Surface polymer layer formed on the silicon wafer during the oxide overetching using $C_4F_8$/ helicon wave plasmas and their characteristics were investigated using spectroscopic elipsometry, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and secondary ion mass spectrometry. Overetch percentage and dc-self bias voltage were varied to investigate the effects on the characteristics of the polymers remaining on the overetched silicon surface. The increase of bias voltage from -80 volts to -120 volts increased the C/F ratio and carbon bondings such as C-C, $C-CF_x$/, and C-Si in the polymer while reducing the thickness of the polymer layer. However, the increase of the overetch percentage from 50% to 100% did not change the composition of the polymer layer and the carbon bondings in the polymer layer remained same even though it increased the polymer thickness. The polymer layer formed at the higher dc-self bias voltage was more difficult to be removed by the following various post-etch treatments compared to that formed at the longer overetch percentage.