Atomic layer etching

Atomic layer etching is an emerging technique in semiconductor manufacture, in which a sequence alternating between self-limiting chemical modification steps which affect only the top atomic layers of the wafer, and etching steps which remove only the chemically-modified areas, allows the removal of individual atomic layers. This is a better-controlled process than reactive ion etching, though the issue with commercial use of it has been throughput; sophisticated gas handling is required, and removal rates of one atomic layer per second are around the state of the art .

The equivalent process for depositing material is atomic layer deposition; this is substantially more mature, having been used by Intel for high-κ dielectric layers since 2007.

External links

Overview of atomic layer etching in the semiconductor industry