Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-t7fkt Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-29T09:45:32.555Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Comparison of ICl and IBr for Dry Etching of III-Nitrides

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 February 2011

C. B. Vartuli
Affiliation:
Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville FL 32611
J. W. Lee
Affiliation:
Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville FL 32611
J. D. MacKenzie
Affiliation:
Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville FL 32611
S. J. Pearton
Affiliation:
Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville FL 32611
C. R. Abernathy
Affiliation:
Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville FL 32611
R. J. Shul
Affiliation:
Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque NM 87185
Get access

Abstract

ICl/Ar ECR discharges provide the fastest dry etch rates reported for GaN, 1.3 µm/min. These rates are much higher than with Cl2/Ar, CH4/H2/Ar or other plasma chemistries. InN etch rates up to 1.15 µm/min and 0.7 µm/min for In0.5Ga0.5N are obtained, with selectivities up to 5 with no preferential loss of N at low rf powers and no significant residues remaining. The rates are much lower with IBr/Ar, ranging from 0.15 µm/min for GaN to 0.3 µm/min for InN. There is little dependence on microwave power for either chemistry because of the weakly bound nature of IC1 and IBr. In all cases the etch rates are limited by the initial bond breaking that must precede etch product formation and there is a good correlation between materials bond energy and etch rate. The fact that low microwave power can be employed is beneficial from the viewpoint that photoresist masks are stable under these conditions, and there is no need for use of silicon nitride or silicon dioxide. Selectivities for GaN over A1N with IC1 and IBr are still lower than with Cl2- only.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 1997

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

1. Lin, M.E., Zan, Z.F., Ma, Z., Allen, L.H. and Morkoc, H., Appl. Phys. Lett. 64 887 (1994).Google Scholar
2. Ping, A.T., Adesida, I, Asif Khan, M. and Kuznia, J.N., Electron. Lett. 30 1895 (1994).Google Scholar
3. Lee, H., Oberman, D.B. and Harris, J.S. Jr., Appl. Phys. Lett. 67 1754 (1995).Google Scholar
4. Pearton, S.J., Abernathy, C.R., Ren, F., Lothian, J.R., Wisk, P.W., Katz, A. and Constantine, C., Semicond. Sci. Technol. 8 310 (1993).Google Scholar
5. Pearton, S.J., Abernathy, C.R. and Ren, F., Appl. Phys. Lett. 64 2294 (1994).Google Scholar
6. Zhang, L., Ramer, J., Zheng, K., Lester, L.F. and Hersee, S.D., MRS Fall Meeting, Boston MA, 1995).Google Scholar
7. Shul, RJ., Kilcoyne, S.P., Hagerott Crawford, M., Parmeter, J.E., Vartuli, C.B., Abernathy, C.R. and Pearton, S.J., Appl. Phys. Lett. 66 1761 (1995).Google Scholar
8. Shul, R.J., presented at 189th ECS meeting, Los Angeles CA, May 1996.Google Scholar
9. Vartuli, C.B., Pearton, S.J., Abernathy, C.R., Shul, R.J., Howard, A.J., Kilcoyne, S.P., Parmeter, J.E. and Hagerott-Crawford, M., J. Vac. Sci. Technol. A 14 1011 (1996).Google Scholar
10. Krueger, C.W., Wang, C.A., Hsieh, D. and Flytzani-Stepanopoulos, M., J. Cryst.Growth 153 81 (1995).Google Scholar
11. Krueger, C.W., Wang, C.A. and Flytzani-Stepanopoulos, M., Appl. Phys. Lett. 60 1459 (1992).Google Scholar
12. Flanders, D.C., Pressman, L.D. and Pinelli, G., J. Vac. Sci. Technol. B 8 1990 (1990).Google Scholar
13. Pearton, S.J., Chakrabarti, U.K., Katz, A., Ren, F. and Fullowan, T.R., Appl. Phys. Lett. 60 838 (1992).Google Scholar
14. Pearton, S.J., Chakrabarti, U.K., Hobson, W.S., Abernathy, C.R., Katz, A., Ren, F., Fullowan, T.R., and Perley, A.P., J. Electrochem. Soc. 139 1763 (1992).Google Scholar
15. Gillis, H.P., Choutov, D.A. and Martin, K.P., JOM, August 1996 pp 50-55.Google Scholar
16. Abernathy, C.R., J. Vac. Sci. Technol. A 11 869 (1993).Google Scholar
17. Abernathy, C.R., Mat. Sci. Eng. Rep. 14, 203 (1995).Google Scholar
18. CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics (CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL 1990).Google Scholar
19. Harrison, W.A., Electronic Structures and Properties of Solids (Freeman, San Francisco, 1980).Google Scholar
20. Pearton, S.J., Abernathy, C.R., Ren, F., and Lothian, J.R., J. Appl. Phys. 76 1210 (1994).Google Scholar