Atomic Layer Etching Using a Novel Radical Generation Module

To fabricate miniature semiconductors of 10 nm or less, various process technologies have reached their physical limits, and new process technologies for miniaturization are required. In the etching process, problems such as surface damage and profile distortion have been reported during etching using conventional plasma. Therefore, several studies have reported novel etching techniques such as atomic layer etching (ALE). In this study, a new type of adsorption module, called the radical generation module, was developed and applied in the ALE process. Using this module, the adsorption time could be reduced to 5 s. Moreover, the reproducibility of the process was verified and an etch per cycle of 0.11 nm/cycle was maintained as the process progressed up to 40 cycles.