the substrate to plasma may result in surface etching and physical degradation of the surface. Surface etching of silicon using a low-pressure hydrogen plasma has been shown to increase with decreasing substrate temperature, approaching a maximum of 6.0 nm/min at a substrate temperature of 25 °C . It was also reported that conelike projections of 100−200 nm diameter appeared when the substrate temperature was raised to 200 °C.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 98%

Inorganic Surface Nanostructuring by Atmospheric Pressure Plasma-Induced Graft Polymerization

et al. 2007

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Surface graft polymerization of 1-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone onto a silicon surface was accomplished by atmospheric pressure (AP) hydrogen plasma surface activation followed by graft polymerization in both N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP) and in an NMP/water solvent mixture. The formation of initiation sites was controlled by the plasma exposure period, radio frequency (rf) power, and adsorbed surface water. The surface number density of active sites was critically dependent on the presence of adsorbed surface water with a maximum observed at approximately a monolayer surface water coverage. The surface topology and morphology of the grafted polymer layer depended on the solvent mixture composition, initial monomer concentration, reaction temperature, and reaction time. Grafted polymer surfaces prepared in pure NMP resulted in a polymer feature spacing of as low as 5-10 nm (average feature diameter of about 17 nm), an rms surface roughness range of 0.18-0.72 nm, and a maximum grafted polymer layer thickness of 5.5 nm. Graft polymerization in an NMP/water solvent mixture, however, resulted in polymer feature sizes that increased up to a maximum average feature diameter of about 90 nm at [NMP] = 60% (v/v) with polymer feature spacing in the range of 10-50 nm. The surface topology of the polymer-modified silicon surfaces grafted in an NMP/water solvent mixture exhibited a bimodal feature height distribution. In constrast, graft polymerization in pure NMP resulted in a narrow feature height distribution of smaller-diameter surface features with smaller surface spacing. The results demonstrated that, with the present approach, the topology of the grafted polymer surface was tunable by adjusting the NMP/water ratio. The present surface graft polymerization method, which is carried out under AP conditions, is particularly advantageous for polymer surface structuring via radical polymerization and can, in principle, be scaled to large surfaces.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 98%

Inorganic Surface Nanostructuring by Atmospheric Pressure Plasma-Induced Graft Polymerization

et al. 2007

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“…The UHV chamber is tested for multiple use such as MBE, oxide growth and hydrogen plasma cleaning of the substrates prior to any further process. The process chamber [14], is part of the Modular UHV multichamber system (MUM 545) from Balzers AG, Liechtenstein [15]. The base pressure in the chamber is typically 5 £ 10 29 mbar.…”

Section: Experimental Setup and ®Lm Growthmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Gases like N 2 which do not naturally react with silicon are cracked by a low-energy plasma to form Si 3 N 4 or together with O 2 oxynitride insulators [14], but for a better point of view the principle is summarized brie¯y. A low-energy electron arc of high volume is created by a DC discharge from the negative-biased ®lament to the grounded chamber walls (anode).…”

Section: Plasma Enhanced Evaporation (Pee)mentioning

confidence: 99%

Fabrication and characterisation of thin low-temperature MBE-compatible silicon oxides of different stoichiometry

Strass¹,

Bieringer²,

Hänsch³

et al. 1999

Thin Solid Films

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We developed and tested three MBE-compatible processes for the deposition of high-quality low-temperature silicon oxides and oxynitrides in the ultra high vacuum at substrate temperatures between room temperature and 5008C: gas enhanced evaporation (GEE), plasma enhanced evaporation (PEE) and plasma enhanced oxidation (PEO). The deposited layers were thoroughly investigated and compared with respect to their electrical, optical and stoichiometrical properties by means of ellipsometry, mechanical pro®lometry, Auger electron spectroscopy (AES), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Rutherford backscattering (RBS), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, and by electrical measurements (I±V, C±V) on MOS structures. A model of the growth mechanism for each of the processes is suggested.

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“…The difference in the activation energies in this case as against the values reported in Ref. 28 may have been caused by the fact that we are etching a partially masked ͑with SiC͒ silicon substrate, whereas Strass et al 28 were etching silicon or silicon dioxide samples. In other words, the presence of both silane and methane will increase and decrease, respectively, the activation energies by forming the nanomasks and producing more etchants in the form of reactive H species.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 55%

“…This mechanism becomes less probable due to the low sticking coefficients of these radicals on the Si substrates at higher temperatures, leading to a decrease of etching rate which is in accordance with our observation. Furthermore, Strass et al 28 reported that there are two temperature regimes of Arrhenius dependence with different activation energies occurring in the hydrogen etching process. For temperatures above 300°C the activation energy is −21 kcal/ mol and that below 300°C is only −1.7 kcal/ mol.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Morphology control of silicon nanotips fabricated by electron cyclotron resonance plasma etching

Hsu

Huang

Chen

et al. 2006

Journal of Vacuum Science &Amp; Technology B: Microelectronics and Nanometer Structures Processing, Measurement, and Phenomena

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Formation of well-aligned silicon nanotips etched monolithically from a silicon substrate has been demonstrated. The effect of the process temperature on the physicochemical etching of silicon and subsequent fabrication of these nanotips has been investigated. 2.2-μm-long nanotips were formed at the process temperature of 250°C and then decreased in length with increasing process temperature. Above 800°C, the formation of the silicon nanotips was inhibited. Spectroscopic evidence attributes this fact to the efficient formation of silicon carbide thin film at higher process temperatures, instead of discontinuous nanomasks at lower process temperatures that prevent etching of the substrate. Another reason for this inhibited formation of nanotips is the reduced etching rate of the silicon by agents such as atomic H at higher process temperatures.

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Etching characteristics of Si and SiO2 with a low energy argon/hydrogen d.c. plasma source

Cited by 23 publications

References 3 publications

Inorganic Surface Nanostructuring by Atmospheric Pressure Plasma-Induced Graft Polymerization

Inorganic Surface Nanostructuring by Atmospheric Pressure Plasma-Induced Graft Polymerization

Fabrication and characterisation of thin low-temperature MBE-compatible silicon oxides of different stoichiometry

Morphology control of silicon nanotips fabricated by electron cyclotron resonance plasma etching

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