Hostname: page-component-cc8bf7c57-hbs24 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-11T21:46:50.370Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Deep Anisotropic Etching of Gaas with Chlorine-Based Chemistries and SU-8 Mask Using Rie and High Density ICP Etching Methods

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 February 2011

Yuh-Min (Johnson) Chiang
Affiliation:
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of California at Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697
Joy Lau
Affiliation:
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of California at Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697
Mark Bachman
Affiliation:
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of California at Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697
G.P. Li
Affiliation:
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of California at Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697
H.K. Kim
Affiliation:
Bethel Material Research, Placentia, CA 92870
Yunju Ra
Affiliation:
Bethel Material Research, Placentia, CA 92870
Kurt Ketola
Affiliation:
Raytheon, El Segundo, CA 90245
Get access

Abstract

GaAs-based micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) are emerging technologies, which will lead to integration of new sensing and actuating devices with microwave and millimeter-wave electronics. However, developing the capability of selective deep etching of GaAs is a critical issue to be solved. This paper presents a study of a highly anisotropic deep GaAs etching. Two different plasma etching methods were studied for GaAs etching with chlorine-based chemistries: reactive ion etching (RIE) with Cl2/BCl3/SiCl4mixtures and high-density inductive coupled plasma (HDICP) etching with Cl2/BCl3 mixtures. A negative acting photoresist, SU-8, which allows high resolution, high aspect ratio patterning with strong resistance to etchants, was selected as the etching mask for this work. Process parameters were varied for best results, and the effects of the process parameters are presented. Issues such as etch selectivity of SU-8 and GaAs, reflow of SU-8, and loading effects were also investigated. An optimized etching process was developed to achieve a deep etch in excess of 300μm of GaAs with a single layer of SU-8 photoresist.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2002

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

1. Hartnagel, H. L., Mutamba, K., Pfeiffer, J.; Riementschneider, R., Peerlings, J., “MEMS based on III-V-compounds for sensing applications and optical communication,” 1999 57th Annual Device Research Conference Digest, pp.112115, Santa Barbara, CA, 1999.Google Scholar
2. Hjort, K., Strcubel, K., Viktorovitch, P., “Optical MEMS and their applications, Indium Phosphide Based Micro Optoelectro Mechanics, IEEE/LEOS Summer Topicals '96, 1996.Google Scholar
3. Vu, T.T.; Nguyen, P.C.; Vu, L.T.; Nguyen, C.H.; Vu, J.N.C.; Polla, D.L.; Schiller, P.J.; Stevanovich, S.; Li, H.Y.; Yang, Y.Q.; Harjani, R. “Gallium arsenide based micro-accelerometers,” Proceedings of Midwest Symposium on Circuits and Systems Dedicated to the Memory of Professor Mac Van Valkenburg, Edited by: Soderstrand, M.A.; Michael, S., vol.2, pp.1111–15, Sacramento, CA, USA, 1997.Google Scholar
4. Hartnagel, H.L.; Pfeiffer, J.; Mutamba, K.; Peerlings, J.; Riemenschneider, R.; Meissner, P. “III-V membrane structures for tunable Fabry-Perot filters and sensor applications,” Proceedings of Conference on Optoelectronic and Microelectronic Materials and Devices, Edited by: Faraone, L.; Dell, J.M.; Fisher, T.A.; Musca, C.A.; Nener, B.D., pp.4956, Piscataway, NJ, USA, 1999.Google Scholar
5. Shul, R. J., Lovejoy, M. L., Word, J. C., Howard, A. J., Rieger, D. J., and Kravitz, S. H., “High rate reactive ion etch and electron cyclotron resonance etching of GaAs via holes using thick polyimide and photoresist mask,” Journal of Vacuum Science and Technology B, vol. 15, no. 3, pp. 657664, 1997.Google Scholar