Molecular dynamics simulations of silicon chloride ion incidence during Si etching in Cl-based plasmas

• Nobuya Nakazaki

• Yoshinori Takao

• Koji Eriguchi

• Kouichi Ono

Abstract

Classical molecular dynamics (MD) simulations have been performed for SiCl x + ( x = 0–4) ions incident on Si(100) surfaces, using an improved Stillinger–Weber (SW) potential form, to understand the surface reaction kinetics of etch byproduct ion incidence during Si etching in Cl-based plasmas. The ions were normally incident on surfaces with translational energies in the range of E i = 20–500 eV, and the surface reaction kinetics of Cl x + ( x = 1, 2) ion incidence were also simulated for reference. The etch yields and thresholds presently simulated were in agreement with the experimental results previously reported for the respective ion beam incidences on Si. Numerical results indicated that the etch yields y* per halogen (or per constituent Cl atom of incident ions), thresholds, surface coverages of Cl atoms adsorbed, and thicknesses of chlorinated surface layers are almost the same, when compared at the same translational energy <?CDATA $e_{\text{i}}^{*}$?> <jats:inline-graphic xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xlink:href="RP130689if001.gif" xlink:type="simple" /> per halogen; moreover, the stoichiometries of product species desorbed, stoichiometries of chlorinated surface layers, and their depth profiles are also similar when compared at the same <?CDATA $e_{\text{i}}^{*}$?> <jats:inline-graphic xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xlink:href="RP130689if002.gif" xlink:type="simple" /> . Thus, it follows that the etching characteristics for SiCl x + as well as Cl x + incidences on Si are determined primarily or scaled universally by <?CDATA $e_{\text{i}}^{*}$?> <jats:inline-graphic xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xlink:href="RP130689if003.gif" xlink:type="simple" /> , unless the deposition is significant at low E i or <?CDATA $e_{\text{i}}^{*}$?> <jats:inline-graphic xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xlink:href="RP130689if004.gif" xlink:type="simple" /> for SiCl + and SiCl 2 + .

Journal

• Japanese Journal of Applied Physics

  Japanese Journal of Applied Physics 53 (5), 056201-, 2014-04-03

  IOP Publishing

Keywords

• General Physics and Astronomy
• General Engineering

Details

• CRID: 1360284924865947648
• NII Article ID: 210000143754
• DOI: 10.7567/jjap.53.056201
• ISSN: 13474065
• ISSN: 00214922
• ISSN: http://id.crossref.org/issn/13474065
• ISSN: http://id.crossref.org/issn/00214922
• Web Site: https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.7567/JJAP.53.056201
• Web Site: https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.7567/JJAP.53.056201/pdf
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