Reactive Ion Beam Etching of GaAs and Related Compounds in an Inductively Coupled Plasma of Cl(2)-Ar Mixture

Journal Article · Mon Nov 23 04:00:00 EST 1998 · Journal of Vacuum Science and Technology B

OSTI ID:1999

Abernathy, C R ^[1]; Hahn, Y B; Hays, D; Lambers, E S; Lee, J W; Pearton, S J; Shul, R J; Vawter, G A

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1. Sandia National Laboratories

Reactive ion beam etching (RD3E) of GaAs, GaP, AIGaAs and GaSb was performed in a Cl2-Ar mixture using an Inductively Coupled Plasma (ICP) source. `The etch rates and yields were strongly affected by ion energy and substrate temperature. The RJBE was dominated by ion-assisted etching at <600 eV and by physical sputtering beyond 600 eV. The temperature dependence of the etch rates revealed three different regimes, depending on the substrate temperature: 1) sputtering-etch limited, 2) products-resorption limited, and 3) mass-transfer limited regions. GaSb showed the overall highest etch rates, while GaAs and AIGaAs were etched at the same rates. The etched features showed extremely smooth morphologies with anisotropic sidewalls.

• Research Organization: Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, NM, and Livermore, CA
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• DOE Contract Number: AC04-94AL85000
• OSTI ID: 1999
• Report Number(s): SAND98-2616J; ON: DE00001999
• Journal Information: Journal of Vacuum Science and Technology B, Journal Name: Journal of Vacuum Science and Technology B
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
Aluminium Compounds
Etching
Gallium Antimonides
Gallium Arsenides
Gallium Phosphides