• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers Conference
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• 2003.07a
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• pp.31-36
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• 2003

We investigated dry etching of GaAs and AlGaAs in a high density planar inductively coupled plasma system with $BCl_3$ and $BCl_3/Ar$ gas chemistry. A detailed process study as a function of ICP source power, RIE chuck power and $BCl_3/Ar$ mixing ratio was performed. At this time, chamber pressure was fixed at 7.5 mTorr. The ICP source power and RIE chuck power were varied from 0 to 500 W and from 0 to 150 W, respectively. GaAs etch rate increased with the increase of ICP source power and RE chuck power. It was also found that etch rate of GaAs in $BCl_3$ gas with 25% Ar addition was superior to that of GaAs in a pure $BCl_3$ (20 sccm $BCl_3$) plasma. The result was same with AlGaAs. We expect that high ion-assisted effect in $BCl_3$/Ar plasma increased etch rates of both materials. The GaAs and AIGaAs features etched at 20 sccm $BCl_3$ and $15BCl_3/5Ar$ with 300 W ICP source power, 100 W RIE chuck power and 7.5 mTorr showed very smooth surfaces(RMS roughness < 2 nm) and excellent sidewall. XPS study on the surfaces of processed GaAs also proved extremely clean surfaces of the materials after dry etching.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.13 no.10
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• pp.635-639
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• 2003

We investigated dry etching of GaAs and AiGaAs in a high density planar inductively coupled plasma system with BCl$_3$and BCl$_3$/Ar gas chemistry. A detailed etch process study of GaAs and ALGaAs was peformed as functions of ICP source power, RIE chuck power and mixing ratio of $BCl_3$ and Ar. Chamber process pressure was fixed at 7.5 mTorr in this study. The ICP source power and RIE chuck power were varied from 0 to 500 W and from 0 to 150 W, respectively. GaAs etch rate increased with the increase of ICP source power and RIE chuck power. It was also found that etch rates of GaAs in $15BCi_3$/5Ar plasmas were relatively high with applied RIE chuck power compared to pure 20 sccm $BCl_3$plasmas. The result was the same as AlGaAs. We expect that high ion-assisted effect in $BCl_3$/Ar plasma increased etch rates of both materials. The GaAs and AlGaAs features etched at 20 sccm $BCl_3$and $15BCl_3$/5Ar with 300 W ICP source power, 100 W RIE chuck power and 7.5 mTorr showed very smooth surfaces(RMS roughness < 2 nm) and excellent sidewall. XPS study on the surfaces of processed GaAs also proved extremely clean surfaces of the materials after dry etching.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers Conference
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• 2003.07a
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• pp.361-365
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• 2003

Planar Inductively Coupled Plasma (PICP) etching of InGaP was performed in $BCl_3,\;BCl_3/Ar\;and\;BCl_3/Ne$ plasmas as a function of ICP source power ($0\;{\sim}\;500\;W$), RIE chuck power ($0\;{\sim}\;150\;W$), chamber pressure ($5\;{\sim}\;15\;mTorr$) and gas composition of $BCl_3/Ar\;and\;BCl_3/Ne$. Total gas flow was fixed at 20 sccm (standard cubic centimeter per minute). Increase of ICP source power and RIE chuck power raised etch rate of InGaP, while that of chamber pressure reduced etch rate. We also found that some addition of Ar and Ne in $BCl_3$ plasma improved etch rate of InGaP. InGaP etch rate was varied from $1580\;{\AA}/min$ with pure $BC_3\;to\;2800\;{\AA}/min$ and $4700\;{\AA}/min$ with 25 % Ar and Ne addition, respectively. Other process conditions were fixed at 300 W ICP source power, 100 W RIE chuck power and 7.5 mTorr chamber pressure. SEM (scanning electron microscopy) and AFM (atomic force microscopy) data showed vertical side wall and smooth surface of InGaP at the same condition. Proper addition of noble gases Ar and Ne (less than about 50 %) in $BCl_3$ inductively coupled plasma have resulted in not only increase of etch rate but also minimum preferential loss and smooth surface morphology by ion-assisted effect.

• Journal of the Korean institute of surface engineering
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• v.36 no.5
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• pp.418-422
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• 2003

평판형 유도결합 플라즈마 식각장비(inductively coupled plasma etcher)를 이용하여 각종 공정조건들에 따른 GaAs의 식각특성을 연구하였다. 공정변수들은 ICP 소스파워(0-500 W), RIE 척파워(0-150 W), 가스 종류($BCl_3$, $BCl_3$/Ar, $BCl_3$/Ne) 및 가스혼합비였다. $BCl_3$ 가스만을 이용하여 GaAs를 식각한 경우보다 25%의 Ar이나 Ne같은 불활성 기체를 혼합한 $15BCl_3$/5Ar, $15BCl_3$/5Ne 가스를 이용한 경우의 식각률이 더 우수한 것을 확인하였다. 그리고 50% 이하의 Ar이 혼합된 $BCl_3$/Ar의 경우는 높은 식각률 (＞4,000 $\AA$/min)과 평탄한 표면(RMS roughness : ＜2 nm)을 얻을 수 있었지만 지나친 양(＞50%)의 Ar의 혼합은 오히려 표면을 거칠게 하거나 식각률을 떨어뜨리는 결과를 가져왔다. 그리고 20 sccm $BCl_3$, 100 W RIE 척파워, 300 W ICP 소스파워, 공정압력이 7.5 mTorr인 조건에서의 GaAs의 식각결과는 아주 우수한 특성(식각률: ∼ 4,000, $\AA$/min, 우수한 수직측벽도: ＞$87^{\circ}$, 평탄한 표면: RMS roughness : ∼0.6 nm)을 나타내었다.

• The Transactions of The Korean Institute of Electrical Engineers
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• v.56 no.2
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• pp.349-354
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• 2007

In this work, we investigated etching characteristics of $HfO_2$ thin film and Si using inductive coupled plasma(ICP) system. The ion energy distribution functions in an ICP system was analyzed by quadrupole mass spectrometer(QMS) with an electrostatic ion energy analyzer. The maximum etch rate of $HfO_2$ thin film is 85.5 nm/min at a $BCl_3/(BCl_3+Ar)$ of 20 % and decreased with further addition of $BCl_3$ gas. From the QMS measurements, the most dominant positive ion energy distributions(IEDS) showed a maximum at 20 % of $BCl_3$. These tendency was very similar to the etch characteristics. This result agreed with the universal energy dependency of ion enhanced chemical etching yields. And the maximum selectivity of $HfO_2$ over Si is 3.05 at a $O_2$ addition of 2 sccm into the $BCl_3/(BCl_3+Ar)$ of 20 % plasma.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers Conference
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• 2003.07a
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• pp.75-79
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• 2003

We studied InP etch results in high density planar inductively coupled $BCl_3$ and $BCl_3$/Ar plasmas. The investigated process parameters were ICP source power, RIE chuck power, chamber pressure and $BCl_3$/Ar gas composition. It was found that increase of ICP source power and RIE chuck power raised etch rate of InP, while that of chamber pressure decreased etch rate. Etched InP surface was clean and smooth (RMS roughness < 2 nm) with a moderate etch rate ($300\;{\sim}\;500\;{\AA}/min$) after the planar $BCl_3/Ar$ ICP etching. It may make it possible to open a new regime of InP etching with $CH_4/H_2$ - free plasma chemistry. Some amount of Ar addition (< 50%) also improved etch rates of InP, while too much Ar addition reduced etch rates of InP.

• Proceedings of the Materials Research Society of Korea Conference
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• 2003.03a
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• pp.88-88
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• 2003

Optical Emission Spectroscopy(OES) is a very important technology for real-time monitoring of plasma in a reactor during dry etching process. OES technology is non-invasive to the plasma process. It can be used to collect information on excitation and recombination between electrons and ions in the plasma. It also helps easily diagnose plasma intensity and monitor end-point during plasma etch processing. We studied high density planar inductively coupled BCl$_3$ and BCl$_3$/Ar plasma with an OES as a function of processing pressure, RIE chuck power, ICP source power and gas composition. The scan range of wavelength used was from 400 nm to 1000 nm. It was found that OES peak Intensity was a strong function of ICP source power and processing pressure, while it was almost independent on RIE chuck power in BCl$_3$-based planar ICP processes. It was also worthwhile to note that increase of processing pressure reduced negatively self-induced dc bias. The case was reverse for RIE chuck power. ICP power and gas composition hardly had influence on do bias. We will report OES results of high density planar inductively coupled BCl$_3$ and BCl$_3$/Ar Plasma in detail in this presentation.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.266-270
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• 2003

We studied BCl$_3$ dry etching of GaAs in a planar inductively coupled plasma system. The investigated process parameters were planar ICP source power, chamber pressure, RIE chuck power and gas flow rate. The ICP source power was varied from 0 to 500 W. Chamber pressure, RIE chuck power and gas flow rate were controlled from 5 to 15 mTorr, 0 to 150 W and 10 to 40 sccm, respectively. We found that a process condition at 20 sccm $BCl_3$ 300 W ICP, 100 W RIE and 7.5 mTorr chamber pressure gave an excellent etch result. The etched GaAs feature depicted extremely smooth surface (RMS roughness < 1 nm), vertical sidewall, relatively fast etch rate (> $3000\AA$/min) and good selectivity to a photoresist (> 3 : 1). XPS study indicated a very clean surface of the material after dry etching of GaAs. We also noticed that our planar ICP source was successfully ignited both with and without RIE chuck power, which was generally not the case with a typical cylindrical ICP source, where assistance of RIE chuck power was required for turning on a plasma and maintaining it. It demonstrated that the planar ICP source could be a very versatile tool for advanced dry etching of damage-sensitive compound semiconductors.

• Proceedings of the KIEE Conference
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• 2003.10a
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• pp.309-311
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• 2003

The effects of etch parameters on dry etching of BLT thin films were investigated with ICP etch system in $Cl_2$/Ar and $BCl_2/Cl_2$/Ar gas. The etch rate and etch selectivity of BLT films were examined as a function of gas concentration, ICP power, bias power, and pressure. The maximum etch rates of 191.1 nm/min was obtained at the mixed etch condition of $BCl_3(20%)/Cl_2$/Ar, 700 W ICP RF power, 12 mTorr pressure and 400 W substrate RF power. As ICP power and rf power increased, the etch rate of BLT increased. As pressure increased, the etch rate of BLT decreased. The changes of radicals in both $Cl_2$/Ar and $BCl_3/Cl_2$/Ar plasma were measured with using optical emission spectroscopy (OES).

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers Conference
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• 2007.11a
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• pp.188-189
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• 2007

The etching characteristics of $Al_2O_3$ films using the inductively coupled plasma (ICP) was investigated. The etch gas was the mixture of $BCl_3$ and He. The effect of ICP source and bias powers on etch rate and etch selectivity to polycrystalline Si was investigated in the etch process of $Al_2O_3$. The etch rate of $Al_2O_3$ film was 23nm/min when the source power and bias power were 600W and 60W, respectively. The results also indicated that the etch selectivity to polycrystalline Si could not be enhanced to be higher than 1.0 by changing the ICP source power and bias power, under the experimental conditions used in the present work. Based on plasma parameters extracted from Langmuir probe data, the etching mechanism of $Al_2O_3$ film was discussed in detail.