Atomic Layer Etching: What Can We Learn from Atomic Layer Deposition?

Current trends in semiconductor device manufacturing impose extremely stringent requirements on nanoscale processing techniques, both in terms of accurately controlling material properties and in terms of precisely controlling nanometer dimensions. To take nanostructuring by dry etching to the next level, there is a fast growing interest in so-called atomic layer etching processes, which are considered the etching counterpart of atomic layer deposition processes. In this article, past research efforts are reviewed and the key defining characteristics of atomic layer etching are identified, such as cyclic step-wise processing, self-limiting surface chemistry, and repeated removal of atomic layers (not necessarily a full monolayer) of the material. Subsequently, further parallels are drawn with the more mature and mainstream technology of atomic layer deposition from which lessons and concepts are extracted that can be beneficial for advancing the field of atomic layer etching.