Methods of fabricating semiconductor devices

1. A method of fabricating a semiconductor device, the method comprising:

preparing a substrate with an etching target; and

etching the etching target using a plasma-free etching process that uses an etching gas including one of an interhalogen compound, F 2 , XeF 2 , or combinations thereof, and

performing a hydrogen replacement process on the substrate after the plasma-free etching process is performed, wherein the hydrogen replacement process includes providing gas including hydrogen on the substrate; and performing a thermal treatment process on the substrate,

wherein a semiconductor-halogen compound formed from a halogen element in the etching gas and a semiconductor element in the substrate are changed into a semiconductor-hydrogen compound,

wherein the etching target comprises a plasma damaged region.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plasma damaged region is removed through the plasma-free etching process.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the gas with hydrogen comprises one of hydrogen fluoride, ammonia, nitrogen fluoride, and combinations thereof.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plasma-free etching process is an isotropic etching process.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plasma-free etching process is performed at room temperature to about 300° C. and at 0.00001 atm to about 1 atm.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the etching gas further comprises an inert gas.

7. The method of claim 1 ,

wherein preparing the substrate with the etching target comprises:

forming an insulation layer on the substrate; and

forming an opening that penetrates the insulation layer and exposes a portion of the substrate, and

wherein the etching of the etching target comprises forming a recess region in the substrate by etching the exposed portion substrate.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein a longest width of the recess region is wider than a width of a bottom end of the opening.

9. The method of claim 7 , further comprising forming a conductor in the opening and in the recess region.

10. The method of claim 1 ,

wherein the etching target comprises a natural oxide layer, and

wherein the method further comprises, performing a pre-etching process for removing the natural oxide layer before performing of the plasma-free etching process.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the pre-etching process uses a gas including at least one of hydrogen fluoride, ammonia, or nitrogen fluoride.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the gas of the pre-etching process further comprises an inert gas.

13. A method of fabricating a semiconductor device, the method comprising:

preparing a substrate with an etching target comprising a natural oxide layer

performing a pre-etching process to remove the natural oxide layer;

etching the etching target, after performing the pre-etching process, using a plasma-free etching process that uses an etching gas including one of an interhalogen compound, F 2 , XeF 2 , or combinations thereof; and

performing a hydrogen replacement process on the substrate after the plasma-free etching process is performed,

wherein a semiconductor-halogen compound formed from a halogen element in the etching gas and a semiconductor element in the substrate are changed into a semiconductor-hydrogen compound,

wherein the etching target comprises a portion on which the pre-etching process is performed, and

wherein the plasma-free etching process and the hydrogen replacement process are performed on the portion of the etching target.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the pre-etching process uses a gas including at least one of hydrogen fluoride, ammonia, or nitrogen fluoride.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the gas of the pre-etching process further comprises an inert gas.