Transactions on Electrical and Electronic Materials

The Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers (한국전기전자재료학회)
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Dry Etching Characteristics of Zinc Oxide Thin Films in Cl2-Based Plasma

  • Woo, Jong-Chang (School of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, Chung-Ang University) ;
  • Ha, Tae-Kyung (School of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, Chung-Ang University) ;
  • Li, Chen (School of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, Chung-Ang University) ;
  • Kim, Seung-Han (School of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, Chung-Ang University) ;
  • Park, Jung-Soo (School of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, Chung-Ang University) ;
  • Heo, Kyung-Mu (Department of Renewable Energy, Chung-Ang University) ;
  • Kim, Chang-Il (School of Electrical and Electronics Engineering and Department of Renewable Energy, Chung-Ang University)
  • Received : 2011.02.05
  • Accepted : 2011.03.19
  • Published : 2011.04.25
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Abstract

We investigated the etching characteristics of zinc oxide (ZnO) and the effect of additive gases in a $Cl_2$-based inductively coupled plasma. The inert gases were argon, nitrogen, and helium. The maximum etch rates were 44.3, 39.9, and 37.9 nm/min for $Cl_2$(75%)/Ar(25%), $Cl_2$(50%)/$N_2$(50%), and $Cl_2$(75%)/He(25%) gas mixtures, 600 W radiofrequency power, 150 W bias power, and 2 Pa process pressure. We obtained the maximum etch rate by a combination of chemical reaction and physical bombardment. A volatile compound of Zn-Cl. achieved the chemical reaction on the surface of the ZnO thin films. The physical etching was performed by inert gas ion bombardment that broke the Zn-O bonds. The highly oriented (002) peak was determined on samples, and the (013) peak of $Zn_2SiO_4$ was observed in the ZnO thin film sample based on x-ray diffraction spectroscopy patterns. In addition, the sample of $Cl_2$/He chemistry showed a high full-width at half-maximum value. The root-mean-square roughness of ZnO thin films decreased to 1.33 nm from 5.88 nm at $Cl_2$(50%)/$N_2$(50%) plasma chemistry.

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