ECR RIE-Enhanced Low Pressure Plasma Etching of GaN/InGaN/AlGaN Heterostructures

1996 ◽  
Vol 1 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bedwyr Humphreys ◽  
Matthew Govett
Keyword(s):  
Etch Rate ◽  
Gas Flow ◽  
Electron Cyclotron Resonance ◽  
Plasma Source ◽  
Group V ◽  
Group Iii ◽  
Ecr Plasma ◽  
Selective Etch ◽  
Process Chemistry ◽  
Gas Flow Ratio

A room temperature (RT) plasma etch process has been developed to non-selectively etch GaN/InGaN/AlGaN structures, grown on sapphire substrates, using an electron cyclotron resonance (ECR) plasma source with RIE enhancement. The process chemistry chosen was Cl2/CH4 based in order to facilitate the formation of volatile etch by-products, typically to form group III halides and group V hydrides, although indium is more likely to form an organo-metallic compound as opposed to a chloride. A characteristic of this process is the very smooth sidewall features obtained and the controllability of the etch profile via ECR power, table bias and/or gas flow ratio. Typical results obtained using a RT process were etch rate above 100 nm/min., selectivity to resist mask above 30:1 and smooth anisotropic profile at low ion-energies (below 100 eV). The process etch rate showed a characteristic increase with increasing table bias (above 130 nm/min.) with only small changes in the relative etch rate of each compound (i.e. selectivity maintained at roughly 1:1), however, this etch does rely upon competing etching and deposition mechanisms and thus too large a variation in one parameter without a corresponding compensation with another leads to a rough surface and a more selective etch. The process has also been demonstrated using a metal mask (e.g. Ni) and present work is progressing onto other gas combinations and the use of high temperature electrodes.

Effects of gas adsorbed on solid surface during gas breakdown in electron cyclotron resonance discharge

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sheng Hui Fu ◽  
Zhen- Feng Ding
Keyword(s):  
Flow Rate ◽  
Gas Flow ◽  
Electron Cyclotron Resonance ◽  
Vertical Component ◽  
Plasma Source ◽  
Time Interval ◽  
Short Time Interval ◽  
Gas Flow Rate ◽  
Ecr Plasma ◽  
Long Time

Abstract The microwave breakdown power (Pwb) in an ECR plasma source was not merely determined by pressure (gas flow rate), but found to vary with the time interval between two successive breakdowns. The measured Pwb dropped rapidly from a high value at a short time interval to a low level at a long time interval. The obtained dependence of Pwb on pressure (gas flow rate) exhibited distinct features: the normal monotonicity and abnormal non-monotonicity at the short and long time intervals, respectively. The effective zone in the antenna’s surface bombarded by hot electrons heated in the ECR layer was validated by (1) masking the antenna with a film having a variable radius; (2) calculating the distribution of the vertical component of the microwave electric field with respect to the static magnetic field; (3) imaging glows of transient breakdown discharges with a fast camera. The reduction in Pwb was mainly attributed to the enhanced emission of δ-electrons from the gas-adsorbed antenna under the bombardment of energetic electrons coming from the ECR layer.. The correlation between the dynamic gas coverage and the coefficient emission of δ-electrons was established to understand the abnormal ECR breakdown features.

Amorphous Silicon-Carbon Alloys and Amorphous Carbon from Direct Methane and Ethylene Activation by ECR

1997 ◽  
Vol 467 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. P. Conde ◽  
V. Chu ◽  
F. Giorgis ◽  
C. F. Pirrt ◽  
S. Arekat
Keyword(s):  
Carbon Source ◽  
Amorphous Silicon ◽  
Gas Flow ◽  
Electron Cyclotron Resonance ◽  
Chemical Vapor ◽  
Plasma Stream ◽  
Ecr Plasma ◽  
Silicon Carbon ◽  
Gas Flow Ratio ◽  
Hydrogenated Amorphous

ABSTRACTHydrogenated amorphous silicon-carbon alloys are prepared using electron-cyclotron resonance (ECR) plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition. Hydrogen is introduced into the source resonance cavity as an excitation gas. Silane is introduced in the main chamber in the vicinity of the plasma stream, whereas the carbon source gases, methane or ethylene, are introduced either with the silane or with the hydrogen as excitation gases. The effect of the type of carbon-source gas, excitation gas mixture and silane-to-carbon source gas flow ratio on the deposition rate, bandgap, subgap density of states, spin density and hydrogen evolution are studied.

scholarly journals A Study of Parameters Related to the Etch Rate for a Dry Etch Process Using NF3/O2and SF6/O2

2014 ◽  
Vol 2014 ◽  
pp. 1-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Seon-Geun Oh ◽  
Kwang-Su Park ◽  
Young-Jun Lee ◽  
Jae-Hong Jeon ◽  
Hee-Hwan Choe ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Etch Rate ◽  
Gas Flow ◽  
Optical Emission ◽  
Process Conditions ◽  
Square Root ◽  
Dual Frequency ◽  
Capacitively Coupled ◽  
Atomic Fluorine ◽  
Gas Flow Ratio ◽  
Etch Rates

The characteristics of the dry etching ofSiNx:H thin films for display devices using SF6/O2and NF3/O2were investigated using a dual-frequency capacitively coupled plasma reactive ion etching (CCP-RIE) system. The investigation was carried out by varying the RF power ratio (13.56 MHz/2 MHz), pressure, and gas flow ratio. For theSiNx:H film, the etch rates obtained using NF3/O2were higher than those obtained using SF6/O2under various process conditions. The relationships between the etch rates and the usual monitoring parameters—the optical emission spectroscopy (OES) intensity of atomic fluorine (685.1 nm and 702.89 nm) and the voltagesVHandVL—were investigated. The OES intensity data indicated a correlation between the bulk plasma density and the atomic fluorine density. The etch rate was proportional to the product of the OES intensity of atomic fluorine(I(F))and the square root of the voltages(Vh+Vl)on the assumption that the velocity of the reactive fluorine was proportional to the square root of the voltages.

Lattice-Matched InAsN(X=0.38) on GaAs Grown by Molecular Beam Epitaxy

1996 ◽  
Vol 423 ◽  
Author(s):  
Y. C. Kao ◽  
T. P. E. Broekaert ◽  
H. Y. Liu ◽  
S. Tang ◽  
I. H. Ho ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Layer Structure ◽  
Plasma Source ◽  
Solubility Limit ◽  
Epitaxial Films ◽  
Group V ◽  
Mbe Growth ◽  
Growth Technique ◽  
Ecr Plasma ◽  
Nitrogen Incorporation ◽  
Lattice Matched

AbstractIn this paper, we report the MBE growth of high nitrogen content lattice-matched InAs1−xNx (x=0.38) single crystal epitaxial films on GaAs. The nitrogen incorporation is about an order higher than previously reported on other mixed group V nitride alloys. These data are consistent with a nitrogen solubility limit calculation in various III-V binary alloys, which predicts orders of magnitude higher nitrogen incorporation in InAs than any other alloys. InAsN growths were obtained using a modified ECR-MBE system with atomic-nitrogen generated by an ECR plasma source. Improved crystal quality was obtained using a “template” growth technique. An x-ray linewidth of 270 arc-s was achieved on a 0.4 μm thick InAs0.62N0.38/GaAs multi-layer structure. Hall effect data show these InAsN films are semi-metallic.

InNxSb1−x Light Emitting Diodes Grown by MBE

1999 ◽  
Vol 607 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. D. Johnson ◽  
R. H. Bennett ◽  
J. Newey ◽  
G J Pryce ◽  
G M Williams ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Light Emitting Diodes ◽  
Electron Cyclotron Resonance ◽  
Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry ◽  
Active Regions ◽  
Plasma Source ◽  
X Ray Diffraction ◽  
Double Crystal ◽  
Light Emitting ◽  
Ecr Plasma ◽  
Transmission Electron

We present the first reported MBE growth of light emitting diodes (LED's) with active regions made up of InSb/ InNxSbl−x (O<x<0.02) superlattices, grown onto InSb(100) substrates. Such dilute alloys of nitrogen in other III-V materials have been shown to exhibit very large bandgap bowing parameters due to differences in atomic size and the electro-negativity of nitrogen. Novel growth techniques have been developed to enable epitaxy of high quality InNxSbl−x, using an electron cyclotron resonance (ECR) plasma source. Material characterisation was performed by double crystal x-ray diffraction (DXRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and nitrogen composition has been determined using DXRD and secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS). To determine the effect of nitrogen on bandgap, the structures have been fabricated into LED's with InSb/InNxSbl−x superlattice active regions with period ∼1100A. For a nitrogen content of ∼0.3%, the peak emission of the diodes shifts from ∼6pm to >71µm at room temperature.

Residual Stress in Silicon Nitride Thin Films Deposited by ECR-PECVD

2003 ◽  
Vol 795 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. Cianci ◽  
V. Foglietti
Keyword(s):  
Silicon Nitride ◽  
Gas Flow ◽  
Electron Cyclotron Resonance ◽  
Chemical Vapour ◽  
Intrinsic Stress ◽  
Nitrogen Gas ◽  
Influence Of Process Parameters ◽  
Bond Density ◽  
Gas Flow Ratio ◽  
Resonance Plasma

ABSTRACTWe have investigated the influence of process parameters in electron cyclotron resonance plasma enhanced chemical vapour deposition (ECR-PECVD) of silicon nitride, on the intrinsic stress of thin SiN films and on their composition, in order to obtain SiNx films suitable to micromechanical applications. The silane to nitrogen gas flow ratio, along with addition of helium to gas mixture, was found to be a critical parameter for the tuning of the intrinsic stress in ECR-PECVD SiNx films, from compressive to tensile stress, with a maximum related to the largest Si-N bond density in the film.

ECR Plasma Deposition of Dielectrics for Optoelectronic Applications

1989 ◽  
Vol 165 ◽  
Author(s):  
Steven Dzioba
Keyword(s):  
Electron Cyclotron Resonance ◽  
Plasma Deposition ◽  
Plasma Source ◽  
Optoelectronic Device ◽  
Dielectric Films ◽  
Film Properties ◽  
Ecr Plasma ◽  
Device Applications ◽  
Inp Substrates

A UHV electron cyclotron resonance (ECR) plasma source has been used to deposit SiNx, SiOxNy and amorphous Si thin films on InP substrates for optoelectronic device applications. High quality dielectric films can be deposited at temperatures significantly lower than conventional techniques, namely less than 110°C. Selected applications pertinent to optoelectronic devices are used to establish the role of ion/electron fluxes in thin film properties.

The Effects of the Addition of CF4, Cl2, and N2 TO O2 ECR Plasma on the ETCH Rate, Selectivity and Etched Profile of RuO2 Film

1997 ◽  
Vol 493 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eung-Jik Lee ◽  
Jong-Sam Kim ◽  
Jin-Woong Kim ◽  
Ki-Ho Baik ◽  
Won-Jong Lee
Keyword(s):  
Cyclotron Resonance ◽  
Emission Spectroscopy ◽  
Etch Rate ◽  
Oxygen Radicals ◽  
Optical Emission Spectroscopy ◽  
Electron Cyclotron Resonance ◽  
Optical Emission ◽  
Quadrupole Mass ◽  
Plasma System ◽  
Ecr Plasma

ABSTRACTIn this study, we investigated the effects of the addition of CF4, Cl2, and N2 gases to oxygen electron cyclotron resonance (ECR) plasma on the reactive ion etching (RIE) properties of RuO2 film such as etch rate, selectivity, and etched profile. The concentration of the etching species in the plasma was analyzed with an optical emission spectroscopy (OES) and a quadrupole mass spectrometer (QMS). The etch product was also examined with QMS.The addition of a small amount of CF4, Cl2, or N2 to the O2 plasma increases the concentration of oxygen radicals and accordingly increases the etch rate of the RUO2 films appreciably. The etch rate of the RuO2 film was enhanced more with the addition of a small amount of CF4 and CI2 than with the addition of N2. On the contrary, the etched profile obtained in O2/N2 plasma was superior, without any damaged layer at the sidewall, to O2/CF4 and O2/Cl2 plasma. The selectivity of RuO2 to Si)2 mask was over 20:1 for each of the additive gas proportion at which the etch rate was maximum for each plasma system.

Numerical Investigation of Pulsed Chemical Vapor Deposition of Aluminum Nitride to Reduce Particle Formation

2011 ◽  
Author(s):  
Derek Endres ◽  
Sandip Mazumder
Keyword(s):  
Gas Phase ◽  
Direct Contact ◽  
Gas Flow ◽  
Film Growth ◽  
Chemical Vapor ◽  
Particle Formation ◽  
Group V ◽  
Flow Rates ◽  
Group Iii ◽  
Reactor Pressure

Particles of aluminum nitride (AlN) have been observed to form during epitaxial growth of AlN films by metal organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD). Particle formation is undesirable because particles do not contribute to the film growth, and are detrimental to the hydraulic system of the reactor. It is believed that particle formation is triggered by adducts that are formed when the group-III precursor, namely tri-methyl-aluminum (TMAl), and the group-V precursor, namely ammonia (NH3), come in direct contact in the gas-phase. Thus, one way to eliminate particle formation is to prevent the group-III and the group-V precursors from coming in direct contact at all in the gas-phase. In this article, pulsing of TMAl and NH3 is numerically investigated as a means to reduce AlN particle formation. The investigations are conducted using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis with the inclusion of detailed chemical reaction mechanisms both in the gas-phase and at the surface. The CFD code is first validated for steady-state (non-pulsed) MOCVD of AlN against published data. Subsequently, it is exercised for pulsed MOCVD with various pulse widths, precursor gas flow rates, wafer temperature, and reactor pressure. It is found that in order to significantly reduce particle formation, the group-III and group-V precursors need to be separated by a carrier gas pulse, and the carrier gas pulse should be at least 5–6 times as long as the precursor gas pulses. The studies also reveal that with the same time-averaged precursor gas flow rates as steady injection (non-pulsed) conditions, pulsed MOCVD can result in higher film growth rates because the precursors are incorporated into the film, rather than being wasted as particles. The improvement in growth rate was noted for both horizontal and vertical reactors, and was found to be most pronounced for intermediate wafer temperature and intermediate reactor pressure.

AlN Grown by Metalorganic Molecular Beam Epitaxy

1994 ◽  
Vol 363 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. D. Mackenzie ◽  
C. R. Abernathy ◽  
S. J. Pearton ◽  
R. G. Wilson
Keyword(s):  
Molecular Beam Epitaxy ◽  
Molecular Beam ◽  
Electron Cyclotron Resonance ◽  
Nitrogen Sources ◽  
Plasma Source ◽  
Structural Quality ◽  
X Ray ◽  
Ecr Plasma ◽  
Metalorganic Molecular Beam Epitaxy ◽  
Surface Morphologies

AbstractThin film AlN has been grown on Al2O3 and GaAs substrates by metalorganic molecular beam epitaxy (MOMBE) using amine bonded alane precursors, tertiarybutylamine, and nitrogen from a compact electron cyclotron resonance (ECR) plasma source operating at 2.45 GHz. Typical growth pressures were in the 0.5 − 1 × 10−4 Torr range. The growth rates, impurity backgrounds and surface morphologies were examined for both nitrogen sources and both the solid and liquid alanes. In general, growth efficiencies were good for both alane precursors, allowing for deposition of the low temperature, ∼ 400°C, AlN buffers needed for subsequent growth of GaN and InGaAlN alloys. Low growth temperatures could not be obtained using tertiarybutylamine, presumably due to poor decomposition efficiency of the source at low temperatures. The structural quality of material grown at high temperatures from the ECR plasma was measured by atomic force microscopy (AFM) and high resolution x-ray diffraction (HRXRD), indicating a surface roughness of ∼ 8 Å and an x-ray width half maximum (FWHM) of 430 arcsec.

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