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Focused ION Beam Etching of GaN

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 February 2011

C. Flierl
Affiliation:
Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 ITR, UNITED KINGDOM;
I.H. White
Affiliation:
Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 ITR, UNITED KINGDOM;
M. Kuball
Affiliation:
H.H. Wills Physics Laboratory, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 I TR, UNITED KINGDOM
P.J. Heard
Affiliation:
Interface Analysis Centre, University of Bristol, Bristol BS2 8BS, UNITED KINGDOM
G.C. Allen
Affiliation:
Interface Analysis Centre, University of Bristol, Bristol BS2 8BS, UNITED KINGDOM
C. Marinelli
Affiliation:
Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 ITR, UNITED KINGDOM;
J.M. Rorison
Affiliation:
Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 ITR, UNITED KINGDOM;
R.V. Penty
Affiliation:
Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 ITR, UNITED KINGDOM;
Y. Chen
Affiliation:
Hewlett-Packard Laboratories, Palo Alto CA 94304, USA
S.Y. Wang
Affiliation:
Hewlett-Packard Laboratories, Palo Alto CA 94304, USA
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Abstract

We have investigated the use of focused ion beam (FIB) etching for the fabrication of GaN-based devices. Although work has shown that conventional reactive ion etching (RME) is in most cases appropriate for the GaN device fabrication, the direct write facility of FIB etching - a well-established technique for optical mask repair and for IC failure analysis and repair - without the requirement for depositing an etch mask is invaluable. A gallium ion beam of about 20nm diameter was used to sputter GaN material. The etching rate depends linearly on the ion dose per area with a slope of 3.5 × 10-4 μm3/pC. At a current of 3nA, for example, this corresponds to an etch rate of 1.05μm3/s. Good etching qualities have been achieved with a side wall roughness significantly below 0.1μm. Changes in the roughness of the etched surface plane stay below 8nm.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 1999

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