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High Rate Dry Etching of GaN, AIN and InN in ECR Cl2/CH4/H2/Ar Plasmas

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 February 2011

C. B. Vartuli
Affiliation:
University of Florida, Gainesville Fl 32611
S. J. Pearton
Affiliation:
University of Florida, Gainesville Fl 32611
C. R. Abernathy
Affiliation:
University of Florida, Gainesville Fl 32611
R. J. Shul
Affiliation:
Sandia National Laboratory, Albuquerque NM 87185
S. P. Kilcoyne
Affiliation:
Sandia National Laboratory, Albuquerque NM 87185
M. Hagerott Crawford
Affiliation:
Sandia National Laboratory, Albuquerque NM 87185
A. J. Howard
Affiliation:
Sandia National Laboratory, Albuquerque NM 87185
J. E. Parmeter
Affiliation:
Sandia National Laboratory, Albuquerque NM 87185
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Abstract

Etch rates for binary nitrides in ECR Cl2/CH4/H2/Ar are reported as a function of temperature, rf-bias, microwave power, pressure and relative gas proportions. GaN etch rates remain relatively constant from 30 to 125 °C and then increase to a maximum of 2340 Å-min−1 at 170 °C. The AIN etch rate decreases throughout the temperature range studied with a maximum of 960 Å-min−1 at 30 °C. When CH4 is removed from the plasma chemistry, the GaN and InN etch rates are slightly lower, with less dramatic changes with temperature. The surface composition of the III–V nitrides remains unchanged over the temperatures studied. The GaN and InN rates increase significantly with rf power, and the fastest rates for all three binaries are obtained at 2 mTorr. Surface morphology is smooth for GaN over a wide range of conditions, whereas InN surfaces are more sensitive to plasma parameters.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 1995

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References

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