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Inductively Coupled Plasma Etching of III-Nitrides in Cl2/Xe, Cl2/Ar AND Cl2/He

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Abstract

The role of additive noble gases He, Ar and Xe to Cl2-based Inductively Coupled Plasmas for etching of GaN, AIN and InN were examined. The etch rates were a strong function of chlorine concentration, rf chuck power and ICP source power. The highest etch rates for InN were obtained with Cl2/Xe, while the highest rates for AIN and GaN were obtained with Cl2/He. Efficient breaking of the III-nitrogen bond is crucial for attaining high etch rates. The InN etching was dominated by physical sputtering, in contrast to GaN and AIN. In the latter cases, the etch rates were limited by initial breaking of the III-nitrogen bond. Maximum selectivities of ≈ 80 for InN to GaN and InN to AIN were obtained.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA

    Hyun Cho, Y. B. Hahn, D. C. Hays, K. B. Jung, S. M. Donovan, C. R. Abernathy & S. J. Pearton

  2. Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, NM, 87185, USA

    R. J. Shul

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  1. Hyun Cho
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  2. Y. B. Hahn
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  3. D. C. Hays
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  4. K. B. Jung
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  5. S. M. Donovan
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  6. C. R. Abernathy
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  7. S. J. Pearton
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  8. R. J. Shul
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Cho, H., Hahn, Y.B., Hays, D.C. et al. Inductively Coupled Plasma Etching of III-Nitrides in Cl2/Xe, Cl2/Ar AND Cl2/He. MRS Online Proceedings Library 537, 656 (1998). https://doi.org/10.1557/PROC-537-G6.56

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1557/PROC-537-G6.56

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