Claims
- 1. A process for the reactive ionic etching of a III-V material with a gaseous mixture, which comprises contacting a III-V material with a gaseous mixture containing by volume more than 15% and less than 40% of at least one gaseous hydrocarbon, more than 20% and less than 55% of at least one inert gas, and more than 5% and less than 65% of hydrogen, and etching said III-V material with said gaseous mixture.
- 2. Etching process according to claim 1, wherein the hydrocarbon is saturated or unsaturated and has 1 to 4 carbon atoms.
- 3. Etching process according to claim 1, wherein the hydrocarbon is methane.
- 4. Etching process according to claim 1, wherein the inert gas is chosen from among neon, argon and krypton.
- 5. Etching process according to claim 1, wherein the inert gas is argon.
- 6. Etching process according to claim 1, wherein the gaseous mixture contains at least 30% argon.
- 7. Etching process according to claim 1, wherein the gaseous mixture contains by volume 20 to 30% methane, 30 to 50% argon and 20 to 50% hydrogen.
- 8. Etching process according to claim 1, wherein the gaseous mixture contains by volume 20% methane, 50% argon and 30% hydrogen.
- 9. Etching process according to claim 1, wherein the gaseous mixture has a pressure between 1 and 4 Pa.
- 10. Etching process according to claim 1, wherein the gaseous mixture is ionized by radiofrequency waves, when III-V material is contacted with said gaseous mixture, the radiofrequency power being between 10 and 250 watts.
- 11. Etching process according to claim 1, wherein the III-V material is locally etched by using an etching mask representing an image of a zone to be etched.
- 12. Etching process according to claim 11, wherein mask is of silicon nitride.
- 13. Etching process according to claim 15, wherein the III-V material is chosen from among InP, GaSb, Ga.sub.1-x In.sub.x As, Ga.sub.1-x In.sub.x As.sub.1-y P.sub.y, GaAs and Ga.sub.1-x Al.sub.x As, with 0<x<1 and 0<y<1.
- 14. A process for the epitaxial growth of a semiconductor layer of a III-V material on a monocrystalline substrate of a second III-V material, comprising a first stage of ionic etching said substrate by contacting said substrate with a gaseous mixture, said gaseous mixture containing by volume more than 15% and less than 40% of at least one gaseous hydrocarbon, more than 20% and less than 55% of at least one inert gas, and more than 5% and less than 65% of hydrogen, and etching said substrate with said gaseous mixture, thereafter depositing said semiconductor layer on said substrate by epitaxial growth.
Priority Claims (1)
Number |
Date |
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87 07135 |
May 1987 |
FRX |
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Parent Case Info
This is a continuation of application Ser. No. 07/195,867, filed on May 19, 1988, now abandoned.
Non-Patent Literature Citations (1)
Entry |
Niggebrugge et al., "A Novel Process for Reactive Ion Etching on InP, Using CH.sub.4 /H.sub.2 "; Process Technologies, 1986, pp. 367-372. |
Continuations (1)
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Number |
Date |
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Parent |
195867 |
May 1988 |
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