The possibilities of optimization of the two-step atomic layer etching process for HfO2 in conventional plasma etching tools were studied. The surface modification step was realized in Ar/CF4/H2 plasma, and the reaction between the modified layer and the surface was activated by Ar ion bombardment from the plasma in the second step. Investigation of the effects of activation step duration, DC bias during activation, and Ar plasma density was carried out. The mechanism of the etching process has been shown to involve fluorination of oxide during the modification step and subsequent removal of fluorine-containing particles at the activation step. An increase in parasitic sputtering rate and lower process saturation with the growth of DC bias during activation was demonstrated. The advantage of the ALE process in lower surface roughness over the conventional etching process was shown. Similar etching characteristics of HfO2 and ZrO2 suggest a similarity in the etching process for the mixed hafnium-zirconium oxide material.
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September 2024
Research Article|
July 15 2024
Revealing the controlling mechanisms of atomic layer etching for high-k dielectrics in conventional inductively coupled plasma etching tool
Special Collection:
Atomic Layer Etching (ALE)
Vitaly Kuzmenko
;
Vitaly Kuzmenko
a)
(Data curation, Formal analysis, Investigation, Writing – original draft)
Valiev Institute of Physics and Technology RAS
, Moscow 117218, Russia
a)Author to whom correspondence should be addressed: [email protected]
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Alexander Melnikov
;
Alexander Melnikov
(Investigation)
Valiev Institute of Physics and Technology RAS
, Moscow 117218, Russia
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Alexandr Isaev
;
Alexandr Isaev
(Formal analysis, Investigation)
Valiev Institute of Physics and Technology RAS
, Moscow 117218, Russia
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Andrey Miakonkikh
Andrey Miakonkikh
(Funding acquisition, Methodology, Project administration, Writing – review & editing)
Valiev Institute of Physics and Technology RAS
, Moscow 117218, Russia
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a)Author to whom correspondence should be addressed: [email protected]
J. Vac. Sci. Technol. A 42, 052602 (2024)
Article history
Received:
April 25 2024
Accepted:
June 14 2024
Citation
Vitaly Kuzmenko, Alexander Melnikov, Alexandr Isaev, Andrey Miakonkikh; Revealing the controlling mechanisms of atomic layer etching for high-k dielectrics in conventional inductively coupled plasma etching tool. J. Vac. Sci. Technol. A 1 September 2024; 42 (5): 052602. https://doi.org/10.1116/6.0003717
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