中国物理B ›› 2022, Vol. 31 ›› Issue (1): 18101-018101.doi: 10.1088/1674-1056/ac032d

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Removal of GaN film over AlGaN with inductively coupled BCl3/Ar atomic layer etch

Jia-Le Tang(唐家乐) and Chao Liu(刘超)   

  1. School of Physics and Electronic Engineering, Jiangsu Normal University(JSNU), Xuzhou 221116, China
  • 收稿日期:2021-03-16 修回日期:2021-05-13 接受日期:2021-05-20 出版日期:2021-12-03 发布日期:2021-12-23
  • 通讯作者: Jia-Le Tang E-mail:1784704746@qq.com
  • 基金资助:
    Project supported by the National Foreign Experts Bureau High-end Foreign Experts Project, China (Grant No. G20190114003), the Key Research and Development Program of Jiangsu Province, China (Grant No. BE2018063), the Natural Science Research Projects of Colleges and Universities in Jiangsu Province, China (Grant No. 19KJD140002), and the Scientific Research Program for Doctoral Teachers of JSNU, China (Grant No. 9212218113).

Removal of GaN film over AlGaN with inductively coupled BCl3/Ar atomic layer etch

Jia-Le Tang(唐家乐) and Chao Liu(刘超)   

  1. School of Physics and Electronic Engineering, Jiangsu Normal University(JSNU), Xuzhou 221116, China
  • Received:2021-03-16 Revised:2021-05-13 Accepted:2021-05-20 Online:2021-12-03 Published:2021-12-23
  • Contact: Jia-Le Tang E-mail:1784704746@qq.com
  • Supported by:
    Project supported by the National Foreign Experts Bureau High-end Foreign Experts Project, China (Grant No. G20190114003), the Key Research and Development Program of Jiangsu Province, China (Grant No. BE2018063), the Natural Science Research Projects of Colleges and Universities in Jiangsu Province, China (Grant No. 19KJD140002), and the Scientific Research Program for Doctoral Teachers of JSNU, China (Grant No. 9212218113).

摘要: Atomic layer etching (ALE) of thin film GaN (0001) is reported in detail using sequential surface modification by BCl3 adsorption and removal of the modified surface layer by low energy Ar plasma exposure in a reactive ion etching system. The estimated etching rate of GaN is ~ 0.74 nm/cycle. The GaN is removed from the surface of AlGaN after 135 cycles. To study the mechanism of the etching, the detailed characterization and analyses are carried out, including scanning electron microscope (SEM), x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and atomic force microscope (AFM). It is found that in the presence of GaClx after surface modification by BCl3, the GaClx disappears after having exposed to low energy Ar plasma, which effectively exhibits the mechanism of atomic layer etch. This technique enables a uniform and reproducible fabrication process for enhancement-mode high electron mobility transistors with a p-GaN gate.

关键词: atomic layer etch, GaN, high electron mobility transistor

Abstract: Atomic layer etching (ALE) of thin film GaN (0001) is reported in detail using sequential surface modification by BCl3 adsorption and removal of the modified surface layer by low energy Ar plasma exposure in a reactive ion etching system. The estimated etching rate of GaN is ~ 0.74 nm/cycle. The GaN is removed from the surface of AlGaN after 135 cycles. To study the mechanism of the etching, the detailed characterization and analyses are carried out, including scanning electron microscope (SEM), x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and atomic force microscope (AFM). It is found that in the presence of GaClx after surface modification by BCl3, the GaClx disappears after having exposed to low energy Ar plasma, which effectively exhibits the mechanism of atomic layer etch. This technique enables a uniform and reproducible fabrication process for enhancement-mode high electron mobility transistors with a p-GaN gate.

Key words: atomic layer etch, GaN, high electron mobility transistor

中图分类号:  (Etching and cleaning)

  • 52.77.Bn
61.72.uj (III-V and II-VI semiconductors) 85.30.De (Semiconductor-device characterization, design, and modeling)