Silicon etching in Cl2 environment

The ion-beam-assisted etching of silicon in Cl₂ environment is considered. The theoretically calculated dependences of silicon etching rate on the flux of Cl₂ molecules at different ion current densities are compared with experimentally measured. The composition of the adsorbed layer is determined. It is found that SiCl₂ molecules prevail in the adsorbed layer. The reciprocal of relative concentration of SiCl₂ molecules in the adsorbed layer linearly depends on the ion-to-neutral flux ratio.