Problems of Surface Morphology and Layer Deposition during Plasma Etching Processes (II) Si‐etching in CF4‐, CF4/O2‐and CF4/H2 Plasmas

Abstract

AbstractThe plasma etching of Si in CF4‐, CF4/O2‐and CF4/H2 plasmas was investigated in dependence on the etching gas, the plasma conditions (pressure, power density) and etching time in different reactors. A roughening of the surface and the formation of a “semi‐amorphous” surface layer with a power‐like morphology was detected by TEM‐and RHEED methods. It is supposed that the surface layer has a fundamental consequence as an intermediate state in the etching mechanism.