Atomic-scale silicon etching control using pulsed Cl2 plasma

Petit-Etienne, C.; Darnon, Maxime; Bodart, P.; Fouchier, M.; Cunge, G.; Pargon, E.; Vallier, L.; Joubert, O.; Banna, S.

doi:10.1116/1.4768717

Cited by 19 publications

(20 citation statements)

References 44 publications

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“…1 Admitting all reactants simultaneously to the process chamber gives rise to large particle fluxes at certain surface locations through all phases of the plasma process and complex parallel reactions that can evolve with the long-time transients associated with plasma-chamber wall interactions. 3,6 For instance, etching selectivity for the prototypical case of fluorocarbon based etching of dielectrics is based on several parallel reactions, which for compositionally distinct materials can lead to different net overall reaction rates, i.e. fairly rapid etching for one material and slow etching or deposition for another material.…”

Section: Technology Demands On Plasma Etch (Pe) and Key Shortcomings mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…[3][4][5][6] An alternative and possibly complementary approach corresponds to the reverse of atomic layer deposition technology.…”

Section: Technology Demands On Plasma Etch (Pe) and Key Shortcomings mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…27 Thick modified surface layers develop on semiconductor and dielectric surfaces that are simultaneously exposed to significant chemical reactant fluxes and ion bombardment. 6 To achieve silicon etching directionality in plasma etching for these reactant-rich process conditions, often O 2 is added to chlorine-or bromine-based discharges to enhance is based on self-limited adsorption of a reactive precursor, followed by pump-out. The steps ((e)-(f)) involve exposure to an oxidizing gas, e.g.…”

Section: Technology Demands On Plasma Etch (Pe) and Key Shortcomings mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…3,6 For instance, etching selectivity for the prototypical case of fluorocarbon based etching of dielectrics is based on several parallel reactions, which for compositionally distinct materials can lead to different net overall reaction rates, i.e. fairly rapid etching for one material and slow etching or deposition for another material.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…[1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8] An etching method corresponding to Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD), i.e. Atomic Layer Etching (ALE), is expected to satisfy these needs as critical dimensions continue to shrink below the 10 nm scale.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Atomic Layer Etching at the Tipping Point: An Overview

Oehrlein

Metzler

2015

ECS J. Solid State Sci. Technol.

232

162

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The ability to achieve near-atomic precision in etching different materials when transferring lithographically defined templates is a requirement of increasing importance for nanoscale structure fabrication in the semiconductor and related industries. The use of ultra-thin gate dielectrics, ultra thin channels, and sub-20 nm film thicknesses in field effect transistors and other devices requires near-atomic scale etching control and selectivity. There is an emerging consensus that as critical dimensions approach the sub-10 nm scale, the need for an etching method corresponding to Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD), i.e. Atomic Layer Etching (ALE), has become essential, and that the more than 30-year quest to complement/replace continuous directional plasma etching (PE) methods for critical applications by a sequence of individual, self-limited surface reaction steps has reached a crucial stage. A key advantage of this approach relative to continuous PE is that it enables optimization of the individual steps with regard to reactant adsorption, self-limited etching, selectivity relative to other materials, and damage of critical surface layers. In this overview we present basic approaches to ALE of materials, discuss similarities/crucial differences relative to thermal and plasma-enhanced ALD, and then review selected results on ALE of materials aimed at pattern transfer. The overview concludes with a discussion of opportunities and challenges ahead. A requirement of increasing importance for nanoscale device fabrication is the ability to achieve atomic scale etching control and materials selectivity during pattern transfer.1-8 An etching method corresponding to Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD), i.e. Atomic Layer Etching (ALE), is expected to satisfy these needs as critical dimensions continue to shrink below the 10 nm scale.Demonstrations of self-limited dry etching methods capable of near-atomic resolution have a long history in the dry etching community and a brief review will be presented below. Key challenges for these approaches have been specialized equipment, long process times and low throughput.9,10 However, a recent demonstration using a commercial plasma etch tool 10 and activities within the dry etching community 11 provide indications that the situation has changed, and that we may have reached for ALE the Tipping Point which Gladwell defined as the "the moment of critical mass, the threshold, the boiling point" when "ideas and products and messages and behaviors spread like viruses do".12 This is due to several factors, including unprecedented demands on dry etching technology introduced by the semiconductor device evolution according to Moore's law that can be satisfied by atomic layer etching, advanced capabilities in plasma etch, and the existence of a critical level of information on plasma etch and ALD methods as applied in the semiconductor fabrication space.In this article we will provide a review of background of these approaches, and focus on issues that have to be overcome for widespread implement...

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Section: Technology Demands On Plasma Etch (Pe) and Key Shortcomings mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…[3][4][5][6] An alternative and possibly complementary approach corresponds to the reverse of atomic layer deposition technology.…”

Section: Technology Demands On Plasma Etch (Pe) and Key Shortcomings mentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Technology Demands On Plasma Etch (Pe) and Key Shortcomings mentioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

See 3 more Smart Citations

Atomic Layer Etching at the Tipping Point: An Overview

Oehrlein

Metzler

2015

ECS J. Solid State Sci. Technol.

232

162

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Experimental visualization of reversible magnesium storage and surface chemistry of magnesium silicide anode

Hoang

Chung

et al. 2021

Electrochemical Science Adv

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Magnesium silicide (Mg2Si) is a new anode material candidate for Mg‐ion batteries due to the Earth‐abundance of Mg and Si and its high theoretical specific capacity of 1398 mAh/g. However, to date, no one reported its reversible Mg‐storage ability. Herein, we demonstrate for the first time the experimental visualization of a reversible electrochemical demagnesiation and magnasiation of Mg2Si film model electrode in a half‐cell with the electrolyte of PhMgCl/THF at room temperature. The Mg2+‐diffusivity, 1.3 × 10–18 cm2/s, of Mg2Si film model electrode determined with cyclic voltammetry is four orders of magnitude lower than that of Li+‐diffusivity of Mg2Si film electrode in a lithium cell, indicating a sluggish diffusion kinetics. Surface chemistry studies of the 1st discharged (demagnesiated) and the 1st cycled (re‐magnesiated) electrodes utilizing X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy reveal that the surface of pristine Mg2Si is highly covered by various silicon oxides, and Mg2Si undergoes segregation and phase separation partly to Mg and Si along with the surface coverage of electrolyte decomposition products. Those events lower the homogeneity and connectivity of electrode composition, which limits the reaction reversibility. The data give insight into a new material design for Mg‐ion batteries.

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