Cryogenic-Assisted Hydrogen Fluoride Surface Reactions Enabling Reversibly Ultra-High Selectivity of Atomic Layer Etching Between SiO₂ and SiN.

ABSTRACT: Atomic-level precision processes are increasingly essential for advanced semiconductor devices with highly-complicated small features. Plasma-enhanced atomic layer etching (ALE) is considered as a promising technique to meet requirements of material diversity and highly selective processing. Here, the ALE processes of SiO₂ and SiN are demonstrated through manipulating hydrogen-fluoride (HF) reactions for surface modification, followed by argon ion bombardment for material removal. By varying substrate temperature (T_s) and introducing ethanol (C₂H₅OH) gas, which provides hydroxyl groups for cryogenic-assisted synergistic reactions, the surface HF reactions and the properties of the surface modification layer can be significantly influenced. The et

SUBMITTER: Hsiao SN 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12790377 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature