Patterning of GaN in High-Density Cl2- and BCl3-Based Plasmas

Abstract

ABSTRACTFabrication of group-Ill nitride electronic and photonic devices relies heavily on the ability to pattern features with anisotropie profiles, smooth surface morphologies, etch rates often exceeding 0.5 μm/min, and a low degree of plasma-induced damage. Patterning these materials has been especially difficult due to their high bond energies and their relatively inert chemical nature as compared to other compound semiconductors. However, high-density plasma etching has been an effective patterning technique due to ion fluxes which are 2 to 4 orders of magnitude higher than conventional RIE systems. GaN etch rates as high as -1.3 μm/min have been reported in ECR generated ICI plasmas at -150 V dc-bias. In this study, we report high-density GaN etch results for ECR- and ICP-generated plasmas as a function of Cl2- and BCl3-based plasma chemistries.