Plasma Passivation Etching for HgCdTe

• Published in: Journal of electronic materials 2009-08, Vol.38 (8), p.1741-1745
• Main Authors: Stoltz, A. J., Benson, J. D., Smith, P. J.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Characterization and Evaluation of Materials; Chemistry and Materials Science; Electronics; Electronics and Microelectronics; Energy; Etching and cleaning; Exact sciences and technology; Hydrogen; Instrumentation; Materials Science; Microelectronic fabrication (materials and surfaces technology); Natural energy; Optical and Electronic Materials; Optoelectronic devices; Photovoltaic conversion; Physics; Physics of gases, plasmas and electric discharges; Physics of plasmas and electric discharges; Plasma applications; Plasma etching; Semiconductor electronics. Microelectronics. Optoelectronics. Solid state devices; Semiconductor research; Semiconductors; Solar cells. Photoelectrochemical cells; Solar energy; Solid State Physics
• ISSN: 0361-5235; 1543-186X
• DOI: 10.1007/s11664-009-0833-0

Inductively coupled plasmas (ICP) are the high-density plasmas of choice for the processing of HgCdTe and related compounds. Most dry plasma process works have been performed on HgCdTe for pixel delineation and the p -to- n -type conversion of HgCdTe. We would like to use the advantages of “dry” plasma processing to perform passivation etching of HgCdTe. Plasma processing promises the ability to create small vias, 2  μ m or less with excellent uniformity across a wafer, good run-to-run uniformity, and good etch rate control. In this study we developed processes to controllably etch CdTe, the most common passivation material used for photovoltaic-based HgCdTe devices. We created a process based on xenon gas that allows for the slow controllable CdTe etch at only 0.035  μ m/min, with smooth morphology and rounded corners to promote further processing.