On the relationship between SiF4 plasma species and sample properties in ultra low-k etching processes

The temporal behavior of the molecular etching product SiF4 in fluorocarbon-based plasmas used for the dry etching of ultra low-k (ULK) materials has been brought into connection with the polymer deposition on the surface during plasma treatment within the scope of this work. For this purpose, the density of SiF4 has been measured time-resolved using quantum cascade laser absorption spectroscopy (QCLAS). To correlate the temporal development of the SiF4 density with the ULK damage, Variable Angle Spectroscopic Ellipsometry (VASE) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) were performed on the treated ULK samples. The dataset corresponds to the findings published under the title “On the relationship between SiF4 plasma species and sample properties in ultra low-k etching processes” with open access in AIP Advances 2020.