Title :
Patterning of zinc oxide thin films
Author :
Shih-Chia Chang ; Hicks, D.B. ; Laugal, R.C.O.
Author_Institution :
Dept. of Electr. & Electron. Eng., General Motors Res. & Environ. Staff, Warren, MI, USA
Abstract :
Zinc oxide (ZnO) thin films were accurately and reliably delineated by wet chemical etching in 5% NH/sub 4/Cl in water and by reactive ion etching in a SiCl/sub 4/ plasma. With the etch solution at 55 degrees C, the ZnO etch rate was approximately 300 nm/min. Aluminum, silicon and silicon dioxide were not attacked by the etch solution. In the RIE process, substrate heating was essential during plasma etching. With a RF power density of 0.3 W/cm/sup 2/ and substrate temperature of 150 degrees C, well defined clean ZnO thin film features were obtained with an etch rate of 25 nm/min.<>
Keywords :
ammonium compounds; electric sensing devices; etching; micromechanical devices; piezoelectric thin films; semiconductor technology; silicon compounds; sputter etching; zinc compounds; NH/sub 4/Cl; SiCl/sub 4/; ZnO thin film; micromechanical devices; patterning; plasma etching; reactive ion etching; wet chemical etching; Aluminum; Chemicals; Plasma applications; Plasma chemistry; Plasma density; Plasma temperature; Substrates; Transistors; Wet etching; Zinc oxide;
Conference_Titel :
Solid-State Sensor and Actuator Workshop, 1992. 5th Technical Digest., IEEE
Conference_Location :
Hilton Head Island, SC, USA
Print_ISBN :
0-7803-0456-X
DOI :
10.1109/SOLSEN.1992.228280
