The effect of hydrogen as an additive in reactive ion etching of GaAs for obtaining polished surface

Abstract The effect of hydrogen on the reactive ion etching (RIE) of GaAs in the CF 2 Cl 2 plasma is discussed. The addition of hydrogen into the reaction mixture improves the sharpness of etch borders; the etched surface is smooth for etching depth > 1 μm, etching rate is time-constant.