Atomic layer control of defect generation and surface chemical reactions by a neutral beam process

an intelligent nanoprocess through an ultra-low damage process

Abstract

High-density plasma sources, such as inductively coupled plasma (ICP) and electron-cyclotron-resonance (ECR) plasma, are key technologies for developing precise etching processes in ULSI devices. The disadvantages of these technologies include several types of radiation damage caused by the charge buildup or by ultraviolet (UV) and vacuum ultraviolet radiation (VUV), and X-ray photons during etching. For sub-22-nm devices, defect-free and charge-free atomic layer etching processes are indispensable. To achieve a breakthrough for these problems and achieve accurate nanoscale patterning, a high-performance neutral-beam etching system has been developed. Our group has developed a highly efficient neutral-beam source to accomplish the ultimate top-down etching for future nanoscale devices.