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Plasma Chemistries for Dry Etching GaN, AIN, InGaN and InAIN

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 February 2011

S. J. Pearton
Affiliation:
University of Florida, Gainesville FL 32611
C. B. Vartuli
Affiliation:
University of Florida, Gainesville FL 32611
J. W. Lee
Affiliation:
University of Florida, Gainesville FL 32611
S. M. Donovan
Affiliation:
University of Florida, Gainesville FL 32611
J. D. MacKenzie
Affiliation:
University of Florida, Gainesville FL 32611
C. R. Abernathy
Affiliation:
University of Florida, Gainesville FL 32611
R. J. Shul
Affiliation:
Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque NM 87185
G. F. McLane
Affiliation:
Army Research Laboratory, Ft. Monmouth NJ 07703
F. Ren
Affiliation:
AT&T Bell Laboratories, Murray Hill, NJ 07974.
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Abstract

Etch rates up to 7,000Å/min. for GaN are obtained in Cl2/H2/Ar or BCl3/Ar ECR discharges at 1–3mTorr and moderate dc biases. Typical rates with HI/H2 are about a factor of three lower under the same conditions, while CH4/H2 produces maximum rates of only ˜2000Å/min. The role of additives such as SF6, N2, H2 or Ar to the basic chlorine, bromine, iodine or methane-hydrogen plasma chemistries are discussed. Their effect can be either chemical ( in forming volatile products with N) or physical ( in breaking bonds or enhancing desorption of the etch products). The nitrides differ from conventional III-V's in that bondbreaking to allow formation of the etch products is a critical factor. Threshold ion energies for the onset of etching of GaN, InGaN and InAlN are ≥75eV.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 1996

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