Patent ID: 9583316
Date: 2017-02-28
CPC Classifications: H01J,H05H

Claim:
1. A method for etching using atomic layer etching in a plasma processing chamber of a plasma processing system, said plasma processing chamber having at least one plasma generating source and at least a gas source for providing a process gas into an interior region of said plasma processing chamber, comprising providing a plurality of cycles, wherein each cycle comprises: flowing a first gas consisting essentially of a reactant gas into said processing chamber; providing a first RF signal to form the first gas into a first plasma; stopping the flow of the first gas into the processing chamber; flowing a second gas into the processing chamber after stopping the flow of the first gas, wherein the second gas in the plasma processing chamber is increased to be more than the first gas and the second gas consists essentially of an inert gas, the inert gas is configured to replace at least some of the first gas during the flowing of the second gas to maintain a pressure of the plasma processing chamber substantially constant; providing a second RF signal different from the first RF signal to form the second gas into a second plasma; stopping the flow of the second gas into said processing chamber; repeating the flowing of the first gas, providing the first RF signal, stopping the flow of the first gas, flowing the second gas, providing the second RF signal, and stopping the flow of the second gas for said plurality of cycles; wherein the first RF signal has a different power than the second RF signal.