High aspect ratio etching of GaSb/AlGaAsSb for photonic crystals (original) (raw)

Inductively Coupled Plasma Etching in ICl and IBr-Based Chemistries. Part I: GaAs, GaSb, and AlGaAs

Plasma Chemistry and Plasma Processing, 2000

High-density plasma etching of GaAs, GaSb, and AlGaAs was performed inICl/Ar and IBr/Ar chemistries using an Inductively Coupled Plasma (ICP)source. GaSb and AlGaAs showed maxima in their etch rates for both plamachemistries as a function of interhalogen percentage, while GaAs showedincreased etch rates with plasma composition in both chemistries. Etchrates of all materials increased substantially with increasing rf chuckpower, but

Investigations of structural defects by etching of GaSb grown by the liquid-encapsulated Czochralski technique

Materials Science and Engineering B-advanced Functional Solid-state Materials, 1997

This paper reports results of an investigation of the behaviour of several etchants in revealing structural defects in Al-, Te-, Cdand Te/Cd-doped GaSb. Etchants previously suggested for GaSb, as well as two etchants developed for GaAs and InP, were tested and modified in an attempt to establish the best conditions under which a given etchant may be used and what defects it is likely to reveal. Both the solutions consisting of H,O,-H,SO, and 3%Br-methanol provided reproducible etch figures on dislocations, the former on the (11 l)Ga, (11 l)Sb, (100) and (110) planes, and the latter only on the (1 I l)Ga plane. In contrast, H,O,-HCl and HCl-HN03-H,O did not perform satisfactorily in revealing dislocations in the analyzed samples. Using permanganate etchant, it was possible to observe growth striations only in the n-type GaSb. The CrO,-HF solution revealed growth striations on both the p-type and the n-type GaSb as well as defects formed due to constitutional supercooling. A new etchant. based on ceric sulfate, was developed to delineate growth striations along the Te-doped GaSb crystals. 0 1997 Elsevier Science S.A.

A Comparison of Dry Plasma and Wet Chemical Etching of GaSb Photodiodes

Journal of The Electrochemical Society, 2004

We report on the performance of GaSb pn junction photodiodes fabricated using electron cyclotron resonance plasma etching using Cl 2 /Ar recipe, a mixed gas recipe consisting of Cl 2 /BCl 3 /CH 4 /Ar/H 2 and wet chemical etching. Diodes fabricated using Cl 2 /BCl 3 /CH 4 /Ar/H 2 recipe show an order of magnitude lower leakage current density and lower ideality factor. The highest value of the zero bias dynamic resistance-area product was obtained for Cl 2 /BCl 3 /CH 4 /Ar/H 2 etched diodes and was equal to 830 ⍀ cm 2 as compared to 300 ⍀cm 2 for Cl 2 /Ar and 330 ⍀ cm 2 for wet etching. Spectral responsivity of Cl 2 /BCl 3 /CH 4 /Ar/H 2 etched diodes was observed to be three times that of Cl 2 /Ar and wet etched diodes. Overall, the diodes etched using the recently reported Cl 2 /BCl 3 /CH 4 /Ar/H 2 recipe provided the best optical and electrical characteristics.

Inductively coupled plasma reactive ion etching of Al x Ga 1؊x N for application in laser facet formation

The etching characteristics of Al x Ga 1Ϫx N grown by metal-organic chemical-vapor deposition were investigated in an inductively coupled plasma ͑ICP͒ reactive ion etching system using Cl 2 /Ar gas mixtures. Etch rate variations with substrate bias voltage, ICP coil power, chamber pressure, Cl 2 /Ar gas mixture ratios, and gas flow rates were investigated. The optimum chamber pressure for etching was found to be dependent on both the substrate bias voltage and ICP coil power. Auger electron spectroscopy analysis showed that the stoichiometries of the etched Al 0.22 Ga 0.78 N surfaces were identical, independent of the etching conditions. Etching results were successfully applied to form highly anisotropic and smooth facets in GaN/InGaN/AlGaN heterostructure laser materials.

Inductively Coupled Plasma Reactive Ion Etching of GeSbTe Thin Films in a HBr/Ar Gas

Integrated Ferroelectrics, 2007

Inductively coupled plasma reactive ion etching of GeSbTe (GST) thin films with a photoresist mask was performed using a HBr/Ar gas mixture. The etch rate of GST films increased up to 20% HBr concentration and began to decrease with further increase of HBr concentration. The etch profiles were improved with increasing HBr gas concentration. In particular, clean and vertical etch profiles were achieved at 80∼100% HBr gas concentrations. As the coil rf power and dc-bias voltage increased, the etch rates increased. The gas pressure had little influence on the etch rate. The good etch profiles were obtained at high coil power, low dc-bias and high gas pressure. The x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis reveals that Te showed highest reactivity with HBr gas chemistry. A high degree of anisotropic etching of GST films was achieved using HBr/Ar gas mixture at the optimized etch conditions.

Etching characteristics of Al2O3 thin films in inductively coupled BCl3/Ar plasma

Vacuum, 2008

The investigation of Al 2 O 3 etch characteristics in the BCl 3 /Ar inductively coupled plasma was carried out in terms of effects of input process parameters (gas pressure, input power, bias power) on etch rate and etch selectivity over poly-Si and photoresist. It was found that, with the changes in gas pressure and input power, the Al 2 O 3 etch rate follows the behavior of ion current density while the process rate is noticeably contributed by the chemical etch pathway. The influence of input power on the etch threshold may be connected with the concurrence of chemical and physical etch pathways in ion-assisted chemical reaction.

Chemical interaction of InAs, InSb, GaAs, and GaSb crystal surfaces with (NH4)2Cr2O7–HBr–citric acid etching solutions

Inorganic Materials, 2017

⎯This paper presents results on the kinetics and mechanism of the physicochemical interaction of InAs, InSb, GaAs, and GaSb semiconductor surfaces with (NH 4) 2 Cr 2 O 7-HBr-C 4 H 6 O 6 etching solutions under reproducible hydrodynamic conditions in the case of laminar etchant flow over a substrate. We have identified regions of polishing and nonpolishing solutions and evaluated the apparent activation energy of the process. The surface morphology of the crystals has been examined by microstructural analysis after chemical etching. The results demonstrate that the presence of C 4 H 6 O 6 in etchants helps to reduce the overall reaction rate and extend the region of polishing solutions.

Etching characteristics of LiNbO3 crystal by fluorine gas plasma reactive ion etching

Science and Technology of Advanced Materials, 2001

The etching characteristics of a LiNbO 3 single crystal have been investigated using plasma reactive ion etching (RIE) with a mixture of CF 4 /Ar/H 2. The etching rate of LiNbO 3 with the mixture of CF 4 /Ar/H 2 gases was evaluated. The etching surface was evaluated by atomic force microscopy, X-ray diffraction and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy methods. The rate-determining process of RIE is the supply of F radicals in RIE. The surface morphology of the etched LiNbO 3 changed with the increase in the H 2 gas¯ow ratio. The surface pro®le becamē at, on optimizing the etching conditions, similar to the surface of non-etched LiNbO 3. The X-ray diffraction peak for etched LiNbO 3 using the mixture of CF 4 and Ar gases did not appear, because a non-crystalline layer was formed. It was found that the crystallinity of the surface is dependent on both, the¯ow rate of H 2 gas and the etching time. F atoms exist in the contamination layer of the sample etched, using the mixture of CF 4 , Ar and H 2 gases. Optimum etching conditions, considering both the surface¯atness and the crystallinity, were determined.

Study of wet and dry etching processes for antimonide-based photonic ICs

Optical Materials Express, 2019

We report on the dry etch process parameters and the associated etch rates for target and mask materials, as well as surface roughness in an inductively coupled plasma (ICP) for the (AlGaIn)(AsSb)-compounds. The essential chemistry is based on Cl 2 with the addition of N 2 for sidewall passivation. The optimized ICP etch process is capable of producing high aspect ratio structures with smooth sidewalls. In situ reflectance monitoring with a 670-nm-wavelength laser was used to enable stop-etching at a material interface with high accuracy. Given the additional need for highly selective wet chemical etchants in the fabrication of GaSb based electronic and optoelectronic devices, an extensive investigation was also performed to examine numerous etch solutions. These etchants were listed with etch rates, selectivities, and surface roughness in order to validate their suitability for intended applications. Despite the frequent use of GaSb or InAsSb materials for etch stop layers against each other, devices where their unique type-II broken bandgap alignment is undesired require new selective wet etchants between GaSb and AlGaAsSb with good selectivity. All of the wet chemical and dry etching processes described here were optimized using an n-type GaSb substrate.

Fabrication of high quality factor GaAs/InAsSb photonic crystal microcavities by inductively coupled plasma etching and fast wet etching

Journal of Vacuum Science & Technology B: Microelectronics and Nanometer Structures

The authors demonstrate high quality factor GaAs-based L9 photonic crystal microcavities (PCMs) with embedded InAsSb quantum dots with emission in 1.3 lm at room temperature. The fabrication process uses reactive ion beam etching with a CHF 3 /N 2 gas mixture and reactive ion etching with a BCl 3 /N 2 gas mixture to form PCMs on air-suspended slabs. An optimum N 2 partial flux content of 0.65 and a successful removal of deposits formed during the membrane release by a fast wet etching in HF provide optical quality factors (Q-factors) as high as $30 000.