Fluorination of TiN, TiO2, and SiO2 Surfaces by HF toward Selective Atomic Layer Etching (ALE)
Open Access
- 8 February 2023
- Vol. 13 (2), 387
- https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings13020387
Abstract
As semiconductor devices become miniaturized, the importance of the molecular-level understanding of the fabrication processes is growing. Titanium nitride (TiN) is an important material utilized in various architectural components of semiconductor devices requiring precise control over size and shape. A reported process for atomic layer etching (ALE) of TiN involves surface oxidation into titanium oxide (TiO2) and selective oxidized layer removal by hydrogen fluoride (HF). However, the chemical selectivity of these Ti-based materials in the etching process by HF remains unclear. In this study, computational chemistry methods utilizing density functional theory (DFT) calculations were applied to the fluorination reactions of TiN, TiO2, and SiO2 to identify and compare the surface chemical reactivity of these substrates toward etching processes. It is shown that the materials can be etched using HF, leaving TiF4 and SiF4 as the byproducts. However, while such a TiN reaction is thermodynamically hindered, the etching of TiO2 and SiO2 is suggested to be favorable. Our study provides theoretical insights into the fluorination reactivity of TiN, which has not been reported previously regardless of technological importance. Furthermore, we explore the etching selectivity between TiN, TiO2, and SiO2, which is a crucial factor in the ALE process conditions of TiN.Keywords
Funding Information
- Korea Institute for Advancement of Technology (P0012451)
- ational Research Foundation (NRF-2021M3H4A6A01048300)
- Hongik University
This publication has 57 references indexed in Scilit:
- Atomic Layer Deposition of Ruthenium on a Titanium Nitride Surface: A Density Functional Theory StudyThe Journal of Physical Chemistry C, 2013
- Mixed Dissociative and Molecular Water Adsorption on Anatase TiO2(101)The Journal of Physical Chemistry C, 2011
- A selective etching phenomenon on {001} faceted anatase titanium dioxide single crystal surfaces by hydrofluoric acidChemical Communications, 2011
- Surface properties of titanium nitride: A first-principles studySolid State Communications, 2010
- The surface chemistry of amorphous silica. Zhuravlev modelColloids and Surfaces A: Physicochemical and Engineering Aspects, 2000
- Density-functional study of bulk and surface properties of titanium nitride using different exchange-correlation functionalsPhysical Review B, 2000
- Kinetics of the Formation of Titanium Nitride Layers by Rapid Thermal Low Pressure Chemical Vapor Deposition from TiCl4 ‐ NH 3 ‐ H 2Journal of the Electrochemical Society, 1998
- TiN coating of tool steels: a reviewJournal of the American Academy of Dermatology, 1993
- The Equilibrium of the Chemisorption of TiCl4, H 2, and N 2 on Titanium NitrideJournal of the Electrochemical Society, 1991
- Gas-phase selective etching of native oxideIEEE Transactions on Electron Devices, 1990