INDUCTIVELY-COUPLED PLASMA-ETCHING OF GAN

Inductively coupled plasma (ICP) etch rates for GaN are reported as a function of plasma pressure, plasma chemistry, rf power, and ICP power . Using a Cl-2/H-2/Ar plasma chemistry, GaN etch rates as high as 6875 Angstrom/min are reported. The GaN surface morphology remains smooth over a wide range of plasma conditions as quantified using atomic forc e microscopy. Several etch conditions yield highly anisotropic profile s with smooth sidewalls. These results have direct application to the fabrication of group-III nitride etched laser facets. (C) 1996 America n Institute of Physics.