Cluster-Tool Integrated HF Vapor Etching for Native Oxide Free Processing

Three regimes of HF-H 2 O vapor etching of oxide can be distinguished, viz. a gas phase, an adsorption and a condensation regime with gas phase etching behaving distinctily different in terms of etch rate and surface passivation properties. Integration of a vapor etch process in a vacuum-controlled, leak-tight cluster tool equipped with vertical reactor LPCVD and oxidation modules offers important thin film interface engineering capabilities; significant process control improvement is achievable in critical device technologies, such as formation of poly-contacts, poly-emitters and NO capacitors.