Improved epitaxial layer design for real-time monitoring of dry etching in III--V compound heterostructures with depth accuracy of [plus minus]8 nm
- Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87185-5800 (United States)
- AT T Bell Laboratories, Breinigsville, Pennsylvania 18031 (United States)
Etching structures for state-of-the-art electronic and optoelectronic devices such as heterojunction bipolar transistors, optical waveguide modulators, gratings, and vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers often requires nonselective etching with depth accuracy on the order of [plus minus]8 nm. We disclose the application of [ital in] [ital situ] optical reflectance monitoring during chlorine reactive-ion-beam etching of III-V compound heterostructure devices for real-time determination of etch depth to [plus minus]8 nm independent of total etch depth. High-vertical-resolution etching of thick, layered structures is achieved through use of a resonant periodic set of reflective interfaces, greatly enhancing the reflected amplitude oscillations without detrimental effects on device performance. This method demonstrates that slight modifications of material structure to optimize monitor response greatly enhance the accuracy of nonselective dry etching.
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC04-76DP00789
- OSTI ID:
- 7276876
- Journal Information:
- Journal of Vacuum Science and Technology, A (Vacuum, Surfaces and Films); (United States), Journal Name: Journal of Vacuum Science and Technology, A (Vacuum, Surfaces and Films); (United States) Vol. 12:4; ISSN 0734-2101; ISSN JVTAD6
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
360601* -- Other Materials-- Preparation & Manufacture
ALUMINIUM ARSENIDES
ALUMINIUM COMPOUNDS
ARSENIC COMPOUNDS
ARSENIDES
BEAMS
EPITAXY
ETCHING
GALLIUM ARSENIDES
GALLIUM COMPOUNDS
ION BEAMS
LAYERS
MATERIALS
MONITORING
OPTICAL REFLECTION
OPTIMIZATION
PNICTIDES
REAL TIME SYSTEMS
REFLECTION
SEMICONDUCTOR MATERIALS
SURFACE FINISHING