Atomic Layer Processes for Material Growth and Etching—A Review

Material growth and etching processes that cause the formation or removal of one atomic or molecular layer at a time are becoming commonplace. Starting from the research labs, such atomic layer process technologies have now migrated to the fab floor. This compact review examines the reasons behind the popularity of these techniques through both a tutorial approach and by citing relevant works that show the practical uses of both additive and subtractive atomic layer processes. Succinct introductions to both atomic layer deposition (ALD) and atomic layer etching (ALE) have been provided. Beyond that, this review examines, in particular, seed layer growth and plasma-enhanced ALD (PEALD), as well as various applications of ALE for the removal of semiconductors, metals and dielectrics.