• The Transactions of the Korean Institute of Electrical Engineers C
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• v.48 no.9
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• pp.616-621
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• 1999

A planar inductively coupled $CH_4/H_2/Ar$plasma was used to investigate dry etch characteristics of GaN as a function of input power, RF bias power, and etch gas composition. Etch rate of GaN increased with input power up to 600 W and was saturated at the higher power. Also, the etch rates increased with increasing RF bias power, composition of $CH_4$ and Ar gas. We achieved the maximum etch rate of $930{\AA}$/min at the input power 400 W, RF bias power 250 W, and operational pressure 10 mTorr. This paper shows that smooth etched surface having roughness less than 1 nm in rms can be obtained by using planar inductively coupled plasma with $CH_4/H_2/Ar$ gas chemistry.

• The Transactions of the Korean Institute of Electrical Engineers C
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• v.49 no.8
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• pp.438-444
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• 2000

We report the effects of etch process parameters on the ohmic contact formation in the plasma etching of GaN. Planar inductively coupled plasma system with $CH_4/H_2/Ar$gas chemistry has been used as etch reactor. The contact resistance and the specific contact resistance have been investigated using transfer length method as a function of RF bias power and %Ar gas concentration in total flow rate. AES(Auger electron spectroscopy) analysis revealed that the etched GaN has nonstoichiometric Ga rich surface and was contaminated by carbon and oxygen. Especially large amount of carbon was detected at the sample etched for high bias power (or voltage) condition, where severe degradation of contact resistance was occurred. We achieved the low ohmic contact of $2.4{\times}10^{-3} {\Omega}cm^2$ specific contact resistance at the input power 400 W, RF bias power 150 W, and working pressure 10mTorr with 10 sccm $CH_4$, 15 sccm H2, 5 sccm Ar gas composition.

• Proceedings of the KIEE Conference
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• 1997.11a
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• pp.276-278
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• 1997

The reliable etching process is one of the essential steps in fabricating GaN based-device. High etch rate is needed to obtain a deeply etched structure and perfect anisotropic etched facet is needed to obtain lasing profile. In the research, therefore, we had proposed a planar inductively coupled plasma etcher (Planar ICP Etcher) as a high density plasma source, and studied the etching mechanism using the $CH_4/H_2$/Ar gas mixture. Dry etching characteristics such as etch rate, anisotropic etching profile and so on, for the III-V nitride layers were investigated using Planar ICP Etcher, based on the plasma characteristic as a variation of plasma process parameters.

• 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.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.13 no.12
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• pp.775-778
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• 2003

We studied InP etching in high density planar inductively coupled $BCl_3$and $BCl_3$/Ar plasmas(PICP). The investigated process parameters were PICP source power, RIE chuck power, chamber pressure and $BCl_3$/Ar gas composition. It was found that increase of PICP source power and RIE chuck power increased 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 (300-500 $\AA$/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.