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Reactive Ion Etching of In-Based III-V Semiconductors -Comparison of Cl and C2H6 Chemistries
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 21 February 2011
Abstract
The reactive ion etching of InP, InGaAs and InAlAs in CC12F2 /O 2 or C2H6 /H 2 discharges was investigated as a function of the plasma parameters pressure, power density, flow rate and relative composition. The etch rates of these materials are a factor of 3-5 times faster in CC12F2 /O 2 (∼600–1000 Å · min−1) compared to C2H6 /H 2(160–320 Å · min−1). Significantly smoother morphologies are obtained with C2H6 /H 2 etching provided the composition of the plasma is no more than 10 - 20% by volume of C2H6. At higher methane compositions, polymer formation increases leading to micromasking and rough surface morphologies. Sub-surface disorder is limited to <100 Å deep for both gas chemistries for plasma power densities of 0.85 W cm−2. The C2H6 /H 2 mixture leaves an In-rich surface in all cases, but this surface is free of any residual contamination, whereas the CC12F2/O2 chemistry leaves chloro-fluorocarbon residues approximately 20–50 Å thick on the surface of all three In-based materials.
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