Magnetron Reactive Ion Etching of GaAs: Plasma Chemical Aspects and Surface Damage Studies

Using a magnetic field to confine the plasma closer to the cathode has been shown to be advantageous in dry etching technology since this yields a high degree of ionization at low pressures. We report here the results of a study of magnetron reactive ion etching of GaAs using a freon discharge. Various characterization techniques have been employed to understand the etching process and identify the extent of surface damage. The results show that magnetron etching is capable of yielding high etch rates with low damage.