HF-chemical etching of the oxide layer near a SiO2/Si(111) interface

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Abstract
The HF-chemical etching process near the SiO2/Si(111) interface (<1 nm) is investigated by scanning reflection electron microscopy and microprobe Auger electron spectroscopy. The HF etching of the SiO2 layer thermally grown on an atomically flat Si(111)-7×7 surface progresses in a layer-by-layer manner, and then the final layer of oxide (∼0.3 nm) is removed in a two-dimensional void expansion with the H-terminated Si surface. This very uniform HF etching is thought to reflect the structural anisotropy of the SiO2 layer formed near the SiO2/Si(111) interface.