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Abstract

Provided are an etching method and an etching apparatus that allow etching processing of a silicon nitride film to be performed at a high etching rate, while maintaining high processing dimension controllability at an atomic layer level, high uniformity in a pattern depth direction, and high selectivity to silicon dioxide. An etching method includes a first step of supplying an etchant containing hydrogen to a sample having a surface at which a silicon nitride is exposed to form a first modified layer in which the hydrogen is bonded to the silicon nitride, a second step of supplying an etchant containing fluorine to the sample to form, over the first modified layer, a second modified layer in which the hydrogen and the fluorine are bonded to the silicon nitride, and a third step of irradiating the first modified layer and the second modified layer with an infrared ray.

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