US Patent 10043674 Germanium etching systems and methods

Exemplary methods for etching a germanium-containing material may include forming a plasma of a fluorine-containing precursor in a remote plasma region of a semiconductor processing chamber. The methods may include flowing effluents of the fluorine-containing precursor through apertures defined in a chamber component. The apertures may be coated with a catalytic material. The methods may include reducing a concentration of fluorine radicals in the plasma effluents with the catalytic material. The methods may also include delivering the plasma effluents to a processing region of the semiconductor processing chamber. A substrate having an exposed region of a germanium-containing material may be housed within the processing region. The methods may further include etching the germanium-containing material.