VUV-Assisted Etching of Silicon (100) and Poly(methyl methacrylate)

The possibility of photoetching of silicon and poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) has been studied using vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) light under the existence of reactive species produced by 2.45 GHz discharge of CF4/O2(5%) gas. The VUV light was obtained by hydrogen gas discharge with a capillary-type discharge lamp. For both materials, the chemical dry etching by the reactive species was clearly enhanced by VUV irradiation to the surface of the materials. The results suggest that the VUV-induced etching is the result of a surface photochemical reaction which is useful in producing anisotropic photoetching.