화학공학소재연구정보센터
Journal of Vacuum Science & Technology B, Vol.16, No.1, 223-226, 1998
Nonselective wet chemical etching of GaAs and AlGaInP for device applications
The nonselective wet chemical etching of AlGaInP and GaAs in pure iodic (HIO3) acid and in hydrochloric acid (HCl) associated different oxidant agents has been evaluated. The pure iodic acid is nonselective between III-V phosphides and arsenides. Unfortunately, the etch of GaAs results in a very rough morphology and an etch rate 10 times greater than on AlGaInP. The mixing of HCl with different oxidants such as H2O2 gives a nonselective etchant.:However H2O2 dissociates HCl to form chlorine which produces a wide evolution of the etch rate with time incompatible with the reproducibility necessary for device technology. This phenomenon is easily explained and solved using oxidant agents such as KIO3, K2Cr2O7 Added to HCI, they give chemically stable solutions but unfortunately they give rise to a strong undercut of the AlGaInP under the GaAs. The iodic acid is also a strong oxidant. Therefore a diluted solution of(HCI, HlO(3), H2O) is proposed which gives an evolution of the etch rate between 300 and 3000 Angstrom/min with water dilution, a good stability in the time, and similar etch rates on the two materials with very good morphologies. Applied to heterostructure no undercut of the AlGaInP is observed.