Thermal atomic layer etching of copper via sequential chlorination and volatility-controlled hydration
Abstract
-driven chlorination pathway. By decoupling halide formation from volatilization through hydration-enabled volatility control, this work establishes a new design paradigm for thermal metal ALE that extends beyond conventional oxidation-based routes. This strategy provides a general framework for atomic-scale recess engineering of Cu and potentially other advanced interconnect materials, offering new opportunities for scalable three-dimensional integration in future electronic devices.
Fields of Study & Subjects
Semiconductor materials and devices
Copper Interconnects and Reliability
Plasma Diagnostics and Applications
Publication details
- Journal / source
- Materials Horizons
- Publisher
- Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC)
- Volume
- 13
- Issue
- 12
- Pages
- 6165–6175
- Publication date
- 1 January 2026
- Language
- EN