• Journal of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers
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• v.23 no.12
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• pp.915-918
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• 2010

In this work, the etching characteristics of ZnO thin films were investigated using an inductively coupled plasma(ICP) of HBr/Ar/$CHF_3$ gas mixtures. The plasma characteristics were analyzed by a quadrupole mass spectrometer (QMS) and double langmuir probe (DLP). The surface reaction of the ZnO thin films was investigated using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The etch rate of ZnO was measured as a function of the $CHF_3$ mixing ratio in the range of 0-15% in an HBr:Ar=5:2 plasma at a fixed gas pressure (6mTorr), input power (700 W), bias power (200 W) and total gas flow rate(50sccm). The etch rate of the ZnO films decreased with increasing $CHF_3$ fraction due to the etch-blocking polymer layer formation.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers Conference
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• 2004.11a
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• pp.29-32
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• 2004

This work was devoted to an investigation of etching mechanisms for $(Ba,Sr)TiO_3$ (BST) thin films in inductively coupled $CF_4/Ar$ plasma. We have found that an increase of the Ar content in $CF_4/Ar$ plasma causes non-monotonic behavior of BST etch rate, which reaches a maximum value of 40 nm/min at 80% Ar. Langmuir probe measurements show a weak sensitivity of both electron temperature and electron density to the change of $CF_5/Ar$ mixing ratio. O-D model for plasma chemistry gave monotonic changes of both volume densities and fluxes for active species responsible for the etching process. The analysis of surface kinetics confirms the possibility of non-monotonic etch rate behavior due to the concurrence of physical and chemical pathways in ion-assisted chemical reaction.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers
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• v.14 no.8
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• pp.634-639
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• 2001

We investigated the etching characteristics of chromium films by using Cl$_2$/O$_2$ gas mixtures with electron cyclotron resonance plasma. In order to examine the chemical etch characteristics of Cr films by using Cl$_2$/O$_2$ gas plasma, we obtained the etch rate with various gas mixing ratios. By X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, the surface reaction on the chromium films during the etch was examined. From narrow scan analyses of Cr, Cl, and O, it was confirmed that a chromium oxychlorie (CrCl$_{x}$O$_{y}$) layer was formed on the surface by the etch using Cl$_2$/O$_2$ gas mixtures. We observed a new characteristic emission line during the etch of chromium films using Cl$_2$/O$_2$ gas mixtures by an optical emission spectroscopy. It was found that the peak intensity of this emission line had a tendency compatible with the etch rate. The origin of this emission line was discussed in detail. At the same time, the etched profile was also examined by scanning electron microscope.e.e.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.43 no.4
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• pp.531-536
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• 2005

Inductively coupled plasma reactive ion etching of CoTb and CoZrNb magnetic materials with the photoresist mask was performed using $Cl_2/Ar$ and $C_2F_6/Ar$ gas mixtures and characterized in terms of etch rate and etch profile. As the concentrations of $Cl_2$ and $C_2F_6$ gases increased, the etch rates of magnetic films decreased and the etch slopes became slanted. The $Cl_2/Ar$ gas was more effective in obtaining fast etch rate and steep sidewall slope than the $C_2F_6/Ar$ gas. As the coil rf power and dc bias increased, fast etch rate and steep etch slope were obtained but the redeposition on the sidewall was observed. This is due to the increase of ion and radical densities in plasma with increasing the coil rf power and the increase of incident ion energy to the substrate with increasing the dc bias voltage. By applying high density reactive ion etching to magnetic tunnel junction stack containing various magnetic films and metal oxide, steep etch slope and clean etch profile without redeposition were obtained.

• Corrosion Science and Technology
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• v.2 no.4
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• pp.189-193
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• 2003

The Ru etching using $O_2/C_{12}$ plasmas has been studied by employing the helicon etcher. The changes of Ru etch rate, Ru to $SiO_2$ etch selectivity and Ru electrode etching slope with varied process variables were investigated. The Ru etching slope at the optimized etching condition was measured to be $84^{\circ}$. We reveal that the Ru etching using $O_2/C_{12}$ plasma generates the $RuO_2$ thin film. Possible mechanism of Ru etching is discussed.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.19 no.8
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• pp.421-426
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• 2009

We report on the capacitively coupled O2 plasma etching of PMMA and polycarbonate (PC) with a diffusion pump. Plasma process variables were process pressure and CCP power at 5 sccm $O_2$ gas flow rate. Characterization was done in order to analyze etch rate, etch selectivity, surface roughness, and morphology using stylus surface profilometry and scanning electron microscopy. Self bias decreased with increase of process pressure in the range of 25$\sim$180 mTorr. We found an important result for optimum pressure for the highest etch rate of PMMA and PC, which was 60 mTorr. PMMA and PC had etch rates of 0.46 and 0.28 ${\mu}m$/min under pressure conditions, respectively. More specifically, etch rates of the materials increased when the pressure changed from 25 mTorr to 60 mTorr. However, they reduced when the pressure increased further after 60 mTorr. RMS roughnesses of the etched surfaces were in the range of 2.2$\sim$2.9 nm. Etch selectivity of PMMA to a photoresist was $\sim$1.5:1 and that of PC was $\sim$0.9:1. Etch rate constant was about 0.04 ${\mu}m$/minW and 0.02 ${\mu}m$/minW for PMMA and PC, respectively, with the CCP power change at 5 sccm $O_2$ and 40 mTorr process pressure. PC had more erosion on the etched sidewall than PMMA did. The OES data showed that the intensity of the oxygen atomic peak (777.196 nm) proportionally increased with the CCP power.

• Journal of Magnetics
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.132-137
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• 2010

Plasma etching of $SiO_2$ contact holes was statistically analyzed by a fractional factorial experimental design. The analysis revealed the dependence of the etch rate and DC self-bias voltage on the input factors of the magnetically enhanced reactive ion etching reactor, including gas pressure, magnetic field, and the gas flow rates of $CHF_3$, $CF_4$, and Ar. Empirical models of the DC self-bias voltage and etch rate were obtained. The DC self-bias voltage was found to be determined mainly by the operating pressure and the magnetic field, and the etch rate was related mainly to the pressure and the flow rates of Ar and $CHF_3$.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers
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• v.21 no.8
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• pp.727-732
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• 2008

In this work, the etch characteristics of $VO_2$ thin films were investigated using inductively coupled plasma (ICP) of $Cl_2/Ar$ gas mixtures. To analyze the plasma characteristics, a quadrupole mass spectrometer (QMS), an optical emission spectroscopy (OES), and a Langmuir probe measuring system were used. The surface reaction of the $VO_2$ thin films was investigated using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). It was found that an increase in Ar fraction in the $Cl_2/Ar$ plasma at fixed gas pressure, input power, and bias power resulted in increasing $VO_2$ etch rate which reached a maximum value of 87.6 nm/min at 70-75 % Ar. It was confirmed that the etch rate of the $VO_2$ films was mainly controlled by the ion flux. On the basis of measuring results, we will discuss possible etching mechanism of $VO_2$ film in the $Cl_2/Ar$ plasma.

• Transactions on Electrical and Electronic Materials
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.106-109
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• 2011

We investigated the etching characteristics of titanium nitride (TiN) thin film in $BCl_3$/Ar inductively coupled plasma. The etching parameters were the gas mixing ratio, radio frequency (RF) power, direct current (DC)-bias voltages and process pressures. The standard conditions were as follows: total flow rate = 20 sccm, RF power = 500 W, DC-bias voltage = -100 V, substrate temperature = $40^{\circ}C$, and process pressure = 15 mTorr. The maximum etch rate of TiN thin film and the selectivity of TiN to $Al_2O_3$ thin film were 54 nm/min and 0.79. The results of X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy showed no accumulation of etch byproducts from the etched surface of TiN thin film. The TiN film etch was dominated by the chemical etching with assistance by Ar sputtering in reactive ion etching mechanism, based on the experimental results.

• Proceedings of the KIEE Conference
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• 1997.11a
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• pp.276-278
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• 1997

The reliable etching process is one of the essential steps in fabricating GaN based-device. High etch rate is needed to obtain a deeply etched structure and perfect anisotropic etched facet is needed to obtain lasing profile. In the research, therefore, we had proposed a planar inductively coupled plasma etcher (Planar ICP Etcher) as a high density plasma source, and studied the etching mechanism using the $CH_4/H_2$/Ar gas mixture. Dry etching characteristics such as etch rate, anisotropic etching profile and so on, for the III-V nitride layers were investigated using Planar ICP Etcher, based on the plasma characteristic as a variation of plasma process parameters.