Patent ID: 9431268
Filing Date: 2016-08-30
CPC Classification: C23C,H01J,H01L

Claim Text:
1. A method of controllably etching an oxide layer on a substrate, the method comprising: (a) contacting the substrate housed in a process chamber with an active hydrogen-containing species to modify the surface of the oxide on the substrate, wherein the active hydrogen-containing species is a compound containing one or more OH groups, or a hydrogen-containing species generated in a hydrogen plasma, wherein the oxide is selected from the group consisting of silicon oxide, germanium oxide, and combinations thereof, and wherein the contacting of the substrate with the active hydrogen-containing species is performed without flowing HF into the process chamber; (b) removing non surface-bound active hydrogen species from the process chamber after the surface of the oxide is modified; (c) flowing an anhydrous HF into the process chamber after (b) without flowing an active hydrogen-containing species into the process chamber, wherein the anhydrous HF reacts with the modified surface of the oxide and wherein the reaction generates water; (d) removing the water generated in (c) from the surface of the substrate.