| 摘要 |
PURPOSE:To provide a method and device for etching atomic layers one by one in the etching of a single crystal of a compound semiconductor. CONSTITUTION:By photo-exciting or photo-ionizing inner-orbit electrons of a single element-surface of a compound semiconductor-formed single crystal substrate, the chemical bond between the first layer from the surface and the second layer is selectively broken for etching atomic layers. The end point of the etching is made sure by detecting by a weight analyzer neutral particles or ions emitted from a region on which light is irradiated. Taking the etching of atomic layers of a GaAs single crystal as an example, X-rays of energy 1290eV are irradiated on a Ga surface-exposed substrate 37 to etch a Ga layer 11 and then X-rays of energy 1350eV are irradiated to each an As layer 12. After conducting pairs of irradiating of light and confirmation of an end point of etching 500 times, the etching depth which corresponds to 467 atomic layers is obtained, where one atomic layer is 0.15nm deep. |
