INVESTIGATING THE REMOVAL RATE OF PYROGENIC SiO2 BY PLASMA CHEMICAL ETCHING

The study is devoted to identifying factors affecting the removal rate (etching) of pyrogenic silicon oxide (SiO2) films. The authors select the main adjustable parameters of the reactive ion plasma-chemical etching setup as external factors affecting the removal rate of pyrogenic SiO2. During the study, the authors change etching time, power, chamber pressure, gas proportion in the gas mixture, gas flow while maintaining the pressure in the chamber, and the temperature of the intra-chamber table. The paper analyzes the results of each experiment, makes the necessary calculations, provides with the graphs that clearly explain the effect of a particular external factor or its change on the rate. An optimal set of parameters for reactive ion plasma etching of pyrogenic SiO2 films is determined empirically, which one can use in the process of reverse engineering of semiconductor device crystals and structures with such oxides. In this case, removing the pyrogenic oxide film does not affect the integrity of the studied semiconductor crystals or structures.