Molecular dynamics simulations of low-energy (25–200 eV) argon ion interactions with silicon surfaces: Sputter yields and product formation pathways

Kubota, Nawoyuki; Economou, Demetre J.; Plimpton, Steven J.

doi:10.1063/1.367225

Cited by 77 publications

(42 citation statements)

References 42 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…In Ref. [168] the crucial role of amorphization and defect creation was also emphasized, which was then studied in Ref. [169].…”

Section: Amorphization and Annealing After Irradiationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…To overcome these computational limitations, in Ref. [168] the authors introduced a highly parallelized software that could perform massive simulations. In particular, they were able to average over a large number of single ion impacts after an initial amorphization step, being closer to what occurs in actual experiments, in which every single ion finds a damaged material due to the effect of previous impacts.…”

Section: Amorphization and Annealing After Irradiationmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Self-organized nanopatterning of silicon surfaces by ion beam sputtering

Muñoz-García

Vázquez

Castro

et al. 2014

Materials Science and Engineering: R: Reports

166

201

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

“…In Ref. [168] the crucial role of amorphization and defect creation was also emphasized, which was then studied in Ref. [169].…”

Section: Amorphization and Annealing After Irradiationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Amorphization and Annealing After Irradiationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Self-organized nanopatterning of silicon surfaces by ion beam sputtering

Muñoz-García

Vázquez

Castro

et al. 2014

Materials Science and Engineering: R: Reports

166

201

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

“…close to the ALE win- Figure 10. Review of literature data of physical sputter rates reported for Si versus the square-root of Ar ion energy up to energies of 400 eV 95,[118][119][120][121][122][123][124][125][126][127][128][129][130][131][132] along with SRIM simulation results. The threshold for physical sputtering of Si is ≈20 eV.…”

Section: Issues and Needsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Atomic Layer Etching at the Tipping Point: An Overview

Oehrlein

Metzler

2015

ECS J. Solid State Sci. Technol.

232

162

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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...

show abstract

“…Subsequently, ion or noble gas atom bombardment is used to desorb halogen compounds that etch the material. Using this approach, ALEt has been reported for Si,2,3,[8][9][10][11][12] Ge, 6,13 and compound semiconductors.14-17 ALEt has also been demonstrated for a variety of metal oxides. 7,[18][19][20] Additional ALEt studies have been conducted on various carbon substrates.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Atomic Layer Etching of HfO₂Using Sequential, Self-Limiting Thermal Reactions with Sn(acac)₂and HF

Lee

DuMont

George

2015

ECS J. Solid State Sci. Technol.

118

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The atomic layer etching (ALEt) of HfO 2 was performed using sequential, self-limiting thermal reactions with tin(II) acetylacetonate (Sn(acac) 2 ) and HF as the reactants. The HF source was a HF-pyridine solution. The etching of HfO 2 was linear with atomic level control versus number of Sn(acac) 2 and HF reaction cycles. The HfO 2 ALEt was measured at temperatures from 150-250 • C. Quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) measurements determined that the mass change per cycle (MCPC) increased with temperature from −6.7 ng/(cm 2 cycle) at 150 • C to −11.2 ng/(cm 2 cycle) at 250 • C. These MCPC values correspond to etch rates from 0.070 Å/cycle at 150 • C to 0.117 Å/cycle at 250 • C. X-ray reflectivity analysis confirmed the linear removal of HfO 2 and measured an HfO 2 ALEt etch rate of 0.11 Å/cycle at 200 • C. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy measurements also observed HfO 2 ALEt using the infrared absorbance of the Hf-O stretching vibration. FTIR analysis also revealed absorbance features consistent with HfF 4 or HfF x surface species as a reaction intermediate. The HfO 2 etching is believed to follow the reaction: HfO 2 + 4Sn(acac) 2 + 4HF → Hf(acac) 4 + 4SnF(acac) + 2H 2 O. In the proposed reaction mechanism, Sn(acac) 2 donates acac to the substrate to produce Hf(acac) 4 . HF allows SnF(acac) and H 2 O to leave as reaction products. The thermal ALEt of many other metal oxides, as well as metal nitrides, phosphides, sulfides and arsenides, should be possible by a similar mechanism. Atomic layer etching (ALEt) is a thin film removal technique based on sequential, self-limiting surface reactions.1-3 ALEt can be viewed as the reverse of atomic layer deposition (ALD). 4 ALEt is able to remove thin films with atomic layer control. ALD and ALEt are able to provide the necessary processing techniques for surface engineering at the atomic level. 5,6 This atomic level control is needed for the nanofabrication of a wide range of nanoscale devices. 7Until recently, ALEt processes have been reported using only ionenhanced or energetic noble gas atom-enhanced surface reactions. [1][2][3] In these ALEt processes, a halogen is adsorbed on the surface of the material. Subsequently, ion or noble gas atom bombardment is used to desorb halogen compounds that etch the material. Using this approach, ALEt has been reported for Si,2,3,[8][9][10][11][12] Ge, 6,13 and compound semiconductors.14-17 ALEt has also been demonstrated for a variety of metal oxides. 7,[18][19][20] Additional ALEt studies have been conducted on various carbon substrates. 21-23The ALEt of Al 2 O 3 was recently reported using sequential, selflimiting thermal reactions with Sn(acac) 2 and HF as the reactants. 24The linear removal of Al 2 O 3 was observed at temperatures from 150-250• C without the use of ion or noble gas atom bombardment. Al 2 O 3 ALEt etch rates varied with temperature from 0.14 Å/cycle at 150• C to 0.61 Å/cycle at 250• C. 24 The Sn(acac) 2 and HF thermal reactions were both self-limiting versus reactant exposure. In addition, the Al 2...

show abstract

Molecular dynamics simulations of low-energy (25–200 eV) argon ion interactions with silicon surfaces: Sputter yields and product formation pathways

Cited by 77 publications

References 42 publications

Self-organized nanopatterning of silicon surfaces by ion beam sputtering

Self-organized nanopatterning of silicon surfaces by ion beam sputtering

Atomic Layer Etching at the Tipping Point: An Overview

Atomic Layer Etching of HfO₂Using Sequential, Self-Limiting Thermal Reactions with Sn(acac)₂and HF

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About

Molecular dynamics simulations of low-energy (25–200 eV) argon ion interactions with silicon surfaces: Sputter yields and product formation pathways

Cited by 77 publications

References 42 publications

Self-organized nanopatterning of silicon surfaces by ion beam sputtering

Self-organized nanopatterning of silicon surfaces by ion beam sputtering

Atomic Layer Etching at the Tipping Point: An Overview

Atomic Layer Etching of HfO2Using Sequential, Self-Limiting Thermal Reactions with Sn(acac)2and HF

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About

Atomic Layer Etching of HfO₂Using Sequential, Self-Limiting Thermal Reactions with Sn(acac)₂and HF