Selective reactive ion etching of indium-tin oxide in a hydrocarbon gas mixture

Journal Article · Fri Feb 01 04:00:00 EST 1991 · Journal of the Electrochemical Society; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1149/1.2085616· OSTI ID:5059369

Saia, R J; Kwasnick, R F; Wei, C Y ^[1]

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1. General Electric Corporate Research and Development Center, Schenectady, NY (US)

This paper reports on a method for the reactive ion etching of a transport conducting indium-tin oxide (ITO) film that has been investigated. With a gas mixture consisting of acetone, argon, and oxygen, high etch rate selectivities of ITO to a number of underlying materials were achieved. A useful variation on the etch process employs hydrogen chloride in a first etch step followed by the acetone-based etch. Acetone is a source of reactive organic radicals in the plasma discharge that etch ITO films by forming volatile organometallic compounds. Selective chemical vapor deposition of carbon films on surfaces that do not etch can occur using this chemistry, but with sufficient oxygen in the plasma this is eliminated. An analysis of the plasma etch chemistry based on plasma emission spectroscopy is also presented.

• OSTI ID: 5059369
• Journal Information: Journal of the Electrochemical Society; (United States), Journal Name: Journal of the Electrochemical Society; (United States) Vol. 138:2; ISSN JESOA; ISSN 0013-4651
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
360201* -- Ceramics
Cermets
& Refractories-- Preparation & Fabrication
ACETONE
ARGON
CHALCOGENIDES
ELEMENTS
EMISSION SPECTROSCOPY
ETCHING
FLUIDS
GASES
INDIUM COMPOUNDS
INDIUM OXIDES
KETONES
NONMETALS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
OXIDES
OXYGEN
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
RARE GASES
SPECTROSCOPY
SURFACE FINISHING
TIN COMPOUNDS
TIN OXIDES