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Title: Smoothing single-crystalline SiC surfaces by reactive ion etching using pure NF{sub 3} and NF{sub 3}/Ar mixture gas plasmas

Abstract

In pure NF{sub 3} plasma, the etching rates of four kinds of single-crystalline SiC wafer etched at NF{sub 3} pressure of 2 Pa were the highest and it decreased with an increase in NF{sub 3} pressure. On the other hand, they increased with an increase in radio frequency (RF) power and were the highest at RF power of 200 W. A smooth surface was obtained on the single-crystalline 4H-SiC after reactive ion etching at NF{sub 3}/Ar gas pressure of 2 Pa and addition of Ar to NF{sub 3} plasma increased the smoothness of SiC surface. Scanning electron microscopy observation revealed that the number of pillars decreased with an increase in the Ar-concentration in the NF{sub 3}/Ar mixture gas. The roughness factor (R{sub a}) values were decreased from 51.5 nm to 25.5 nm for the As-cut SiC, from 0.25 nm to 0.20 nm for the Epi-SiC, from 5.0 nm to 0.7 nm for the Si-face mirror-polished SiC, and from 0.20 nm to 0.16 nm for the C-face mirror-polished SiC by adding 60% Ar to the NF{sub 3} gas. Both the R{sub a} values of the Epi- and the C-face mirror-polished wafer surfaces etched using the NF{sub 3}/Ar (40:60) plasma were similar to that treated with mirror polishing, so-called the Catalyst-Referred Etching (CARE)more » method, with which the lowest roughness of surface was obtained among the chemical mirror polishing methods. Etching duration for smoothing the single-crystalline SiC surface using its treatment was one third of that with the CARE method.« less

Authors:
 [1];  [2]; ;  [3];  [4];  [5]
  1. Department of Molecular Chemistry and Biochemistry, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Doshisha University, 1-3 Miyako-dani, Tatara, Kyotanabe, Kyoto 610-0321, Japan and Department of Applied Chemistry, Graduate School of Engineering, Doshisha University, 1-3 Miyako-dani, Tatara, Kyotanabe, Kyoto 610-0321 (Japan)
  2. Department of Applied Chemistry, Graduate School of Engineering, Doshisha University, 1-3 Miyako-dani, Tatara, Kyotanabe, Kyoto 610-0321 (Japan)
  3. Department of Molecular Chemistry and Biochemistry, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Doshisha University, 1-3 Miyako-dani, Tatara, Kyotanabe, Kyoto 610-0321 (Japan)
  4. Toyo Tanso Co, Ltd., 5-7-2 Takeshima, Nishi yodogawa-ku, Osaka 555-0011 (Japan)
  5. Department of Molecular Chemistry and Biochemistry, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Doshisha University, 1-3 Miyako-dani, Tatara, Kyotanabe, Kyoto 610-0321, Japan and Department of Applied Chemistry, Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Doshisha University, 1-3 Miyako-dani, Tatara, Kyotanabe, Kyoto 610-0321 (Japan)
Publication Date:
OSTI Identifier:
22317968
Resource Type:
Journal Article
Journal Name:
Journal of Vacuum Science and Technology. A, Vacuum, Surfaces and Films
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 32; Journal Issue: 5; Other Information: (c) 2014 American Vacuum Society; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); Journal ID: ISSN 0734-2101
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
36 MATERIALS SCIENCE; ARGON 40; ETCHING; HYDROGEN 4; IONS; MONOCRYSTALS; NITROGEN FLUORIDES; PLASMA; RADIOWAVE RADIATION; ROUGHNESS; SCANNING ELECTRON MICROSCOPY; SILICON CARBIDES; SURFACES

Citation Formats

Tasaka, Akimasa, Kotaka, Yuki, Oda, Atsushi, Saito, Morihiro, Tojo, Tetsuro, and Inaba, Minoru. Smoothing single-crystalline SiC surfaces by reactive ion etching using pure NF{sub 3} and NF{sub 3}/Ar mixture gas plasmas. United States: N. p., 2014. Web. doi:10.1116/1.4893421.
Tasaka, Akimasa, Kotaka, Yuki, Oda, Atsushi, Saito, Morihiro, Tojo, Tetsuro, & Inaba, Minoru. Smoothing single-crystalline SiC surfaces by reactive ion etching using pure NF{sub 3} and NF{sub 3}/Ar mixture gas plasmas. United States. https://doi.org/10.1116/1.4893421
Tasaka, Akimasa, Kotaka, Yuki, Oda, Atsushi, Saito, Morihiro, Tojo, Tetsuro, and Inaba, Minoru. 2014. "Smoothing single-crystalline SiC surfaces by reactive ion etching using pure NF{sub 3} and NF{sub 3}/Ar mixture gas plasmas". United States. https://doi.org/10.1116/1.4893421.
@article{osti_22317968,
title = {Smoothing single-crystalline SiC surfaces by reactive ion etching using pure NF{sub 3} and NF{sub 3}/Ar mixture gas plasmas},
author = {Tasaka, Akimasa and Kotaka, Yuki and Oda, Atsushi and Saito, Morihiro and Tojo, Tetsuro and Inaba, Minoru},
abstractNote = {In pure NF{sub 3} plasma, the etching rates of four kinds of single-crystalline SiC wafer etched at NF{sub 3} pressure of 2 Pa were the highest and it decreased with an increase in NF{sub 3} pressure. On the other hand, they increased with an increase in radio frequency (RF) power and were the highest at RF power of 200 W. A smooth surface was obtained on the single-crystalline 4H-SiC after reactive ion etching at NF{sub 3}/Ar gas pressure of 2 Pa and addition of Ar to NF{sub 3} plasma increased the smoothness of SiC surface. Scanning electron microscopy observation revealed that the number of pillars decreased with an increase in the Ar-concentration in the NF{sub 3}/Ar mixture gas. The roughness factor (R{sub a}) values were decreased from 51.5 nm to 25.5 nm for the As-cut SiC, from 0.25 nm to 0.20 nm for the Epi-SiC, from 5.0 nm to 0.7 nm for the Si-face mirror-polished SiC, and from 0.20 nm to 0.16 nm for the C-face mirror-polished SiC by adding 60% Ar to the NF{sub 3} gas. Both the R{sub a} values of the Epi- and the C-face mirror-polished wafer surfaces etched using the NF{sub 3}/Ar (40:60) plasma were similar to that treated with mirror polishing, so-called the Catalyst-Referred Etching (CARE) method, with which the lowest roughness of surface was obtained among the chemical mirror polishing methods. Etching duration for smoothing the single-crystalline SiC surface using its treatment was one third of that with the CARE method.},
doi = {10.1116/1.4893421},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/22317968}, journal = {Journal of Vacuum Science and Technology. A, Vacuum, Surfaces and Films},
issn = {0734-2101},
number = 5,
volume = 32,
place = {United States},
year = {Mon Sep 01 00:00:00 EDT 2014},
month = {Mon Sep 01 00:00:00 EDT 2014}
}