GaAs oxide desorption under extreme ultraviolet photon flux

The interaction of light with matter is one of the most studied branches of modern physics. Beyond its scientific interest, the technological impact is enormous, from optoelectronics to miniaturization in integrated circuits. In the latter case, in order to produce even smaller circuits, the introduction of a lithographic technology based on extreme ultraviolet (EUV) light is forecast for the year 2007. This introduces a number of open issues regarding the interaction of EUV radiation with matter. Herein, we report an unexpectedly strong desorption effect due to the irradiation of a nanopatterned gallium arsenide oxide with EUV light. The observed phenomenon can be explained in the framework of Auger-assisted desorption, with the size of the effect justified by the particular photon wavelength, in the EUV region, and the extremely high photon flux. The mechanism behind the observed phenomena will also apply to other semiconductors, and we believe that our findings will have an impact on the development of EUV lithography.