PECVD SiC材料刻蚀技术

通过对PECVD SiC进行不同条件下的反应离子刻蚀（RIE）和电感耦合反应离子刻蚀（ICP）实验研究，提出了使用SF6和He的混合气体进行RIE刻蚀，并讨论了功率和压强分别对刻蚀速率的影响. 进一步研究了SiC中H含量对于RIE刻蚀速率的影响，同时验证ICP刻蚀过程中负载效应的存在.     

HBr反应离子刻蚀硅深槽

对ＨＢｒ反应离子刻蚀硅和ＳｉＯ２进行了实验研究。介绍了ＨＢｒ等离子体的刻蚀特性，讨论了ＨＢｒ反应离子刻蚀硅的刻蚀机理，研究了ＨＢｒ中微量氧、碳对ＨＢｒＲＩＥ刻蚀过程的影响。实验表明，ＨＢｒ是一种刻蚀硅深槽理想的含原子溴反应气体。采用ＨＢｒＲＩＥ，可获得高选择比（对Ｓｉ／ＳｉＯ２）和良好的各向异性。     

Fabrication of InGaAsP/InP buried heterostructure laser usingreactive ion etching and metalorganic chemical vapor deposition

1.3-μm InGaAsP/InP buried heterostructure lasers were fabricated using Ch₄/H₂ reactive ion etching (RIE) for mesa definition and metalorganic chemical vapor deposition for blocking laser growth. Results show that high-quality lasers can be made using RIE, with threshold current as low as 10 mA. It was also found that a slight chemical etching of the RIE mesas was necessary to obtain lasers with as high quality as those fabricated entirely by wet etching     

BST薄膜的反应离子刻蚀研究

钙钛矿结构的钛酸锶钡(BST)薄膜作为优良的介电、铁电材料在新一代的微机械系统(MEMS)、动态存储器(DRAM)及其他器件上的广泛应用,使得BST薄膜的刻蚀特性越来越重要。该文利用反应离子刻蚀装置,研究了溶胶-凝胶工艺制备的钛酸锶钡薄膜在CHF3/Ar等离子气体中的刻蚀情况。通过分析刻蚀速率及薄膜刻蚀前后表面形貌的变化,结果表明,刻蚀过程是离子轰击、离子辅助化学反应和化学反应刻蚀共同作用的结果。刻蚀速率为5.1 nm/min。Sr元素较难去除,成为阻碍刻蚀的重要因素。     

H2-based dry plasma etching for mesa structuring of HgCdTe

An experimental study has been carried out on the performance of n-type x = 0.31 HgCdTe photoconductive detectors in order to evaluate two different etching techniques; dry plasma etching, in the form of H₂/CH₄ reactive ion etching (RIE), and wet chemical etching using bromine in hydrobromic acid. Two-dimensional laser beam-induced current (LBIC) imaging was employed as an in-line process monitoring tool to evaluate the lateral extent of reactive ion etching (RIE) induced doping changes in the HgCdTe epilayer following mesa delineation. Responsivity and noise measurements were performed on fabricated mid-wavelength infrared (MWIR) photoconductive devices to evaluate the influence dry plasma etching has on material properties. For a signal wavelength of 3 μm, 60° field of view, and a temperature of 80 K, background limited D _λ ^* performance was recorded for wet chemical processed devices but not for the dry plasma processed devices. The D _λ ^* values obtained for wet chemical and dry plasma etched photoconductive detectors were 2.5×10¹¹ cmHz^1/2W⁻¹ and 1.0×10¹⁰ cmHz^1/2W⁻¹, respectively. Mercury annealing, which has been shown to restore the electrical properties of dry plasma processed HgCdTe, could be used to lessen the influence that RIE dry plasma etching has on photoconductor detector performance.     

Study of reactive ion etching process to fabricate the PMMA-based polymer waveguide

To fabricate a PMMA-based polymer waveguide, the reactive ion etching (RIE) process is systematically studied and the fabrication techniques are established. The etch rate and sidewall morphology in oxygen plasma are investigated as a function of the radio frequency power and gas flow rate. The optimum etch parameters are given, taking into account simultaneously minimum sidewall roughness and directional etching. An innovative approach is reported to smooth sidewalls through a treatment process using resolution and recuring. In comparison with the RIE process without treatment, the sidewall roughness is improved by a factor of about 3. The observed near-field pattern illustrates the waveguide, fabricated by using this technique, achieves single-mode transmission at 1550 nm wavelength.     

High throughput, high quality dry etching of copper/barrier film stacks

Dry etching of copper interconnect lines in a chlorine-based plasma has been investigated. Copper dry etching was carried out in a modified diode-type reactive ion etch (RIE) system and in an inductively coupled plasma (ICP) etch system. The ICP system offers a significant increase in copper etch rate compared with the low-efficiency RIE system while maintaining excellent pattern transfer accuracy. A number of fundamental issues in high quality and high throughput copper dry etching will be discussed. Electrical characterization of patterned copper lines with line width as small as 0.25 μm indicates low electrical resistivity and good electromigration performance.     

HgCdTe干法刻蚀的掩模技术研究

文章报道了HgCdTe微台面列阵ICP干法刻蚀掩模技术研究的初步结果。首先采用常规光刻胶作为HgCdTe材料的ICP干法刻蚀掩模。扫描电镜结果发现，由于刻蚀的选择比低，所以掩模图形退缩严重，刻蚀端面的平整度差，台面侧壁垂直度低。因此采用磁控溅射生长的SiO2掩模进行了相同的HgCdTe干法刻蚀。结果发现，SiO2掩模具有更高的选择比和更好的刻蚀端面。但是深入的测试表明，介质掩模的生长对HgCdTe表面造成了电学损伤。最后通过优化生长条件，获得了无损伤的磁控溅射生长SiO2掩模技术。     

MEMS制造中反应离子刻蚀工艺的模型及仿真

反应离子刻蚀（RIE）的二维物理模型,包括各向同性和各向异性两部分。该速率公式的参数由实验提取,随RIE工艺参数而变化。采用线算法和C＋＋编写用于模拟RIE刻蚀的计算机模拟软件,该软件可以对各种不同的起始条件进行模拟。对公式中的角度计算过程中可能出现的各种情况分别进行了讨论。为了确保软件的精度和稳定性,算法采用了添加点和减少点的方法,最后给出模拟软件的模拟结果,与实验结果比较吻合。     

SiCl4-based reactive ion etching of ZnO and MgxZn1−xO films on r-sapphire substrates

SiCl₄-based reactive ion etching (RIE) is used to etch Mg_xZn_1−xO (0≤x≤0.3) films grown on r-plane sapphire substrates. The RIE etch rates are investigated as a function of Mg composition, RIE power, and chamber pressure. SiO₂ is used as the etching mask to achieve a good etching profile. In comparison with wet chemical etching, the in-plane etching anisotropy of Mg_xZn_1−xO (0≤x≤0.3) films is reduced in RIE. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy measurements show that there is no Si and Cl contamination detected at the etched surface under the current RIE conditions. The influence of the RIE to the optical properties has been investigated.     

金薄膜的反应离子刻蚀工艺研究

采用反应离子刻蚀（RIE）工艺对金薄膜进行了干法刻蚀研究,得到了刻蚀速率随两极间偏压、气体压强和气体成分等因素变化的规律。试验结果表明,刻蚀速率随偏压的增加而增大;当压强增加时,刻蚀速率先增加后减小;不同种类的气体对刻蚀速率影响较大;刻蚀时间与刻蚀厚度在一定范围内成正比。另外,找到了控制刻蚀过程均匀性和选择比的方法。     

掺镁铌酸锂晶体的ICP刻蚀性能

掺镁铌酸锂晶体(Mg:LiNbO3)是一种相对难刻蚀的晶体,Mg:LiNbO3的干法刻蚀速率和刻蚀形貌控制是铌酸锂光电子器件加工中的关键技术之一。采用牛津仪器公司的Plasmalab System 100以SF6/Ar为刻蚀气体,具体研究Mg:LiNbO3的刻蚀速率随着感应耦合等离子体(ICP)功率、反应离子刻蚀(RIE)功率、气室压强和气体流量配比等刻蚀参数的变化,同时研究发现SF6/(Ar+SF6)气体流量配比还会影响刻蚀表面的粗糙度。实验结果表明:在ICP功率为1000W,RIE功率为150W,标准状态(0℃,1个标准大气压)下气体总流量为52mL/min,压强为0.532Pa,SF6/(Ar+SF6)气体体积分数为0.077的条件下,刻蚀速率可达到152nm/min,刻蚀表面粗糙度为1.37nm,可获得刻蚀深度为2.5μm,侧壁角度为74.8°的表面平整脊形Mg:LiNbO3结构。     

Comparison of plasma etch techniques for III–V nitrides

Fabrication of group-III nitride devices relies on the ability to pattern features to depths ranging from 1000 Å to >5 μm with anisotropic profiles, smooth morphologies, selective etching of one material over another and a low degree of plasma-induced damage. In this study, GaN etch rates and etch profiles are compared using reactive ion etch (RIE), reactive ion beam etching (RIBE), electron cyclotron resonance (ECR) and inductively coupled plasma (ICP) etch systems. RIE yielded the slowest etch rates and sloped etch profiles despite dc-biases >−900 V. ECR and ICP etching yielded the highest rates with anisotropic profiles due to their high plasma flux and the ability to control ion energies independently of plasma density. RIBE etch results also showed anisotropic profiles but with slower etch rates than either ECR or ICP possibly due to lower ion flux. InN and AlN etch characteristics are also compared using ICP and RIBE.     

InSb阵列探测芯片的感应耦合等离子反应刻蚀研究

利用感应耦合等离子（ICP）反应刻蚀（RIE）进行了InSb阵列芯片台面刻蚀,并利用轮廓仪、SEM及XRD对台面形貌以及刻蚀损伤进行分析。采用优化的ICP刻蚀参数,实现的刻蚀速率为70~90 nm/min,刻蚀台阶垂直度~80°,刻蚀表面平整光滑、损伤低。与常规的湿法腐蚀相比,明显降低了侧向钻蚀。台面采用此反应刻蚀工艺,制备了具有理想I-V特性的320×256 InSb探测阵列芯片,在-500 mV到零偏压范围内,光敏元（面积23 μm×23 μm）的动态阻抗（Rd）大于100 MΩ。     

Characterization of GaN films etched using reactive ion etching technique by secondary ion mass spectrometry

We investigated GaN films etched by using reactive ion etching (RIE) technique to fabricate the GaN-based devices. The samples were grown on sapphire substrate by metal organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD), and Ti/Al contacts were formed on n-GaN surfaces after etching processes. The effects of the kinds of reactive gases were evaluated by secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS). The results showed that in the sample etched using BCl₃ gas, the signal from boron contaminations was strongly detected at the interface between the contact metal and n-GaN, and we found that additional etching in Cl₂ plasma after etching with BCl₃ gas was essential to make a good contact.     

The design and the fabrication of monolithically integrated GaInAsP MQW laser with butt-coupled waveguide

We optimized the etching process for butt coupling to improve the reproducibility and the uniformity of the process for the integrated GaInAsP multiquantum-well laser with a butt-coupled waveguide. Three different ways of etching process were tested, which are reactive ion etching (RIE), RIE followed by a small amount (50 nm thick) of selective wet etching, and RIE followed by an adequate amount (125 nm thick) of selective wet etching. RIE followed by an adequate amount of selective wet etching showed the superior properties to the common expectation on RIE only, giving the measured coupling efficiency 96/spl plusmn/1.7% versus 34/spl plusmn/8%. The high coupling efficiency and the very small variation across a quarter of a 2-in wafer demonstrate that RIE coupled with an adequate amount of selective wet etching can also replace the conventional process for butt coupling, RIE followed by HBr-based nonselective wet etching, to fabricate high-quality integrated photonic devices.     

Reactive ion etching for VLSI

Reactive Ion Etching (RIE) is a dry etching technique that is used to etch 1-µm and submicrometer patterns into films of silicon and silicon compounds. RIE is suitable for VLSI applications because etching is anisotropic and proceeds via chemical reactions with the substrate. Anisotropic etching allows faithful reproduction of resist patterns into the films that make up a device, and chemical etching allows development of selective etching by manipulating the composition of the plasma. The RIE reactor is described and examples of its use to fabricate 1-µm MOSFET's are given. Concerns arising from the presence of a voltage between the substrates and the plasma, radiation damage of SiO2and contamination of silicon, are discussed.     

Effects of Ar and O2 additives on photopatternable sol-gel etching in an SF6-based plasma for planar lightwave circuit fabrication

We present a novel study of the interaction of SF₆-based plasmas with sol-gel materials in a parallel plate reactive ion etching (RIE) system. The purpose of these experiments was to obtain quantitative measures and optimisation of the RIE parameters, which can be used in the microfabrication of planar lightwave circuit (PLC) devices. The sulfur hexafluoride chemistry is chosen due to its excellent etching properties of SiO₂, which is one of the components of the photopatternable sol-gel materials and is not present in typical photoresist materials. Fast process etching rate and good selectivity is achieved by varying SF₆ flow and power delivered to the electrodes. The study also reveals a marginal influence of oxygen and argon flow on the character of the sol-gel etching. The experimental data obtained can be used as a reference for any sol-gel devices fabricated using widely available RIE reactors.     

Real-time control of reactive ion etching using neural networks

This paper explores the use of neural networks for real-time, model-based feedback control of reactive ion etching (RIE). This objective is accomplished in part by constructing a predictive model for the system that can be approximately inverted to achieve the desired control. An indirect adaptive control (IAC) strategy is pursued. The IAC structure includes a controller and plant emulator, which are implemented as two separate back-propagation neural networks. These components facilitate nonlinear system identification and control, respectively. The neural network controller is applied to controlling the etch rate of a GaAs/AlGaAs metal-semiconductor-metal (MSM) structure in a BCl₃/Cl₂ plasma using a Plasma Therm 700 SLR series RIE system. Results indicate that in the presence of disturbances and shifts in RIE performance, the IAC neural controller is able to adjust the recipe to match the etch rate to that of the target value in less than 5 s. These results are shown to be superior to those of a more conventional control scheme using the linear quadratic Gaussian method with loop-transfer recovery, which is based on a linearized transfer function model of the RIE system     

Influence of activated polymer on the etching rate of SiO2 in CF4 + H2 plasma

The reactive ion etching (RIE) of SiO₂ in CF₄ + H₂ plasma is considered. The influence of activated polymer on the RIE rate of SiO₂ in CF₄ + H₂ plasma is determined by extrapolation of experimentally measured kinetics of the etching rate. It is found that the increased surface coverage by CF₂ radicals suppresses the RIE rate of SiO₂ in CF₄ + H₂ plasma during the initial stages of the etching process. The formation of activated polymer becomes pronounced when adsorbed CF₂ radicals are slowly activated. The activated polymer intensifies the etching reaction and enhances the etching rate. At the same time, the activated polymer intensifies the polymerization reactions. The increased surface coverage by the polymer suppresses the RIE rate of SiO₂ in CF₄ + H₂ plasma at later stages of the etching process.