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Articles you may be interested in X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis of the effect of temperature upon surface composition of InP etched in Cl2-based inductively coupled plasma A Cl 2 -HBr-O 2 /Ar inductively coupled plasma (ICP) etching process has been adapted for the processing of InP-based heterostructures in a 300-mm diameter CMOS etching tool. Smooth and anisotropic InP etching is obtained at moderate etch rate ($600 nm/min). Ex situ x-ray energy dispersive analysis of the etched sidewalls shows that the etching anisotropy is obtained through a SiO x passivation mechanism. The stoichiometry of the etched surface is analyzed in situ using angle-resolved x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. It is observed that Cl 2 -based ICP etching results in a significantly P-rich surface. The phosphorous layer identified on the top surface is estimated to be $1-1.3-nm thick. On the other hand InP etching in HBr/Ar plasma results in a more stoichiometric surface. In contrast to the etched sidewalls, the etched surface is free from oxides with negligible traces of silicon. Exposure to ambient air of the samples submitted to Cl 2 -based chemistry results in the complete oxidation of the P-rich top layer. It is concluded that a post-etch treatment or a pure HBr plasma step may be necessary after Cl 2 -based ICP etching for the recovery of the InP material.

This paper reviews recent progress in the development of time-resolved diagnostics to probe high-density pulsed plasma sources. We focus on time-resolved measurements of radicals' densities in the afterglow of pulsed discharges to provide useful information on production and loss mechanisms of free radicals. We show that broad-band absorption spectroscopy in the ultraviolet and vacuum ultraviolet spectral domain and threshold ionization modulated beam mass spectrometry are powerful techniques for the determination of the time variation of the radicals' densities in pulsed plasmas. The combination of these complementary techniques allows detection of most of the reactive species present in industrial etching plasmas, giving insights into the physico-chemistry reactions involving these species. As an example, we discuss briefly the radicals' kinetics in the afterglow of a SiCl 4 /Cl 2 /Ar discharge.

The dependence of ion flux, ion energy distribution and neutral density of a planar radiofrequency (RF) driven inductively coupled plasma source on pressure and power is analysed using a plasma monitor and a Faraday cup. The ion flux is about 7 mA cm −2 at 5 Pa and 300 W and increases as RF power and argon pressure increase. The ion energy distribution consists of a single peak with a full width at half maximum of 3 eV for a discharge power in the range from 50 to 300 W and for a pressure in the range from 0.5 to 5 Pa. This indicates that inductive coupling mainly drives the discharge while capacitive coupling between coil and plasma is weak. A significant decrease in Ar neutral density is observed when the plasma is ignited. The Ar depletion increases with increasing RF power and increasing Ar base pressure and reaches 30% at 5 Pa and 300 W. The contributions of the different mechanisms resulting in an Ar depletion are estimated and compared. The decrease in neutral density cannot be explained by the ionization of Ar atoms only but is significantly attributed to the heating of Ar atoms by collisions with energetic particles. The increase in neutral gas temperature is estimated and found to be in reasonable agreement with measurements of the gas temperature reported previously by other groups.