Mechanism and Kinetics of Molybdenum Films Etching in Peroxide‐Ammonia Solution

Investigated are the mechanism and etch rate of Mo films in the system. Using infrared spectroscopy, Auger electron spectroscopy, and a number of qualitative chemical reactions, it is found out that the process of etching is described by the general equation Kinetic models for description of the surface interaction are developed and tested for adequacy. Their analysis reveals that the thermally activated adsorption of on the molybdenum surface is probably the rate‐limiting stage in the overall heterogeneous process. On the basis of this assumption, a kinetic equation is derived, describing fairly well (mean error ±7%) the experimental results in terms of the etch rate. Its analysis shows that etching of Mo in proceeds at a noticeable rate at room temperature and is not affected by the ammonia concentration in the solution. The results obtained have practical importance for the preparation of solutions and for the choice of regime parameters in the chemical etching of Mo films in microelectronics technology.