Remote-plasma-enhanced etching of silicon using trifluoro-acetyl-fluoride gas

Recently, it is predicted that most of carbon fluorides, nitrogen trifluoride and sulfur hexafluoride, which are widely used to etch silicon related materials and extremely stable, can induce greenhouse effects. In this study, we demonstrate the acceleration of the etching reaction between silicon and the trifluoroacetyl fluoride (CF/sub 3/COF) gas, using remote-plasma-excitation at room temperature. The CF/sub 3/COF is appropriately reactive against water and will be decomposed to trifluoroacetic acid and hydrogen fluoride. Although the value of the global warming potential (GWP) of the CF/sub 3/COF has not been clarified until this time, we believe that this gas would not induce greenhouse effects. In this presentation, the effects of additional oxygen on the etching reaction are mainly investigated.