High-density plasma etch selectivity for the III–V nitrides

High-density plasma etching has been an effective patterning technique for the group-III nitrides due to ion fluxes which are 2–4 orders of magnitude higher than more conventional reactive ion etch (RIE) systems. GaN etch rates exceeding 0.68 μm/min have been reported in Cl₂/H₂/Ar inductively coupled plasmas (ICP) at −280 V dc-bias. Under these conditions, the etch mechanism is dominated by ion bombardment energies which can induce damage and minimize etch selectivity. High selectivity etch processes are often necessary for heterostructure devices which are becoming more prominent as growth techniques improve. In this study, we will report high-density ICP etch rates and selectivities for GaN, AlN, and InN as a function of plasma chemistry, cathode rf-power, ICP-source power, and chamber pressure. GaN:AlN selectivities >8:1 were observed in a Cl₂/Ar plasma at 10 mTorr pressure, 500 W ICP-source power, and 130 W cathode rf-power, while the GaN:InN selectivity was optimized at 6.5:1 at 5 mTorr, 500 W ICP-source power, and 130 W cathode rf-power.     

Cl2-based dry etching of the AlGaInN system in inductively coupled plasmas

Cl₂-Based inductively coupled plasmas with low additional d.c. self-biases (−100 V) produce convenient etch rates (500–1500 Å·min⁻¹) for GaN, AlN, InN, InAlN and InGaN. A systematic study of the effects of additive gas (Ar, N₂, H₂), discharge composition and ICP source power and chuck power on etch rate and surface morphology has been performed. The general trends are to go through a maximum in etch rate with percent Cl₂ in the discharge for all three mixtures and to have an increase (decrease) in etch rate with source power (pressure). Since the etching is strongly ion-assisted, anisotropic pattern transfer is readily achieved. Maximum etch selectivities of approximately 6 for InN over the other nitrides were obtained.     

Wet chemical etching survey of III-nitrides

Wet chemical etching of GaN, InN, AlN, InAlN and InGaN was investigated in various acid and base solutions at temperatures up to 75°C. Only KOH-based solutions were found to etch AlN and InAlN. No enchants were found for the other nitrides, emphasizing their extreme lack of chemical reactivity. The native oxide on most of the nitrides could be removed in potassium tetraborate at 75°C, or HCl/H₂O at 25°C.     

Comparison of plasma etch techniques for III–V nitrides

Fabrication of group-III nitride devices relies on the ability to pattern features to depths ranging from 1000 Å to >5 μm with anisotropic profiles, smooth morphologies, selective etching of one material over another and a low degree of plasma-induced damage. In this study, GaN etch rates and etch profiles are compared using reactive ion etch (RIE), reactive ion beam etching (RIBE), electron cyclotron resonance (ECR) and inductively coupled plasma (ICP) etch systems. RIE yielded the slowest etch rates and sloped etch profiles despite dc-biases >−900 V. ECR and ICP etching yielded the highest rates with anisotropic profiles due to their high plasma flux and the ability to control ion energies independently of plasma density. RIBE etch results also showed anisotropic profiles but with slower etch rates than either ECR or ICP possibly due to lower ion flux. InN and AlN etch characteristics are also compared using ICP and RIBE.     

Dry etch selectivity of Gd2O3 to GaN and AlN

Gd₂O₃ is a promising gate dielectric for GaN, but little is known of its dry etching characteristics. We achieved Gd₂O₃ etch rates up to ～600 Å · min^?1 in high density Cl2-based discharges, with maximum selectivities of ～15 over GaN and ～4 over AlN. Pure Cl₂ discharges produced reverse selectivities for both Gd₂O₃/GaN and Gd₂O₃/AlN, with typical values between 0.1–0.4. When a rare gas additive such as Ar or Xe was added to the plasma chemistry, the nitrides etched faster than the oxide. This indicates that volatile etch products (GaCl₃, AlCl₃, N₂) form in Cl₂-based plasmas once the GaN or AlN bonds are broken by ion bombardment, but that GdCl_x species are not volatile. In conjunction with the low efficiency for Gd₂O₃ bond-breaking at low ion energies, this leads to low selectivity.     

Transport and Mobility Properties of Bulk Indium Nitride (InN) and a Two-Dimensional Electron Gas in an InGaN/GaN Quantum Well

We studied the transport and low-field mobility properties of bulk InN and a two-dimensional electron gas confined in an InGaN/GaN quantum well with regard to various parameters such as well width and interface roughness as a function of temperature. Since new material parameters for InN have been suggested by recent studies, the traditionally accepted and recently published parameter values for InN are used in our simulations and the results are compared. Mobility values in two and three dimensions are found from the steady-state drift velocities of carriers calculated using an ensemble Monte Carlo technique. Electron transport properties of bulk GaN and AlN are also presented and compared with bulk InN and InGaN/GaN quantum wells. The mobility of carriers in two dimensions is about 10,000 cm²/V s for low temperatures and in bulk InN increases significantly to a value of about 6,450 cm²/V s at room temperature when recently established material parameters are used.     

An AlN/Ultrathin AlGaN/GaN HEMT Structure for Enhancement-Mode Operation Using Selective Etching

A novel device structure incorporating an ultrathin AlGaN barrier layer capped by an AlN layer in the source–drain access regions has been implemented to reliably control threshold voltage in AlGaN/GaN high-electron-mobility transistors. A recessed-gate structure has been used to decrease 2-D electron gas (2DEG) density under the gate, thus controlling threshold voltage while maintaining low on-resistance and high current density. The structure presented in this letter implements an ultrathin AlGaN structure grown by metal–organic chemical vapor deposition capped with AlN to maintain a high 2DEG density in the access regions. A selective wet etch using heated photoresist developer is used to selectively etch the AlN layer in the gate region to the AlGaN barrier. We have demonstrated a repeatable threshold voltage of $+$ 0.21 V with 4-nm AlGaN barrier layer thickness.      

High selectivity plasma etching of InN over GaN

Etch selectivities for InN over GaN as high as 40 and 100 are achieved in BBr₃/Ar and BI₃/Ar, respectively, under inductively coupled plasma conditions. Previous work on Cl₂-based plasma chemistries has produced selectivity in the reverse direction, i.e., GaN over InN, and therefore the introduction of these new Br₂- and I₂-based mixtures facilitates device fabrication involving double heterostructures of GaN/In_xGa_1−xN/GaN. Selectivities up to 10 for InN over the common mask materials SiO₂ and SiN_x were obtained in both BI₃ and BBr₃.     

Optical diagnostics of plasma chemistries and chamber conditions in gate oxide stack etch

Various kinds of plasma chemistries were used in the study of polysilicon gate stack etch. Different degrees of gate oxide surface roughness were observed. Stable gate oxide thickness and smooth surface were found when using fluorine-based plasma chemistries. In contrast, non-fluorine-based chemistry tends to give uneven gate oxide thickness and rough surface. The stability of the gate oxide thickness can be controlled by chamber seasoning when using non-fluorine-based chemistry. It is also noticed that fluorine-based chemistries always result in thicker remaining gate oxide than the one without fluorine. The type of wafer used for seasoning can also have influence on chamber condition and subsequently the etch rates and gate oxide thickness. From the trends of emission intensity of Si, it is believed that etch byproducts as well as chamber wall polymer have potential impacts on the observed variation of gate oxide surface roughness, thickness, and etch rates.     

The level of local charge-neutrality and pinning of the Fermi level in irradiated nitrides wz-III-N (BN,AlN, GaN,InN)

On the basis of the density functional theory and general gradient approximation and the method of special points, the electronic spectra and the energy position of the local charge-neutrality level are calculated for the wurtzite BN, AlN, GaN, and InN compounds with the use of different heuristic models. It is shown that, with an increasing atomic mass of the cation in the wz-III-N compounds, the charge-neutrality level shifts from the position near the midgap in the BN and AlN, to the upper part of the band gap in GaN, and to the allowed energy region of the conduction band in InN. Such shifts define the semi-insulator properties of BN and AlN, the n-type conductivity of GaN, and the n ⁺-type conductivity of InN on saturation of the wz-III-N compounds with intrinsic defects induced by high-energy irradiation.     

Emerging gallium nitride based devices

Wide bandgap GaN has long been sought for its applications to blue and UV emitters and high temperature/high power electronic devices. Recent introduction of commercial blue and blue-green LED's have led to a plethora of activity in all three continents into the heterostructures based on GaN and its alloys with AlN and InN. In this review, the status and future prospects of emerging wide bandgap gallium nitride semiconductor devices are discussed. Recent successes in p-doping of GaN and its alloys with InN and AlN, and in n-doping with much reduced background concentrations have paved the way for the design, fabrication, and characterization of devices such as MESFET's, MISFET's, HBT's, LED's, and optically pumped lasers. We discuss the electrical properties of these devices and their drawbacks followed by future prospects. After a short elucidation of materials characteristics of the nitrides, we explore their electrical transport properties in detail. Recent progress in processing such as formation of low-resistance ohmic contacts and etching is also presented. The promising features of quarternaries and double heterostructures in relation to possible current injection lasers, LED's, and photodetectors are also elaborated on     

双轴应变对纤锌矿GaN、AlN、InN及其合金电子有效质量的影响(英文)

利用第一性原理计算方法密度泛函理论的局域密度近似计算了纤锌矿氮化铝(AlN)、氮化镓(GaN)、氮化铟(InN)及其合金在双轴应变下的电子有效质量。对于GaN和AlN,张应变使电子有效质量增大而压应变使电子有效质量减少,但却使InN电子有效质量在张应变和压应变下都增大。由于三元合金(AlxGa1-xN,InxGa1-xN和AlxIn1-xN)与GaN异质结的新颖特性,同时计算了三元合金在松弛和应变下电子有效质量的变化趋势。受制于GaN基板的平面应力,外延AlxGa1-xN和AlxIn1-xN电子有效质量将减少,而InxGa1-xN电子有效质量增大,且随着In含量变大而更显著。对铟氮化合物应变下电子有效质量异常的机制也做了讨论。     

Demonstration of GaN MIS diodes by using AlN and Ga2O3(Gd2O3) as dielectrics

GaN MIS diodes were demonstrated utilizing AlN and Ga₂O₃(Gd₂O₃) as insulators. A 345 Å of AlN was grown on the MOCVD grown n-GaN in a MOMBE system using trimethylamine alane as Al precursor and nitrogen generated from a SVT RF N₂ plasma. For the Ga₂O₃(Gd₂O₃) growth, a multi-MBE chamber was used and a 195 Å oxide was E-beam evaporated from a single crystal source of Ga₅Gd₃O₁₂. The forward breakdown voltage of AlN and Ga₂O₃(Gd₂O₃) diodes are 5 and 6 V, respectively, which are significantly improved over 1.2 V from that of a Schottky contact. From the C–V measurements, both kinds of diodes showed good charge modulation from accumulation to depletion at different frequencies. The insulator/GaN interface roughness and the thickness of the insulator were measured with X-ray reflectivity.     

Recent Developments in Semipolar InGaN Laser Diodes

Semiconductors - Group III-nitride semiconductors (GaN, AlN, and InN) are attractive materials for a wide range of electronic and photonic applications. The most widely employed growth plane for...     

Cubic group-III nitride-based nanostructures—basics and applications in optoelectronics

Molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) of cubic group-III nitrides is a direct way to eliminate the polarization effects which inherently limits the performance of optoelectronic devices containing quantum well or quantum dot active regions. In this contribution the latest achievement in the MBE of phase-pure cubic GaN, AlN, InN and their alloys will be reviewed. A new reflected high-energy electron beam (RHEED) control technique enables to carefully adjust stoichiometry and to severely reduce the surface roughness, which is important for any hetero-interface. The structural, optical and electrical properties of cubic nitrides and AlGaN/GaN will be presented. We show that no polarization field exists in cubic nitrides and demonstrate 1.55 μm intersubband absorption in cubic AlN/GaN superlattices. Further the progress towards the development and fabrication of cubic hetero-junction field effect transistors (HFETs) is discussed.     

Systematic characterization of Cl2 reactive ion etchingfor improved ohmics in AlGaN/GaN HEMTs

Pre-metal-deposition reactive ion etching (RIE) was performed on an Al_0.3Ga_0.7N/AlN/GaN heterostructure in order to improve the metal-to-semiconductor contact resistance. An optimum AlGaN thickness for minimizing contact resistance was determined. An initial decrease in contact resistance with etching time was explained in terms of removal of an oxide surface layer and/or by an increase in tunnelling current with the decrease of the AlGaN thickness. The presence of a dissimilar surface layer was confirmed by an initial nonuniform etch depth rate. An increase in contact resistance for deeper etches was experienced. The increase was related to depletion of the two-dimensional (2-D) electron gas (2-DEG) under the ohmics. Etch depths were measured by atomic force microscopy (AFM). The contact resistance decreased from about 0.45 Ωmm for unetched ohmics to a minimum of 0.27 Ωmm for 70 Å etched ohmics. The initial thickness of the AlGaN layer was 250 Å. The decrease in contact resistance, without excessive complications on device processing, supports RIE etching as a viable solution to improve ohmic contact resistance in AlGaN/GaN HEMTs     

Ferromagnetism and Curie temperature of Vanadium-doped nitrides

Electronic structures, exchange interaction mechanism between magnetic ions and Curie temperature of Vanadium-doped nitrides (AlN, GaN, and InN) are studied within KKR-LSDA-CPA. It is found that the ferromagnetic super-exchange interaction mechanism is dominant at low concentrations of Vanadium, but the anti-ferromagnetic super-exchange interaction appears and reduces the stabilization of ferromagnetism at sufficiently high concentrations (x > 0.10), especially for Vanadium-doped AlN and Vanadium-doped GaN. The estimation of the Curie temperature within the mean field approximation shows the Curie temperature of Vanadium-doped nitrides exceeding room temperature with a few constituents of Vanadium.     

InAlN/AlN/GaN HEMT器件特性研究

通过利用MOCVD生长的高质量蓝宝石衬底InAlN/AlN/GaN异质结材料,获得了高的二维电子气面密度,其值为1.65×10<'13>cm<'-2>.通过该结构制备了0.15 μm栅长InAlN/AIN/GaN HEMT器件,获得了相关的电学特性:最大电流密度为1.3A/mm,峰值跨导为260mS/ram,电流增益截...     

GaN缓冲层对生长InN薄膜的影响

采用金属有机物化学气相沉积(MOCVD)方法生长六方相InN薄膜，利用氮化镓(GaN)缓冲层技术制备了高质量薄膜，得到了其能带带隙0.7eV附近对应的光致发光光谱(PL). 通过比较未采用缓冲层，同时采用低温和高温GaN缓冲层，以及低温GaN缓冲层结合高温退火三种生长过程，发现低温GaN缓冲层结合高温退火过程能够得到更优表面形貌和晶体质量的InN薄膜，同时表征了材料的电学性质和光学性质. 通过对InN薄膜生长模式的讨论，解释了薄膜表面形貌和晶体结构的差异.     

Carbon etching with a high density plasma etcher

Generating suitable passivation on the carbon sidewall is a major challenge facing carbon etching especially for films thicker than 500 nm. Patterning carbon hard mask stacks for sub 90 nm technologies was tested for three different O₂-based chemistries using an inductively coupled plasma etch tool. The results show that the etched carbon profiles are highly dependant upon the O₂ flow and the total time of the etch process. Extended over etch times quite often initiates lateral etching and rapid loss of profile and critical dimension. An HBr/O₂/N₂ chemistry has been shown to provide the best options for profile control and more resistance to profile loss during extended over etching than the other chemistries which were tested during this study.