Oxford ICP Logbook

Oxford ICP Logbook

Notes:

  • O2 Chamber cleans before etching is assumed but not strictly required, but if something goes wrong for your etch and you did not do an O2 clean beforehand, be sure to note this down.
  • ICP etch rates can be highly nonlinear. Extrapolating to get an etch time for higher thicknesses may lead to over etch. Average etch rate (total etch depth/total etch time) can only be used for estimation.
  • But, if this logbook goes long enough it might be possible to get a thickness vs etch time curve for certain materials, and we can have a better handle of our processes! (So, DO LOG YOUR RESULTS!)
Date UserSample & layer structureRecipe nameEtch timeEtch depth (Dektak)Notes

2021-08-07

Yinan

B210416A 

(PECVD SiN @250C, 20min)
600 nm InSb,
200 nm AlSb,
SI-GaAs sub

In Based 20 deg etch3min 20s

After removing SiN:
1.7 um (Dektak 6.5 um)

Seem like extremely over-etched.

Stripped off the top absorber layer in lots of places,
(stripped parts Dektak height = 620-670 nm)

A rough-ish surface can be seen under Nomarski.

2021-08-12

Yinan

GaAs Sac
for B210416A holey sample #6

(PECVD SiN @250C, 20min)
N GaAs 

In Based 20 deg etch2min 30s

Before removing SiN:

1000 nm (Dektak 6.5 um)

After removing SiN:

850 nm (Dektak 6.5 um)

Avg Etch rate for (N-)GaAs = 340 nm/min

Avg Etch rate for (250C) SiN = (380 - 150)/2.5 = 92 nm/min

380 nm (Dektak 6.5 um) SiN measured elsewhere.

2021-08-12

Yinan

B210416A 
holey sample #6

(PECVD SiN @250C, 20min)
600 nm InSb,
200 nm AlSb,
SI-GaAs sub

In Based 20 deg etch2min 15s

Before removing SiN:

1070 nm (Dektak 6.5 um)

(2021-08-16) After HCl dipsssss:

1280 nm (Dektak 6.5 um)


380 - 92*2.25 = 173

1070-173 = 897 nm

Supposedly down to GaAs, but the inner rim of the sample turned black-ish brown after a few minutes so probably near the end of the AlSb layer.

(2021-08-16) seems like barely removed any AlSb at all?

2021-08-23

Yinan

B210416A
holey sample #7

(PECVD SiN @250C, 20min)
600 nm InSb,
200 nm AlSb,
SI-GaAs sub

In Based 20 deg etch3min 5s

After removing SiN:

(need to measure on Dektak)

The majority of the surface looks gray and smooth after etch, but on the holey blocks, it looks bubbly.
Holey patterns overetched.


test