| abstract |
A method of selectively etching a material using an ultra-thin etch stop layer (ESL), wherein ESL is effective at thicknesses as small as approximately one monolayer using atomic layer etching (ALE). A method of processing a substrate includes depositing a first film on a substrate, depositing a second film on the first film, and selectively etching a second film relative to the first film using an ALE process, Here, the etching terminates itself at the interface between the second film and the first film. |