CHARACTERISTICS OF ZNS THIN-FILMS ETCHED BY REACTIVE ION ETCHING

ZnS films have been etched by reactive ion etching with a gas mixture of Ar and Cl-2. The etching rates depend strongly on r.f. power, gas p ressure, the composition of reactive gases, and the total flow rate of etchants. The residue of Cl atoms exists only in the region near the surface. An etching mechanism will be proposed based upon the results obtained. The selectivity of ZnS films to photoresist is also to be st udied. Finally, a SiO2 film deposited by a sputtering system is select ed as the etching mask in the study.