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Method for atomic layer etching

  • US 9,881,807 B2
  • Filed: 03/29/2016
  • Issued: 01/30/2018
  • Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2015
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. A method of etching a substrate, comprising:

  • disposing the substrate in a plasma processing system configured to facilitate an etching process;

    performing an atomic layer etching process cycle to etch a monolayer of an exposed surface of the substrate, the process cycle sequentially comprising;

    forming an adsorption monolayer comprising an etchant on the exposed surface of the substrate by introducing the etchant while concurrently coupling electromagnetic power to the plasma processing system at an applied power level targeted to achieve an etchant radical flux at the exposed surface greater than a total ion flux at the exposed surface,purging the plasma processing system to remove any excess etchant,desorbing the adsorption monolayer comprising the etchant by exposing the adsorption monolayer to gas ions to activate a reaction of the etchant, andpurging the plasma processing system to remove the desorbed adsorption monolayer; and

    repeating the atomic layer etching process cycle until a target etch depth is reached wherein each process cycle etches the monolayer from the exposed surface,wherein the applied power level is less than or equal to 50 W.

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