Study of reactive ion etching of Si and SiO2 for CFxCl4−x gases

A parametric study of the etching of Si and SiO₂ by reactive ion etching (RIE) was carried out to gain a better understanding of the etching mechanisms. The following fluorocarbons (FCs) were used in order to study the effect of the F-to-Cl atom ratio in the parent molecule to the plasma and the etching properties: CF₄, CF₃Cl, CF₂Cl₂, and CFCl₃ (FC-14, FC-13, FC-12, and FC-11 respectively). The Si etch rate uniformity across the wafer as a function of the temperature of the wafer and the Si load, the optical emission as a function of the temperature of the load, the etch rate of SiO₂ as a function of the sheath voltage, and the mass spectra for each of the FCs were measured. The temperature of the wafer and that of the surrounding Si load strongly influence the etch rate of Si, the uniformity of etching, and the optical emission of F, Cl, and CF₂. The activation energy for the etching reaction of Si during CF₄ RIE was measured. The etch rate of Si depends more strongly on the gas composition than on the sheath voltage; it seems to be dominated by ion-assisted chemical etching. The etching of photoresist shifted from chemical etching to ion-assisted chemical etching as a function of the F-to-Cl ratio and the sheath voltage. The etch rate of SiO₂ depended more strongly on the sheath voltage than on the F-to-Cl ratio.     

Hybrid electron cyclotron resonance-radio-frequency plasma etching of III–V semiconductors in Cl2-based discharges. Part I: GaAs and related compounds

A systematic study has been performed of the dry etching characteristics of GaAs, Al_0.3Ga_0.7As, and GaSb in chlorine-based electron cyclotron resonance (ECR) discharges. The gas mixtures investigated were CCl₂F₂/O₂, CHCl₂F/O₂, and PCl₃. The etching rates of all three materials increase rapidly with applied RF power, while the addition of the microwave power at moderate levels (150 W) increases the etch rates by 20–80%. In the microwave discharges, the etch rates decrease with increasing pressure, but at 1 m Torr it is possible to obtain usable rates for self-bias voltages 100 V. Of the Freon-based mixtures, CHCl₂F provides the least degradation of optical (photoluminescence) and electrical (diode ideality factors and Schottky barrier heights) properties of GaAs as a result of dry etching. Smooth surface morphologies are obtained on all three materials provided the microwave power is limited to 200 W. Above this power, there is surface roughening evident with all of the gas mixtures investigated.     

芳香共聚酯B-N多种向列织构的形态研究

从一种聚芳酯B-N得到了丝状(包括细丝和粗丝)、纹影状和大理石纹状等与小分子向列液晶相似的多种织构。由于样品淬火后晶片装饰在织构上而不影响分子取向矢的分布,因而可以用化学刻蚀和电镜技术揭示其向错和取向矢图。电镜和光学显微镜的结果相互补充,表明了细丝和粗丝状织构的分子取向矢分布很不相同,是两种不同的织构,而粗化始于第二熔融降温。在这些向列织构中分别发现了S=±(1/2)和s=+1的向错的例子和平面内微区转向壁的证据。     

Dry etching of InGaP and AlInP in CH4/H2/Ar

Electron cyclotron resonance (ECR) plasma etching with additional rf-biasing produces etch rates 2,500 A/min for InGaP and AlInP in CH₄/H₂/Ar. These rates are an order of magnitude or much higher than for reactive ion etching conditions (RIE) carried out in the same reactor. N₂ addition to CH₄/H₂/Ar can enhance the InGaP etch rates at low flow rates, while at higher concentrations it provides an etch-stop reaction. The InGaP and AlInP etched under ECR conditions have somewhat rougher morphologies and different stoichiometries up to 200 Å from the sur face relative to the RIE samples.     

Use of CF3,Br/Al,discharges for reactive ion etching of III-V semiconductors

The reactive ion etching of GaAs, InP, InGaAs, and InAlAs in CF₃Br/Ar discharges was investigated as a function of both plasma power density (0.56-1.3 W - cm^–2) and total pressure (10-40 mTorr) The etch rate of GaAs in 19CF₃Br:1Ar discharges at 10 m Torr increases linearly with power density, from 600 Å min^–1 at 0.56 W · cm^–2, to 1550 Å · min at 1.3 W · cm^–2. The in-based materials show linear increases in etch rates only for power densities above – 1.0 W · cm^–2. These etch rates are comparable to those obtained with CCI₂F₂:O₂ mixtures under the same conditions. Smooth surface morphologies and vertical sidewalls are obtained over a wide range of plasma parameters. Reductions in the near-surface carrier concentration in n-type GaAs are evident for etching with power densities of >0.8 W cm^–2, due to the introduction of deep level trapping centers. At 1.3 W· cm^–2, the Schottky barrier height of TiPtAu contacts on GaAs is reduced from 0.74 to 0.53 eV as a result of this damage, and the photoluminescent intensity from the material is degraded. Alter RIE, we detect the presence of both F and Br on the surface of all of the semiconductors. This contamination is worse than with CCl₂F₂-based mixtures. High-power etching with CF₃Br/Ar together with Al-containing electrodes can lead to the presence of a substantial layer of aluminum oxide on the samples if the moisture content in the reactor is appreciable.     

Some difficulties for Clifton,Redhead, and Butterfield's recent proof of nonlocality

Clifton, Redhead, and Butterfield have recently produced a generalization of the new non-locality proof due to Greenberger, Horne, and Zeilinger. Their proof is intended to have certain advantages over the standard Belltype arguments. One of these is that, although the proof allows for causally relevant apparatus hidden variables, it avoids the need for making certain standard locality assumptions about those parameters. On closer inspection, the part of the proof which supposedly removes the need for such assumptions is shown to rest on a fallacy. This renders the proof invalid. Two other, related difficulties are explored along the way.1. CRB actually provide two nonlocality proofs, but our concern here is with the first.2. Cf. p.173 for a precise formulation of these. (Any references in these footnotes are to [1].) Note that, due to the way CRB define the µ's, these conditions are not entirely independent.3. Cf. p.174. Note that CRB claim to derive the independence of outcomes from apparatus existents via our other assumptions without imposing any other conditions on their distributions, citing Lemma 2, which we shall object to in Sec. 4 below. This should be given a careful reading; Lemma 2 only purports to derive the statistical independence of outcomes fromlocal (i.e., nearby) apparatus hidden variables. The independence of outcomes fromdistant apparatus hidden variables is assumed, rather, in OL.4. Here, and in many places, I shall rely on [1] for the details.5. CRB have endorsed this definition of M (personal correspondence).6. More precisely, those values of do so for at least one possible quadruple of apparatus existents, and measurement results; and foruncountably many setting quadruples in (p.167).7. Given CRB's way of defining the µ's so as to include the information found in the 's, the terms in OF and most of those in OL would actually be ill-defined in most cases (for each ) inany theory. This is simply because the measuring devices cannot be set to measure in two different directions at once. However, it should be possible to remedy that situation by simply redefining µ so that it includes only information about the state of the apparatus not covered by .8. CRB endorse the first of these two suggestions (personal correspondence).9. I have omitted the arguments fromA,B,C andD. Wherever they appear without arguments they will implicitly have the three with which they were first introduced. Note that M⁺ should ideally be indexed by and , as there is no reason to think that all the same members of M will makeABCD = +1 for different values of and .10. Cf. note 6 above.11. Note that in light of this objection to their proof, we can see that CRB also fail to establish the link they claim exists between TF, strict correlations, and the condition they call TF.TF is the four-particle analogue of the conjunction of Shimony's outcome independence and his parameter independence (p.162). They rest their claim about the link on Lemma 2 (pp.162 and 165).     

Large-area microwave and radiofrequency plasma etching of polymers

We have investigated O₂/CF₄ plasma etching of five commercial polymers: polyimide, polyamide, polyethylene terephthalate, polycarbonate and cured epoxy resin. A new large-area microwave plasma apparatus has been used in this work, but the same apparatus can also be used as a capacitively coupled radiofrequency (13.56 MHz) discharge reactor. The effect of operating parameters such as pressure, etchant gas composition, excitation frequency and sample temperature upon etch kinetics has been examined. We have observed distinct maxima in the etch rate as functions of pressure and CF₄ concentration. Activation, energies evaluated from the Arrhenius plots fall in the range 0.04-0.2 eV, in agreement with data in the literature. Dry etch susceptibility of a given polymer correlates strongly with the degree of unsaturation in the polymer's structure     

Experimental and Theoretical Studies of a Pulsed Microwave Excited Ar/CF4 Plasma

The present work deals with a pulsed microwave discharge in an Ar/CF ₄ gas mixture under a low pressure (1–10 mbar). The discharge chamber developed has a cylindrical geometry with a coupling window alternatively made of quartz or alumina. The setup allows one to investigate the plasma–wall interactions (here etching of the quartz window) and the ignition process of the pulsed microwave plasma. Microwave pulses with a duration of 50–200 s and repetition rate between 1 and 10 kHz are typical for the experiments. The space-time behavior of the fluorine number density in the discharge has been investigated experimentally by optical actinometry. The discharge kinetics is modeled using electron-transport parameters and rate coefficients derived from solutions of the Boltzmann equation. Together with the solution of the continuity and electron balance equations and the rate equations describing the production of CF _x (x=2, 3, 4) radicals and F atoms, a good agreement between experimental and theoretical data can be achieved.     

Mass spectrometer-wall probe diagnostic of Ar discharges containing SF6 and/or O2: Reactive ions in etching plasmas

Positive and negative ions of Ar/SF₆ and Ar/SF₆/O₂ plasmas (etching plasmas) and of Ar/O₂ plasmas (cleaning plasmas) in Pyrex tubes have been investigated using a mass spectrometer-wall probe diagnostic technique. The measurement of negative ions proved to be a very sensitive method for the detection of wall material. In etching plasmas with small admixtures of SF₆, oxygen was found as the only representative of wall material. At larger amounts of SF₆, silicon could be detected. In cleaning plasmas with small admixtures of O₂ applied to a previously etched Pyrex surface, fluorine was found, indicating the reversal of fluoridation by oxygenation.