Cl2/Ar based dry etching of GaCrN using inductively coupled plasma

Abstract

Dry etching of a novel spintronic material, Ga_1−xCr_xN (where 0.01 < x < 0.07) using ICPRIE is reported for the first time. The etch rate is compared with that of GaN. It is observed that for various gas flow rates and process conditions, etch rates change significantly due to the presence of Cr. While the physical component of dry etching does not change much compared to that of GaN, the chemical component plays a significant role in the enhanced etch rates. The change may be attributed to the presence of new etch products for GaCrN. It is observed that the etch rate decreases with increasing x. The potential etch mechanism is also discussed. It is also observed that increasing the value of x leads to higher surface roughness which is verified using AFM. The main role in making the etched surface rough is attributed to the presence of non-volatile byproducts formed during the etching of GaCrN.