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This study focuses on the development of a fluorocarbon-free directional silicon etching process, called CORE (Clear, Oxidize, Remove, and Etch) in which a switching sequence of SF6 and O2 is operated at room temperature. This distinguishes it from the old-fashioned room temperature and cryogenic mixed RIE processes as CORE enables a higher selectivity, creates pattern independency of etching profiles and works excellent at room temperature. The CORE process resembles the well-known SF6-based Bosch process, but the usual C4F8 inhibitor is replaced by O2 oxidation with self-limiting characteristics. Therefore the CORE result is similar to Bosch, however has the advantage of preventing the pile-up of fluorocarbon deposits at the topside of deep-etched or nano-sized features. At the same time, process drift is minimized as the reactor wall is staying perfectly clean. The CORE process has shown an excellent performance in high aspect ratio (3D) nanoscale structures with an accurate and controllable etch rate between 1 and 50 nm min−1 (and SiO2-selectivity of ca. 35) using the etch-tool in the RIE-mode. By adding the ICP source (DRIE-mode), a directional etch rate up to 1 μm min−1 (at 50 sccm SF6 flow) and selectivity >200 for SiO2 is possible.

This letter reports on the realization and characterization of silicon three-terminal junction devices made in a silicon-on-insulator wafer. Room temperature electrical measurements show that the fabricated devices exhibit pronounced nonlinear electrical properties inherent to ballistic electron transport in a three-terminal ballistic junction (TBJ) device. The results show that room temperature functional TBJ devices can be realized in a semiconductor material other than high-mobility III-V semiconductor heterostructures and provide a simple design principle for compact silicon devices in nanoelectronics.

The influence of heat treatment at and above $1100\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}\mathrm{C}$ on thin erbium-rich silica layers embedded in silica has been studied experimentally by secondary ion-mass spectrometry and cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy. Redistribution of erbium atoms is observed at these temperatures, and formation of erbium-rich precipitates is seen to occur if the erbium concentration exceeds $\ensuremath{\sim}0.01$ at. %. These precipitates are observed to coarsen and subsequently dissolve with increasing annealing time. Moreover, self organization of precipitates has been observed in the form of layering of the precipitate ensemble.