| abstract |
Embodiments provide a method for etching or smoothing a silicon material on a substrate. In one example, the method provides positioning a substrate containing a contaminant disposed on a silicon material within a process chamber, heating the substrate to a temperature of less than 800° C., and exposing the silicon material to an etching gas that contains a chlorine-containing gas and a silicon source gas. The contaminant and a predetermined thickness of the silicon material are removed during the etching process. In another example, the method provides that the substrate contains a first silicon surface having a surface roughness of about 1 nm RMS or greater, exposing the substrate to the etching gas to form a second silicon surface from the first silicon surface during a smoothing process, wherein the second silicon surface has a surface roughness of less than 1 nm RMS. |