Adegboyega, G. & Pérez-Quintana, I. & Poggi, Antonella & Susi, E. & Merli, M.. (1997). Deep level transient spectroscopy study of the damage induced in n-type silicon by a gate oxide etching in a CHF3/Ar plasma. Journal of Vacuum Science & Technology B: Microelectronics and Nanometer Structures. 15. 623 - 628. 10.1116/1.589304. Deep level transient spectroscopy was used to detect the presence of deep levels correlated to the defects induced in the Si substrate by a CHF <sub> 3 </sub> /Ar dry etch of a 550 Å gate oxide as a function of the rf power. Several energy levels were observed; some of them were due to the processing before the dry etching. Three traps produced by the dry etching, with Arrhenius plot activation energies, respectively, E<sub> na1 </sub>=350  meV , E<sub> na2 </sub>=220  meV , and E<sub> na3 </sub>=100  meV , and capture cross sections around 10<sup>-20</sup>  cm <sup> 2 </sup> were detected. The correlation with the surface recombination velocity variations and the F and C diffusion in the Si substrate was investigated. © 1997 American Vacuum Society.