Fluorocarbon Plasma Research Articles

Formation of YOF on Y2O3 through surface modification with NH4F and its plasma-resistance behavior

Yttrium oxyfluoride (YOF) is known for exhibiting superior plasma-resistance properties compared to Y2O3, particularly in a fluorocarbon plasma environment. The formation of the YOF layer directly on the surface of Y2O3 via surface modification may be considered as a viable and cost-effective method. In this study, we employed ammonium fluoride (NH4F) salt for the surface modification of Y2O3. By using a 40 wt% NH4F aqueous salt solution, the YOF layer with a thickness of about 8.6 μm was efficaciously formed in-situ on the surface of Y2O3 based on the fluorination mechanism. The composition and microstructure of the modified Y2O3 surface was thoroughly characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). XRD analysis revealed the formation of distinct intermediate ammonium yttrium fluoride phases depending upon the heat treatment temperature (150 − 500 °C) through the fluorination of Y2O3 with NH4F. A stable YOF phase was formed ultimately at 300 °C. Plasma etching tests were performed using a mixture of CF4/Ar/O2 gases for 1 h. The microstructures of specimens are observed by SEM before and after plasma treatments. Plasma exposure tests demonstrated that specimens heat-treated at 500 °C for 2 h exhibit excellent plasma-resistance behavior with minimal surface damage, which is attributed to the presence of stable and dense YOF phase.

Improvement of Laser Damage Resistance of Fused Silica Using Oxygen-Aided Reactive Ion Etching

Reactive ion etching (RIE) with fluorocarbon plasma is a facile method to tracelessly remove the subsurface damage layer of fused silica but has the drawback of unsatisfactory improvement in laser damage resistance due to the induction of secondary defects. This work proposes to incorporate O2 into the CHF3/Ar feedstock of RIE to suppress the formation of secondary defects during the etching process. Experimental results confirm that both the chemical structural defects, such as oxygen-deficient center (ODC) and non-bridging oxygen hole center (NBOHC) defects, and the impurity element defects, such as fluorine, are significantly reduced with this method. Laser-induced damage resistance is consequently greatly improved, with the 0% probability damage threshold increasing by 121% compared to the originally polished sample and by 41% compared to the sample treated with conventional RIE.

Effect of YF3 on fluorocarbon plasma resistance of Y2O3–Al2O3–B2O3 glasses

In this study, alumino-borate glass was manufactured to fabricate glass with excellent corrosion resistance to plasma, and the Y2O3 was substituted with YF3. The basic properties of the glass were analyzed DTA, density, hardness, and transmittance. Plasma corrosion resistance is evaluated by the etch rate, surface roughness, and XPS of the glasses via CF4 plasma etching. The results revealed that all glasses had superior plasma resistance than the reference material, quartz. As the amount of Y2O3 increased, the etch rate decreased, and the YF3-containing glasses exhibited the highest plasma resistance by an etch rate of 22.17 nm/min.

A micro-dome array triboelectric nanogenerator with a nanocomposite dielectric enhancement layer for wearable pressure sensing and gait analysis.

The practical application of a triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) as a self-powered sensor and an energy harvester is constrained by the need for a wide sensitivity range, significant output power, and structural flexibility. However, most research has focused on physical and chemical surface modifications of the charge-generating layer to enhance the TENG performance. Improving the charge storage ability could otherwise further enhance the overall performance. Here, we propose a flexible TENG design that incorporates a micro-dome array Ecoflex as the tribo-negative layer, coupled with a dielectric enhancement layer composed of a carbon black/Ecoflex composite. The addition of the CB/Eco composite layer to the micro-dome array triboelectric layer enhanced the output voltage performance by forming numerous micro capacitors within the dielectric layer. Furthermore, oxygen-containing fluorocarbon plasma treatment of the micro-dome array increased the surface energy, enhancing the interaction between the triboelectric layers. This leads to an enhancement in the output voltage and energy efficiency, exhibiting a power density of 197.4 mW m-2. The pressure sensitivity of the TENG was systematically investigated, demonstrating 2.57 V kPa-1 in the low-pressure range (0.612 to 8.58 kPa) and 1.70 V kPa-1 in the high-pressure range (8.58 to 20.83 kPa). Additionally, the encapsulated TENG sensor with spacers was integrated into insoles for self-powered gait analysis, providing real-time insights into walking patterns and frequencies. Exploring the TENG's energy harvesting capability revealed a peak-peak voltage of 89.4 V when two TENGs are connected in series. The comprehensive performance characterization of the TENG demonstrates its promising applications in wearable, self-powered sensing, and energy harvesting systems.

Exploring oxide-nitride-oxide scalloping behavior with small gap structure and chemical analysis after fluorocarbon or hydrofluorocarbon plasma processing

The scalloping of oxide-nitride-oxide (ONO) stacked layers on vertical sidewalls during high-aspect-ratio contact etch is commonly seen and characterized by the horizontal etching of oxide and nitride layers at different etch rates. To understand the mechanisms of ONO scalloping in complex plasma chemistry, it is crucial to examine the surface chemistry of silicon dioxide and silicon nitride processed with single fluorocarbon (FC) or hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) gases. To simulate the isotropic etching of SiO2 and Si3N4 sidewalls, we use a horizontal trench structure to study the effect of neutral radicals produced by FC (Ar/C4F8), HFC (Ar/CH3F, CH2F2, or CH3F), FC/HFC (Ar/C4F8/CH2F2), or FC/H2 (Ar/C4F8/H2), plasma for aspect-ratio (AR) up to 25. To eliminate the effect of ions, oxide and nitride trench structures were treated by inductively coupled plasma. The changes in the film thickness as a function of AR were probed by ellipsometry. Additionally, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) measurements on oxide and nitride substrates processed by Ar/C4F8 and Ar/CH2F2 plasma were performed at various locations: outside of the trench structure, near the trench entrance (AR = 4.3), and deeper in the trench (AR = 12.9). We find a variety of responses of the trench sidewalls including both FC deposition and spontaneous etching which reflect (1) the nature of the FC and HFC gases, (2) the nature of the surfaces being exposed, and (3) the position relative to the trench entrance. Overall, both the etching and deposition patterns varied systematically depending on the precursor gas. We found that the ONO scalloping at different ARs is plasma chemistry dependent. Oxide showed a binary sidewall profile, with either all deposition inside of the trench (with FC and FC/H2 processing) or etching (HFC and FC/HFC). Both profiles showed a steady attenuation of either the deposition or etching at higher AR. On the nitride substrate, etching was observed near the entrance for HFC precursors, and maximum net etching occurred at higher AR for high F:C ratio HFC precursors like CHF3. XPS measurements performed with Ar/C4F8 and Ar/CH2F2 treated surfaces showed that Ar/C4F8 overall deposited a fluorine-rich film outside and inside of the trench, while Ar/CH2F2 mostly deposited a cross-linked film (except near the trench entrance) with an especially thin graphitic-like film deep inside the trench.

Discharge characteristics of an atmospheric pulsed microwave Ar/CF4 plasma jet

The atmospheric fluorocarbon plasma is widely used in surface modification of polymers. Recently, the pulsed microwave Ar/CF4 plasma jet is proved to be a promising atmospheric fluorocarbon plasma source with good performance. In this paper, the discharge characteristics of the pulsed microwave Ar/CF4 plasma jet are studied systematically. The discharge morphologies, ionization processes, optical emission spectra, and electron densities are obtained by a digital camera, an intensified charge coupled device, a fiber spectrometer, and a home-made microwave Rayleigh scattering device, respectively. The influences of the plasma operation parameters on the discharge characteristics are investigated, and the microwave input power and CF4 volume fraction are optimized. The results provide a basis for the generation and surface modification application of high-performance atmospheric fluorocarbon plasma.

Data-driven plasma modelling: surrogate collisional radiative models of fluorocarbon plasmas from deep generative autoencoders

We have developed a deep generative model that can produce accurate optical emission spectra and colour images of an ICP plasma using only the applied coil power, electrode power, pressure and gas flows as inputs—essentially an empirical surrogate collisional radiative model. An autoencoder was trained on a dataset of 812 500 image/spectra pairs in argon, oxygen, Ar/O2, CF4/O2 and SF6/O2 plasmas in an industrial plasma etch tool, taken across the entire operating space of the tool. The autoencoder learns to encode the input data into a compressed latent representation and then decode it back to a reconstruction of the data. We learn to map the plasma tool’s inputs to the latent space and use the decoder to create a generative model. The model is very fast, taking just over 10 s to generate 10 000 measurements on a single GPU. This type of model can become a building block for a wide range of experiments and simulations. To aid this, we have released the underlying dataset of 812 500 image/spectra pairs used to train the model, the trained models and the model code for the community to accelerate the development and use of this exciting area of deep learning. Anyone can try the model, for free, on Google Colab.

EFFECTS OF EDGE ROUGHNESS ON SURFACE CHARGING IN PLASMA ETCHING

In the plasma etching technique, acquiring a high-quality transfer from the mask pattern onto the substrate under the suppression of the charging effects is of great significance. Most previous publications only focus on studying the charging phenomena on smooth round mask holes. This work shifted the target to an isolated mask hole with a rough edge using a classical particle simulation program, to examine the effects of edge roughness on surface charging for a mask hole. This study adopted the CF4 plasmas, due to the widely used fluorocarbon plasmas for the contact-holes. Simulated results indicate that the mask holes with various shapes present differences in electric field ([Formula: see text]-field) strength distribution, etching rate and profile evolution, relying on some condition parameters (roughness and reflection probability on the mask surface). The larger the dominant wavelength (DW), the more uniform the [Formula: see text]-field distribution around the edge of the mask hole will be. The simulation of the profile evolution further confirmed that the deformation is in keeping with the distribution of the [Formula: see text]-field. It was further found that the root mean square (RMS) of roughness increases with time in cases of the relatively small values of wavelength (10 and 35 nm) and decreases for other cases. Possible mechanisms behind have been discussed in detail. The findings of this work would shed light on an approach to maintain the pattern integrity.

3D modeling of feature-scale fluorocarbon plasma etching in silica

Fluorocarbon dry etching of vertical silica-based structures is essential to the fabrication of advanced complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor and dynamic random access memory devices. However, the development of etching technology is challenged by the lack of understanding of complex surface reaction mechanisms and by the intricacy of etchant flux distribution on the feature-scale. To study these effects, we present a three-dimensional, TCAD-compatible, feature-scale modeling methodology. The methodology combines a level-set topography engine, Langmuir kinetics surface reaction modeling, and a combination of reactant flux evaluation schemes. We calibrate and evaluate our model to a novel, highly selective, etching process of a mathrm {SiO_2} via and a textrm{Ru} hardmask by mathrm {CF_4/C_4F_8}. We adapt our surface reaction model to the novel stack of materials, and we are able to accurately reproduce the etch rates, topography, and critical dimensions of the reported experiments. Our methodology is therefore able to prototype and study novel etching processes and can be integrated into process-aware three-dimensional device simulation workflows.

Development of an atmospheric fluorocarbon plasma jet generated by pulse modulated microwave discharge

Atmospheric fluorocarbon plasma plays an important role in the surface modification of insulating materials like polymers. The existing fluorocarbon plasma is usually generated by dielectric barrier discharge, which has a low concentration of reactive species and may cause insufficient surface fluorination. This work attempts to develop an atmospheric fluorocarbon plasma jet using a coaxial transmission line resonator by microwave discharge with locally enhanced electric field and high density. The gas temperature is reduced by pulse modulation technology. Three kinds of working gases, pure CF4, Ar/CF4 and He/CF4, are utilized to generate the atmospheric microwave fluorocarbon plasma jet. The discharge images, optical emission spectra, electron densities and gas temperatures are studied experimentally. The results show that the Ar/CF4 plasma jet has the best comprehensive performance, such as strong discharge intensity and controllable gas temperature. The electron density of the Ar/CF4 plasma jet has a magnitude of 1020 m−3, indicating a higher density than that of the frequently used dielectric barrier discharge. With the other conditions unchanged, the gas temperature at the end of the Ar/CF4 plasma jet can be reduced from 410.2 to 347.3 K by decreasing the duty cycle of the modulated pulse from 0.5 to 0.1. Thence, the microwave Ar/CF4 plasma jet is considered to be a promising fluorocarbon plasma source for surface fluorination of polymers.

On the origin and evolution of hotspots in multipatterning processes

Understanding the origins and propagation of defects and hotspots in patterning processes used for semiconductor fabrication is of paramount importance in managing yield. In this paper, results from physics-based simulators to model lithography and dry etch processes are presented and compared to experimental results. These models are used to study different types of hotspots and defects observed in a litho-etch-litho-etch (LELE) multipatterning process. At each pass of the LELE flow, patterns are printed into a SiO2 collecting layer using a trilayer film stack comprised of a negative tone photoresist layer, a spin-on-glass layer (SOG), and a spin-on-carbon layer (SOC). After both passes of the LELE process, the patterns in the SiO2 collecting layer will be transferred to a TiN hardmask prior to final etch into an underlying dielectric. The SOG and SiO2 layers are etched using fluorocarbon plasma, while the SOC layer is etched with an H2/N2 plasma generated in a capacitively coupled plasma source. A pinching hotspot is observed during the single litho-etch pass in a region where two features are placed very close and the image contrast is low. However, for some lithography process conditions, this hotspot is rectified by subsequent etch steps and does not always transfer as a defect into the SiO2 layer. The quenching of the hotspot occurs primarily during the etching of the SOC layer due to the aspect ratio-dependent etching (ARDE) effect. A bridging hotspot is also observed at lithography during the single litho-etch pass at high exposure doses. This hotspot, on the other hand, is exacerbated by the etch steps because of the ARDE effect. Hotspots are also identified that originate from overlay errors between photomasks exposed during first and second passes of the LELE process. The etch bias generated during etching of the SOG layer is crucial to ensure that the overlay-related hotspot does not translate to the SiO2 layer. The extent of etch bias in the SOG etch step is critical and can be tuned by adjusting the neutral to ion flux ratio during that etch step. Increasing the flux ratio improves the process window for the overlay defect; however, when the ratio is higher than approximately 20% of the nominal value, a different defect type is formed in the SOG layer due to the inverse ARDE effect that propagates downstream to the SiO2 layer.

Database Development of SiO2 Etching with Fluorocarbon Plasmas Diluted with Various Noble Gases of Ar, Kr, and Xe.

In the semiconductor industry, fluorocarbon (FC) plasma is widely used in SiO2 etching, with Ar typically employed in the dilution of the FC plasma due to its cost effectiveness and accessibility. While it has been reported that plasmas with other noble gases, namely Kr and Xe, have distinct physical properties such as electron density and temperature, their implementation into plasma etching has not been sufficiently studied. In this work, we conducted SiO2 etching with FC plasmas diluted with different noble gases, i.e., FC precursors of C4F8 and CH2F2 with Ar, Kr, or Xe, under various gas flow rates of each as well as plasma diagnostics for the process interpretation. We show that Ar, Kr, and Xe gas mixtures depend on the FC precursor flow rate and the pattern width in a significantly different manner and we elucidate these findings based on plasma diagnostic results. The results of this work are expected to offer a practical etching database for diverse applications including plasma process engineering and the development of plasma simulation in the semiconductor industry.

Evolution of lithography-to-etch bias in multi-patterning processes

Quantitatively accurate, physics-based, computational modeling of etching and lithography processes is essential for modern semiconductor manufacturing. This paper presents lithography and etch models for a trilayer process in a back end of the line manufacturing vehicle. These models are calibrated and verified against top-down scanning electron microscope (SEM) and cross-sectional SEM measurements. Calibration errors are within 2 nm, while the maximum verification error is less than 3 nm. A fluorocarbon plasma etch of the spin-on-glass (SOG) layer accounts for most of the etch bias present in the process. The tapered profile in the SOG etch step is generated due to the polymerization process by fluorocarbon radicals generated in the plasma. The model predicts a strong correlation between the etch bias in the SOG etch step and the neutral-to-ion flux ratio in the plasma. The second etch step of the flow, which etches the spin-on-carbon (SOC) layer using an H2/N2 plasma, results in a negative etch bias (increase in CDs) for all measured features. The ratio of hydrogen to nitrogen radical fluxes effectively controls the etch bias in this step, with the model predicting an increase in the etch bias from negative to positive values as the H-to-N ratio decreases. The model also indicates an aspect ratio dependent etch rate in the SOG and SOC etch steps, as seen in the etch front evolution in a three-dimensional test feature. The third and final step of the process, SiO2-etch, generates an insignificant etch bias in all the test structures. Finally, the accuracy of the etch simulations is shown to be dependent on the accuracy of the incoming photoresist shapes. Models that consider only the top-down SEM measurement as input and do not account for an accurate photoresist profile, suffered significant errors in the post-etch CD predictions.

Purgeless atomic layer etching of SiO2

Atomic layer etching (ALE) typically proceeds through four sequential steps of surface modification, purging, removal of the modified surface, and a second purging. This serial process is repeated to achieve atomic-scale precision etching by removing material layer by layer. However, it is is challenging for ALE to play a bigger role in semiconductor fabrication due to its low productivity. Among various obstacles, the time-consuming purging steps between the surface modification and removal steps of the ALE cycle have been a major hurdle hindering the ALE process. In this work, we experimentally demonstrate a purgeless SiO2 ALE methodology in which the surface modification and removal steps are controlled solely by pulsed C4F8 injection into continuous Ar plasma. The working principle of this simple approach is based on the conventional fluorocarbon (FC) plasma SiO2 etching mechanism, where the SiO2 etch rate decreases to zero when the thickness of an FC film on the SiO2 is above a certain level. Here, a thick FC film is considered to act as a protective layer against residual FC radicals in the surface removal step, allowing the purging step between the surface modification and removal steps to be omitted. The proposed approach is expected to facilitate the improvement of ALE equipment costs and potentially lead to wider employment of ALE technology in semiconductor manufacturing.

Permanent hydrophobic coating of chitosan/cellulose nanocrystals composite film by cold plasma processing

A highly effective ultrafast chemical modification of chitosan/cellulose nanocrystals composite film surface is presented in the present research. Added value properties were achieved by the use of a few seconds’ treatment with RF-generated low-temperature fluorocarbon plasma. Drastic increase of the water-repelling character of the completely natural-based biocomposite foil were observed, with contact angle reaching up to 121°. Surface fluorination occurred through formation of irreversible fluorine-related bonds (CF-CF2, CF2-CF2 and C-CF, CF3 and O-CF2, O-CF3) detected by the means of X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Surface structural changes were further confirmed with ATR-FTIR. With packaging application in mind, the films were subjected to analysis of mechanical and water-related properties, showing an improvement upon fluorination. Further the stability of the modification was followed by measurements of water contact angle and atomic composition, as well as mechanical properties, water content and water vapor transmission after at least 31 days of storage in controlled environment. Lastly, no leaching of fluorinated components into liquid environments was detected by the means of HILIC LC-MS analyses in ESI(+) and ESI(-) modes. The presented method rapidly enhances the hydrophobic character of chitosan/nanocellulose biocomposite films without receding mechanical strength and provides a long-lasting surface coating.

Passivation effect on the surface characteristics and corrosion properties of yttrium oxide films undergoing SF6 plasma treatment

This study investigates the structures, compositions and fluorocarbon-plasma etching behaviors of yttrium oxyfluoride (YOF) passivation films fabricated on sputter-deposited yttrium oxide (Y2O3) by high-density SF6 plasma irradiation. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy and nano-beam electron diffraction confirmed a YOF passivation film containing multiple phases of (104) and (006) crystal planes was formed on the fluorinated Y2O3 surface. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy revealed few changes in the chemical compositions and surface roughness of the YOF passivation film after fluorocarbon plasma etching, confirming the chemical stability of the SF6 plasma-treated Y2O3 sample. The etching depth was ∼20% lower on the SF6 plasma-treated Y2O3 film than on the commercial Y2O3 coating. These results showed that the SF6 plasma-treated Y2O3 films have an excellent erosion resistance properties compared to the commercial Y2O3 coatings.

Hydrophilic to hydrophobic: Ultrafast conversion of cellulose nanofibrils by cold plasma fluorination

The cellulose-based products are gaining increased interest, especially as a top-choice material for replacing plastics in packaging-related fields. Nevertheless, the high inherent wettability often hinders its advancement in becoming an efficient substitute in packaging industry. To bridge this challenge,the fluorocarbon plasma processing was implemented for improvement of cellulose surface hydrophobicity. This was done on the example of nanofibrils films exposed to CF4 plasma, in order to achieve hydrophilic to hydrophobic conversion in less than 10s. The saturation of water contact angle (approximately 130± 5°) was obtained after only 30s of plasma processing. The surface fluorination was the result of the presence of newly formed C–F3, C–F2 and C–F bonds confirmed by high-resolution C 1s XPS spectra. A prolonged continuous plasma functionalization resulted in structural vibrational alterations associated mostly with intense IR and Raman active stretching C–F2 mode. Simultaneously, ATR-FTIR revealed a formation of the surface-linked IR active H–F functional group. Our findings successfully demonstrate that the CF4 plasma processing can be an effective way for ultrafast cellulose conversion from hydrophilic to hydrophobic surface.

On the Etching Mechanism of Highly Hydrogenated SiN Films by CF4/D2 Plasma: Comparison with CF4/H2

With the increasing interest in dry etching of silicon nitride, utilization of hydrogen-contained fluorocarbon plasma has become one of the most important processes in manufacturing advanced semiconductor devices. The correlation between hydrogen-contained molecules from the plasmas and hydrogen atoms inside the SiN plays a crucial role in etching behavior. In this work, the influences of plasmas (CF4/D2 and CF4/H2) and substrate temperature (Ts, from −20 to 50 °C) on etch rates (ERs) of the PECVD SiN films were investigated. The etch rate performed by CF4/D2 plasma was higher than one obtained by CF4/H2 plasma at substrate temperature of 20 °C and higher. The optical emission spectra showed that the intensities of the fluorocarbon (FC), F, and Balmer emissions were stronger in the CF4/D2 plasma in comparison with CF4/H2. From X-ray photoelectron spectra, a thinner FC layer with a lower F/C ratio was found in the surface of the sample etched by the CF4/H2 plasma. The plasma density, gas phase concentration and FC thickness were not responsible for the higher etch rate in the CF4/D2 plasma. The abstraction of H inside the SiN films by deuterium and, in turn, hydrogen dissociation from Si or N molecules, supported by the results of in situ monitoring of surface structure using attenuated total reflectance-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, resulted in the enhanced ER in the CF4/D2 plasma case. The findings imply that the hydrogen dissociation plays an important role in the etching of PECVD-prepared SiN films when the hydrogen concentration of SiN is higher. For the films etched with the CF4/H2 at −20 °C, the increase in ER was attributed to a thinner FC layer and surface reactions. On the contrary, in the CF4/D2 case the dependence of ER on substrate temperature was the consequence of the factors which include the FC layer thickness (diffusion length) and the atomic mobility of the etchants (thermal activation reaction).

Mechanism on improved surface flashover performances in vacuum of epoxy resin using fluorocarbon plasma treatment

To improve the insulation, strength of materials is a permanent topic in the fields of high voltage and insulation, and surface insulation is one of the difficulties. Research shows that the surface fluorination by a non-equilibrium plasma is a promising method to enhance the surface flashover characteristics of insulating materials. However, the determinants of flashover characteristics are so many that the mechanism is not well known. This paper aims to find out the reasons for the surface insulation improvement and optimise the plasma process parameters. The epoxy resin surfaces are modified by a fluorocarbon plasma, and the flashover voltages in vacuum and secondary electron emission yield are tested experimentally. Combined with the state of the art and the authors' previous work, the mechanism of improved surface flashover performances is investigated in depth from three aspects: the plasma process parameters, the surface physical and chemical properties and the surface electrical performances. A comprehensive understanding of the mechanism is concluded, of which the whole processes from the plasma surface modification of materials to the surface insulation performances are taken into account. It is hopeful to promote the practical applications of plasma fluorination in electrical engineering through the findings of this paper.

Multiscale modeling of plasma–surface interaction—General picture and a case study of Si and SiO2 etching by fluorocarbon-based plasmas

The physics and chemistry of plasma–surface interaction is a broad domain relevant to various applications and several natural processes, including plasma etching for microelectronics fabrication, plasma deposition, surface functionalization, nanomaterial synthesis, fusion reactors, and some astrophysical and meteorological phenomena. Due to their complex nature, each of these processes is generally investigated in separate subdomains, which are considered to have their own theoretical, modeling, and experimental challenges. In this review, however, we want to emphasize the overarching nature of plasma–surface interaction physics and chemistry, by focusing on the general strategy for its computational simulation. In the first half of the review, we provide a menu card with standard and less standardized computational methods to be used for the multiscale modeling of the underlying processes. In the second half, we illustrate the benefits and potential of the multiscale modeling strategy with a case study of Si and SiO2 etching by fluorocarbon plasmas and identify the gaps in knowledge still present on this intensely investigated plasma–material combination, both on a qualitative and quantitative level. Remarkably, the dominant etching mechanisms remain the least understood. The resulting new insights are of general relevance, for all plasmas and materials, including their various applications. We therefore hope to motivate computational and experimental scientists and engineers to collaborate more intensely on filling the existing gaps in knowledge. In this way, we expect that research will overcome a bottleneck stage in the development and optimization of multiscale models, and thus the fundamental understanding of plasma–surface interaction.