Oxidation threshold in silicon etching at cryogenic temperatures

In silicon etching in SF6∕O2 plasmas, an oxidation threshold appears when the oxygen content is large enough. A SiOxFy passivation layer is formed under such conditions. This threshold is reached at lower oxygen proportions if the substrate is cooled down to cryogenic temperatures. In this article, we present a mass spectrometry study of this oxidation threshold in different experimental conditions (temperature, source rf power, self-bias) on bare silicon wafers. The presence of the threshold is clearly evident in the signals of many ions, for example, SiF3+, F+, and SOF2+. This helps us to determine the main reactions which can occur in the SF6∕O2 plasma in our experimental conditions. This threshold appears for higher oxygen proportions when either the source power or the chuck self-bias is increased. The ion bombardment transfers energy to the surface and makes the film desorb. A model, describing the oxygen coverage as a function of the parameters mentioned above, is proposed to interpret these result...