Development of Silicon Carbide Dry Etcher Using Chlorine Trifluoride Gas

Abstract

A SiC dry etching reactor using chlorine trifluoride (ClF3) gas was designed and evaluated with the help of numerical calculations and experimental results. The etching rate was about 16 μm/min when the ClF3 gas concentration, the total flow rate and the SiC substrate temperature were 90%, 0.3 slm and 500 °C, respectively. The gas stream above the substrate surface was concluded to significantly affect the etching rate profile.