Reactive-ion etching

Plasma

Etching (microfabrication)

Quantum mechanics

Semiconductor

Alternative medicine

Medicine

Optoelectronics

Plasma etching

Nanotechnology

Layer (electronics)

Chemistry

Materials science

Physics

Dry etching

Fabrication

Pathology

Journal of Vacuum Science & Technology A Vacuum Surfaces and Films

Continued downscaling of semiconductor devices has placed stringent constraints on all aspects of the fabrication process including plasma-assisted anisotropic etching. To address manufacturing challenges associated with atomic-scale control, material selectivity, etch fidelity, and increasingly complex device architectures, reactive ion etching (RIE) is transitioning to plasma-assisted atomic layer etching (ALE). Even though the number of elements used in the semiconductor devices has increased several-fold over the last four decades, SiO2 and SiNx remain the most commonly used dielectric materials. In fact, fluorocarbon based, plasma-assisted ALE processes for SiO2 and SiNx have already been integrated into semiconductor manufacturing, including etching of self-aligned contacts for advanced transistors. However, several challenges remain in achieving ultrahigh etch selectivity of SiO2 over SiNx and vice versa. In this article, first, the authors provide a focused review on selective RIE of SiO2 over SiNx an...

Etch selectivity during plasma-assisted etching of SiO2 and SiN<i>x</i>: Transitioning from reactive ion etching to atomic layer etching

Etch selectivity during plasma-assisted etching of SiO2 and SiNx: Transitioning from reactive ion etching to atomic layer etching