Atomic-layer surface reaction of chlorine on Si and Ge assisted by an ultraclean ECR plasma

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Atomic-layer surface adsorption and reaction of chlorine on Si(100) and Ge(100) as well as Si 0.5Ge 0.5(100) assisted by low-energy Ar + ion irradiation were investigated using an ultraclean ECR plasma system with surface analysis by XPS and FTIR/RAS. Hydrogen termination on Si and Ge prepared by HF-treatment or annealing in H 2 was removed by Ar + ion irradiation, and that on Ge was removed, while not on Si, only by the chlorine molecular supply. By repeating alternate chlorine molecular supply (≳0.02 Pa·s) and Ar + ion irradiation (∼4×10 15 cm −2), atomic-layer etching of Si, Ge, and Si 0.5Ge 0.5 was observed with a saturated etch rate per cycle of 1/4 atomic-layer thickness. When Ar + ion irradiation was increased further under a condition of saturated chlorine molecular adsorption, the etch rate per cycle tended to increase with Ar + ion irradiation up to a saturation value of the single atomic-layer thickness. The Ge atoms indicated a higher reactivity than the Si atoms in the atomic-layer etching.