Tuning the Plasma Etching Mode for the Atomic-Scale Smoothing of Single-Crystal Silicon

Wu, Bing; Zhang, Yi; Yi, Rong; Deng, Hui

2022-09-01

10.1021/acs.jpclett.2c02121

Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters   影响因子和分区

1948-7185

Atomic-scale smooth surfaces of single-crystal silicon (Si) are indispensable for cutting-edge applications, such as semiconductor chips, quantum devices, and X-ray optics. Here, we vary the CF4/O-2 reactant gas ratio to tune the etching mode from isotropic and orientation-selective etching to atom-selective etching in an atmospheric inductively coupled plasma (ICP). At low CF4/O-2 ratios, the diffusion of the etching species dominates, resulting in isotropic etching. By contrast, the kinetics of ICP etching becomes dominant upon increasing the CF4/O-2 ratio to between 1:1 and 2:1, inducing orientation-selective etching. Notably, CF4/O-2 ratios above 2:1 result in atom-selective etching, whereby atoms around rough surface sites can be selectively removed. The atom-selective etching mode was used to achieve an atomically smooth surface with a S-a roughness of 0.14 nm. The results of this study demonstrate that atom-selective etching is an efficient and effective approach for manufacturing Si atomic surfaces.

SCI

英语

NI论文

第一 ; 通讯

National Natural Science Foundation of China["52005243","52035009"] ; Science and Technology Innovation Committee of Shen z h e n Municipality["JCYJ20200109141003910","JCYJ20210324120402007"]

Chemistry ; Science & Technology - Other Topics ; Materials Science ; Physics

Chemistry, Physical ; Nanoscience & Nanotechnology ; Materials Science, Multidisciplinary ; Physics, Atomic, Molecular & Chemical

WOS:000853774800001

AMER CHEMICAL SOC

Web of Science

Southern Univ Sci & Technol, Dept Mech & Energy Engn, Shenzhen 518055, Guangdong, Peoples R China

Wu, Bing,Zhang, Yi,Yi, Rong,et al. Tuning the Plasma Etching Mode for the Atomic-Scale Smoothing of Single-Crystal Silicon[J]. Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters,2022,13(36).

Wu, Bing,Zhang, Yi,Yi, Rong,&Deng, Hui.(2022).Tuning the Plasma Etching Mode for the Atomic-Scale Smoothing of Single-Crystal Silicon.Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters,13(36).

Wu, Bing,et al."Tuning the Plasma Etching Mode for the Atomic-Scale Smoothing of Single-Crystal Silicon".Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters 13.36(2022).