United States Patent
US Patent 8343878: Method of plasma etching GA-based compound…
US 8343878 · granted 2013-01-01
Abstract
A method of plasma etching Ga-based compound semiconductors includes providing a process chamber and a source electrode adjacent thereto. The chamber contains a Ga-based compound semiconductor sample in contact with a platen which is electrically connected to a first power supply, and the source electrode is electrically connected to a second power supply. SiCl.sub.4 and Ar gases are flowed into the chamber. RF power is supplied to the platen at a first power level, and RF power is supplied to the source electrode. A plasma is generated. Then, RF power is supplied to the platen at a second power level lower than the first power level and no greater than about 30 W. Regions of a surface of the sample adjacent to one or more masked portions of the surface are etched at a rate of no more than about 25 nm/min to create a substantially smooth etched surface.
| Patent Number | 8343878 |
|---|---|
| Title | Method of plasma etching GA-based compound semiconductors |
| Granted | 2013-01-01 |
| CPC Classification | H01L 21/302 |
| Number of Claims | 30 |
Abstract
A method of plasma etching Ga-based compound semiconductors includes providing a process chamber and a source electrode adjacent thereto. The chamber contains a Ga-based compound semiconductor sample in contact with a platen which is electrically connected to a first power supply, and the source electrode is electrically connected to a second power supply. SiCl.sub.4 and Ar gases are flowed into the chamber. RF power is supplied to the platen at a first power level, and RF power is supplied to the source electrode. A plasma is generated. Then, RF power is supplied to the platen at a second power level lower than the first power level and no greater than about 30 W. Regions of a surface of the sample adjacent to one or more masked portions of the surface are etched at a rate of no more than about 25 nm/min to create a substantially smooth etched surface.
Claim 1
A method of plasma etching Ga-based compound semiconductors, the method comprising: providing a process chamber and a source electrode adjacent to the processchamber, the process chamber containing a sample comprising a Ga-based compound semiconductor, the sample being in contact with a platen electrically connected to a first power supply, and the source electrode being electrically connected to a secondpower supply; flowing SiCl.sub.4 gas into the chamber; flowing Ar gas into the chamber; supplying RF power to the platen at a first power level using the first power supply; supplying RF power to the source electrode using the second power supply; generating a plasma based on the gases in the process chamber; after generating the plasma, supplying RF power to the platen at a second power level lower than the first power level and no greater than about 30 W; etching regions of a surface of thesample adjacent to one or more masked portions of the surface at an etching rate of no more than about 25 nm/min to create a substantially smooth etched surface.
Claims
30 totalA method of plasma etching Ga-based compound semiconductors, the method comprising: providing a process chamber and a source electrode adjacent to the processchamber, the process chamber containing a sample comprising a Ga-based compound semiconductor, the sample being in contact with a platen electrically connected to a first power supply, and the source electrode being electrically connected to a secondpower supply; flowing SiCl.sub.4 gas into the chamber; flowing Ar gas into the chamber; supplying RF power to the platen at a first power level using the first power supply; supplying RF power to the source electrode using the second power supply; generating a plasma based on the gases in the process chamber; after generating the plasma, supplying RF power to the platen at a second power level lower than the first power level and no greater than about 30 W; etching regions of a surface of thesample adjacent to one or more masked portions of the surface at an etching rate of no more than about 25 nm/min to create a substantially smooth etched surface.