GAS-SURFACE DYNAMICS AND PROFILE EVOLUTION DURING ETCHING OF SILICON

Scattering of energetic F atoms on a fluorinated Si surface is studied by molecular beam methods. The energy transfer closely follows hard-s phere collision kinematics. Energy and angular distributions of unreac ted F atoms suggest significant multiple-bounce scattering in addition to single-bounce scattering and trapping desorption. An empirical mod el of the atom-surface interaction dynamics is used in a Monte Carlo s imulation of topography evolution during neutral beam etching of Si. M odel predictions of profile phenomena are validated by experiments.