感应耦合等离子刻蚀二维低纳米级GaAs基光子晶体的过程优化研究

本文主要描述了用感应耦合等离子刻蚀系统（ICP）制作具有低纳米级空气孔阵列二维GaAs基光子晶体的过程。通过改变ICP功率，RF功率以及腔压三个参数，对光子晶体空气孔的侧壁和表面特性进行了系统的研究。结果表明，ICP功率的变化对空气孔侧壁和表面光滑度没有明显的影响，相反，RF功率和腔压对其起着重要的作用。最后通过优化各种过程参数，成功地获得了具有垂直平滑，直径约为130nm空气孔的光子晶体。本文ICP系统参数对光子晶体特性的影响主要通过扫描电镜进行分析，另外这种制作方法不局限于GaAs 基光子晶体，也可以应用于其它材料光子晶体的制作.

Optimization of inductively coupled plasma etching for low nanometer scale air-hole arrays in two-dimensional GaAs-based photonic crystals

This paper mainly describes fabrication of two-dimensional GaAs-based photonic crystals with low nanometer scale air-hole arrays using an inductively coupled plasma (ICP) etching system. The sidewall profile and surface characteristics of the photonic crystals are systematically investigated as a function of process parameters including ICP power, RF power and pressure. Various ICP powers have no significant effect on the verticality of air-hole sidewall and surface smoothness. In contrast, RF power and chamber pressure play a remarkable role in improving sidewall verticality and surface characteristics of photonic crystals indicating different etching mechanisms for low nanometer scale photonic crystals. The desired photonic crystals have been achieved with hole diameters as low as 130 nm with smooth and vertical profiles by developing a suitable ICP processes. The influence of the ICP parameters on this device system are analyzed mainly by scanning electron microscopy. This fabrication approach is not limited to GaAs material, and may be efficiently applied to the development of most two-dimensional photonic crystal slabs.