A new metallic complex reaction etching for transition metals by a low-temperature neutral beam process

Abstract

We investigated a new oxidation reaction at a low temperature (−30 °C) as a result of O2 neutral beam bombardment at a low activation energy (<0.025 eV), which can efficiently form a thin oxide film of all transition metals, such as tantalum, ruthenium and platinum. Meanwhile, a new neutral beam enhanced chemical etching for the neutral beam oxidized transition metals that uses a new metallic complex reaction process and does not cause chemical or physical damage at low temperatures was also proposed. As a result, a highly anisotropic etching profile without re-deposition on the sidewall could be achieved with just the pure chemical reaction between ethanol and metallic oxide at a low kinetic energy using the neutral beam process.