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Title: Phenomenological modeling of ion-enhanced surface kinetics in fluorine-based plasma etching

Journal Article · · Journal of Vacuum Science and Technology. B, Microelectronics Processing and Phenomena
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1116/1.586925· OSTI ID:161689
; ;  [1]
  1. Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA (United States)

A multiple beam apparatus has been constructed to facilitate the study of ion-enhanced fluorine chemistry on undoped polysilicon and silicon dioxide surfaces by allowing the fluxes of fluorine (F) atoms and argon (Ar{sup +}) ions to be independently varied over several orders of magnitude. The chemical nature of the etching surfaces has been investigated following the vacuum transfer of the sample dies to an adjoining x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy facility. The etching {open_quotes}enhancement{close_quotes} effect of normally incident Ar{sup +} ions has been quantified over a wide range of ion energy through the use of Kaufman and electron cyclotron resonance-type ion sources. The increase in per ion etching yield of fluorine saturated silicon and silicon dioxide surfaces with increasing ion energy (E{sub ion}) was found to scale as (E{sub ion}{sup 1/2}-E{sub th}{sup 1/2}), where E{sub th} is the etching threshold energy for the process. Simple near-surface site occupation models have been proposed for the quantification of the ion-enhanced etching kinetics in these systems. Acceptable agreement has been found in comparison of these Ar{sup +}/F etching model predictions with similar Ar{sup +}/XeF{sub 2} studies reported in the literature, as well as with etching rate measurements made in F-based plasmas of gases such as SF{sub 6} and NF{sub 3}. 69 refs., 12 figs., 6 tabs.

OSTI ID:
161689
Report Number(s):
CONF-930115-; ISSN 0734-211X; CNN: Contract 90-MC-503; TRN: 95:004881-0005
Journal Information:
Journal of Vacuum Science and Technology. B, Microelectronics Processing and Phenomena, Vol. 11, Issue 4; Conference: 20. physics and chemistry of semiconductor interfaces, Williamsburg, VA (United States), 25-29 Jan 1993; Other Information: PBD: Jul-Aug 1993
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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