Dry Etching of SiO2Thin Films with Perfluoropropenoxide–O2and Perfluoropropene–O2Plasmas

In this work, the plasma etching characteristics of SiO2 thin films have been investigated using RF glow discharges fed with C3F6O and C3F6 mixted with oxygen. The results have been compared with performances obtained with CF4–CHF3 gases. The research was aimed at studying the utilization of new fluorocarbons in SiO2 plasma etching with a low impact on global warming. The following features have been investigated: SiO2 etch rate, SiO2/Si selectivity, contamination of silicon surfaces exposed to the plasma, and greenhouse gas emission.