Deep reactive ion etching of silicon carbide

Tanaka, S and Rajanna, K and Abe, T and Esashi, M (2001) Deep reactive ion etching of silicon carbide. In: Journal of Vacuum Science & Technology B: Microelectronics and Nanometer Structures, 19 (6). 2173 -2176.

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Abstract

In this article, we describe more than 100-\mu m-deep reactive ion etching (RIE) of silicon carbide (SiC) in oxygen-added sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) plasma. We used a homemade magnetically enhanced, inductively coupled plasma reactive ion etcher (ME-ICP-RIE) and electroplated nickel masks. First, 5 h etching experiments using etching gases with 0%, 5%, 10% and 20% oxygen were performed by supplying rf power of 150 and 130 W to an ICP antenna and a sample stage, respectively. They demonstrated a maximum etch rate of 0.45 \mu m/min and residue-free etching in the case of 5% oxygen addition. Observation of the cross sections of etched samples using a scanning electron microscope confirmed a microloading effect, which is reduction of the etched depth with a decrease in the mask opening width. Next, a 7 h etching experiment using an etching gas with 5% oxygen was performed by increasing the rf power to the sample stage to 150 W. This yielded an etched depth of 216 \mu m.

Item Type:	Journal Article
Publication:	Journal of Vacuum Science & Technology B: Microelectronics and Nanometer Structures
Publisher:	American Vacuum Society
Additional Information:	Copyright for this article belongs to American Vacuum Society.
Department/Centre:	Division of Physical & Mathematical Sciences > Instrumentation Appiled Physics
Date Deposited:	05 Apr 2005
Last Modified:	22 Feb 2012 07:08
URI:	http://eprints.iisc.ac.in/id/eprint/2737

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