REACTIVE ION ETCHING OF SILICON-CARBIDE (SIXC1-X)

The reactive ion etching of low pressure chemical vapour deposited Six C1-x layers (x = 0.5 and 0.8) on oxide covered Si(100) wafers has been investigated using in-situ ellipsometry, mass spectrometry and optica l emission spectroscopy. Etch rates using SF6/O-2 and F-2/Ar/O-2 plasm as have been monitored and the conditions identified under which the e tch rate of SiC relative to Si can be varied between approximate to 0. 2 and approximate to 5 and SiC relative to SiO2 from approximate to 1 to approximate to 4. Etch products have been identified and an etch me chanism proposed that accounts for the observed variation in etch rate s with percentage O-2 for SF6/O-2 plasmas.