Methods for atomic layer etching

1. A method of processing a substrate having a surface, the method comprising:

laterally moving a surface beneath a gas distribution plate comprising a plurality of elongate gas ports including a first gas outlet to deliver a first reactive gas and second gas outlet to deliver a second reactive gas different from the first reactive gas, the second reactive gas comprising a plasma;

forming an etch layer on the substrate surface comprising sequentially exposing the substrate surface to the first reactive gas and the second reactive gas;

changing a temperature of the substrate surface from a first temperature to a second temperature, the second temperature being sufficient to vaporize the etch layer; and

locally removing the vaporized etch layer from the surface,

wherein at least a portion of the surface is being exposed to the first reactive gas or second reactive gas while the local temperature of a different portion of the surface already exposed to the second reactive gas is being changed.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plasma is a remote plasma.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first temperature is below an isotropic etch point of the etch layer and the second temperature is greater than or equal to the isotropic etch point of the etch layer.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the surface temperature is changed by one or more of radiative heating or resistive heating.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the surface comprises silicon.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the first reactive gas comprises fluorine.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the first temperature is in the range of about 20° C. to about 50° C. and the second temperature is in the range of about 100° C. to about 200° C.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein forming the etch layer on the substrate surface further comprises exposing the substrate surface to a second reactive gas comprising a plasma, the second reactive gas being different from the first reactive gas.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein one of the first reactive gas and the second reactive gas adsorb onto the surface and the other of the first reactive gas and the second reactive gas react with the adsorbed reactive gas.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the surface comprises a silicon dioxide layer and forming the etch layer comprises exposing the surface to one of water and ammonia followed by exposure to hydrofluoric acid.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein when water is used, the first temperature is about room temperature and the second temperature is about 50° C. and when ammonia is used, the first temperature is less than about 35° C. and the second temperature is about 120° C.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the substrate is silicon and the first reactive gas comprises fluorine.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the second temperature is in the range of about 100° C. to about 200° C.

14. A method of processing a substrate comprising:

laterally moving a substrate having a surface beneath a gas distribution plate comprising a plurality of elongate gas ports including a first gas outlet to deliver a first reactive gas and second gas outlet to deliver a second reactive gas;

delivering the first reactive gas to at least a portion of the substrate surface to form a first reactive layer on the substrate surface;

locally removing unreacted first reactive gas;

generating a plasma of a second reactive gas;

delivering the second reactive gas comprising the plasma to at least a portion of the substrate surface having a first reactive layer to react with the first reactive layer to form an etch layer on the substrate surface;

locally removing unreacted second reactive gas;

locally changing the temperature of the substrate surface from a first temperature to a second temperature, the second temperature being sufficient to vaporize the etch layer; and

removing the vaporized etch layer.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the plasma is a remote plasma.

16. The method of claim 14 , wherein first temperature is below the isotropic etch point of the etch layer and the second temperature is greater than or equal to the isotropic etch point of the etch layer.

17. The method of claim 14 , wherein the substrate surface temperature is changed by one or more of radiative heating or resistive heating.

18. The method of claim 14 , wherein the substrate has a silicon oxide layer on the surface and the first reactive gas is one of water and ammonia.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the second reactive gas is hydrofluoric acid and the first temperature is less than about 50° C. and the second temperature is in the range of about 90° C. to about 130° C.

20. A method of processing a substrate having a surface, the method comprising:

laterally moving a surface beneath a gas distribution plate comprising a plurality of elongate gas ports including a first gas outlet to deliver a first reactive gas and second gas outlet to deliver a second reactive gas different from the first reactive gas, the second reactive gas comprising a remote plasma;

forming an etch layer on the substrate surface comprising sequentially exposing the substrate surface to the first reactive gas and the second reactive gas comprising a plasma;

changing a temperature of the substrate surface from a first temperature below an isotropic etch point of the etch layer to a second temperature above the isotropic etch point of the etch layer; and

locally removing the vaporized etch layer from the surface,

wherein at least a portion of the surface is being exposed to the first reactive gas or second reactive gas while the local temperature of a different portion of the surface already exposed to the second reactive gas is being changed.