MODEL SYSTEMS IN THE STUDY OF ETCHING MECHANISMS.

Abstract

A course of research has been undertaken which employs soft x-ray photoemission as a means for understanding the chemical reactions involved in the process of Reactive Ion Etching. Xenon difluoride was employed as a source of fluorine atoms for etching silicon. The effects of sample doping and the mechanism responsible for rate enhancement due to ion bombardment were explored. More complex etching molecules were modeled with the use of hexafluoroazomethane, which was studied on both Si and SiO//2 substrates.