DOE Patents title logo U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Title: Method of plasma etching Ga-based compound semiconductors

Abstract

A method of plasma etching Ga-based compound semiconductors includes providing a process chamber and a source electrode adjacent to the process chamber. The process chamber contains a sample comprising a Ga-based compound semiconductor. The sample is in contact with a platen which is electrically connected to a first power supply, and the source electrode is electrically connected to a second power supply. The method includes flowing SiCl.sub.4 gas into the chamber, flowing Ar gas into the chamber, and flowing H.sub.2 gas into the chamber. RF power is supplied independently to the source electrode and the platen. A plasma is generated based on the gases in the process chamber, and regions of a surface of the sample adjacent to one or more masked portions of the surface are etched to create a substantially smooth etched surface including features having substantially vertical walls beneath the masked portions.

Inventors:
;
Issue Date:
Research Org.:
Univ. of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, IL (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE
OSTI Identifier:
1082139
Patent Number(s):
8338308
Application Number:
12/638,741
Assignee:
The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois (Urbana, IL)
Patent Classifications (CPCs):
H - ELECTRICITY H01 - BASIC ELECTRIC ELEMENTS H01J - ELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS
H - ELECTRICITY H01 - BASIC ELECTRIC ELEMENTS H01L - SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES
DOE Contract Number:  
AC52-07NA27344
Resource Type:
Patent
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
36 MATERIALS SCIENCE

Citation Formats

Qiu, Weibin, and Goddard, Lynford L. Method of plasma etching Ga-based compound semiconductors. United States: N. p., 2012. Web.
Qiu, Weibin, & Goddard, Lynford L. Method of plasma etching Ga-based compound semiconductors. United States.
Qiu, Weibin, and Goddard, Lynford L. Tue . "Method of plasma etching Ga-based compound semiconductors". United States. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1082139.
@article{osti_1082139,
title = {Method of plasma etching Ga-based compound semiconductors},
author = {Qiu, Weibin and Goddard, Lynford L.},
abstractNote = {A method of plasma etching Ga-based compound semiconductors includes providing a process chamber and a source electrode adjacent to the process chamber. The process chamber contains a sample comprising a Ga-based compound semiconductor. The sample is in contact with a platen which is electrically connected to a first power supply, and the source electrode is electrically connected to a second power supply. The method includes flowing SiCl.sub.4 gas into the chamber, flowing Ar gas into the chamber, and flowing H.sub.2 gas into the chamber. RF power is supplied independently to the source electrode and the platen. A plasma is generated based on the gases in the process chamber, and regions of a surface of the sample adjacent to one or more masked portions of the surface are etched to create a substantially smooth etched surface including features having substantially vertical walls beneath the masked portions.},
doi = {},
journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Tue Dec 25 00:00:00 EST 2012},
month = {Tue Dec 25 00:00:00 EST 2012}
}

Works referenced in this record:

Dry etch recess of an InGaAs/InAlAs/InP HEMT like structure using a low energy high density SiCl/sub 4/ plasma (ICP)
conference, January 1998


Investigation of GaAs Dry Etching in a Planar Inductively Coupled BCl[sub 3] Plasma
journal, January 2004


High aspect ratio GaAs nanowires made by ICP-RIE etching using Cl2/N2 chemistry
journal, May 2008


Nanohole Arrays with Sub-30 nm Diameter Formed on GaAs Using Nanoporous Alumina Mask
journal, July 2007


Cl[sub 2] plasma passivation of etch induced damage in GaAs and InGaAs with an inductively coupled plasma source
journal, January 1999

  • Berg, E. W.; Pang, S. W.
  • Journal of Vacuum Science & Technology B: Microelectronics and Nanometer Structures, Vol. 17, Issue 6
  • https://doi.org/10.1116/1.591056

Sidewall passivation assisted by a silicon coverplate during Cl[sub 2]–H[sub 2] and HBr inductively coupled plasma etching of InP for photonic devices
journal, January 2008

  • Bouchoule, S.; Patriarche, G.; Guilet, S.
  • Journal of Vacuum Science & Technology B: Microelectronics and Nanometer Structures, Vol. 26, Issue 2
  • https://doi.org/10.1116/1.2898455

Smooth and vertical-sidewall InP etching using Cl[sub 2]/N[sub 2] inductively coupled plasma
journal, January 2004

  • Lin, Jie; Leven, Andreas; Weimann, N. G.
  • Journal of Vacuum Science & Technology B: Microelectronics and Nanometer Structures, Vol. 22, Issue 2
  • https://doi.org/10.1116/1.1648066

N2-Based ICP-RIE Etching for InP-Based Photonic Crystal Membranes
conference, May 2007


Geometrical pattern effect on silicon deep etching by an inductively coupled plasma system
journal, February 2004


Effect of H[sub 2] on the etch profile of InP/InGaAsP alloys in Cl[sub 2]/Ar/H[sub 2] inductively coupled plasma reactive ion etching chemistries for photonic device fabrication
journal, January 2002

  • Rommel, Sean L.; Jang, Jae-Hyung; Lu, Wu
  • Journal of Vacuum Science & Technology B: Microelectronics and Nanometer Structures, Vol. 20, Issue 4
  • https://doi.org/10.1116/1.1486232

Study of grass formation in GaAs backside via etching using inductively coupled plasma system
journal, January 2000

  • Nam, P. S.; Ferreira, L. M.; Lee, T. Y.
  • Journal of Vacuum Science & Technology B: Microelectronics and Nanometer Structures, Vol. 18, Issue 6
  • https://doi.org/10.1116/1.1320803

The effect of hydrogen as an additive in reactive ion etching of GaAs for obtaining polished surface
journal, November 2006


High-density plasma etching of compound semiconductors
journal, May 1997

  • Shul, R. J.; McClellan, G. B.; Briggs, R. D.
  • Journal of Vacuum Science & Technology A: Vacuum, Surfaces, and Films, Vol. 15, Issue 3
  • https://doi.org/10.1116/1.580696

Anisotropic etching of InP with low sidewall and surface induced damage in inductively coupled plasma etching using SiCl4
journal, May 1997

  • Etrillard, J.; Ossart, P.; Patriarche, G.
  • Journal of Vacuum Science & Technology A: Vacuum, Surfaces, and Films, Vol. 15, Issue 3
  • https://doi.org/10.1116/1.580695

Fabrication of high-aspect-ratio, sub-micron gratings in AlGaInP/GaAs laser structures using a BCl 3 /Cl 2 /Ar inductively coupled plasma
journal, August 2007


Smooth reactive ion etching of GaAs using a hydrogen plasma pretreatment
journal, January 1995


Optimization of gas flow and etch depth uniformity for plasma etching of large area GaAs wafers
journal, May 2002


Advanced selective dry etching of GaAs/AlGaAs in high density inductively coupled plasmas
journal, July 2000

  • Lee, J. W.; Devre, M. W.; Reelfs, B. H.
  • Journal of Vacuum Science & Technology A: Vacuum, Surfaces, and Films, Vol. 18, Issue 4
  • https://doi.org/10.1116/1.582329

Inductively coupled plasma etching of GaAs low loss waveguides for a traveling waveguide polarization converter, using chlorine chemistry
journal, January 2004


Etching Characteristics and Mechanism of InP in Inductively Coupled HBr/Ar Plasma
journal, August 2008


Deeply etched waveguide structures for quantum cascade lasers
journal, April 2006


Reactive ion etching lag on high rate oxide etching using high density plasma
journal, November 1995


Processing of deeply etched GaAs/AlGaAs quantum cascade lasers with grating structures
journal, January 2004