Nanochannel diodes based on InAs/Al80Ga20Sb heterostructures: Fabrication and zero-bias detector properties

Abstract

The authors present a novel process for fabrication of deep submicron isolation patterns in InAs/Al80Ga20Sb heterostructures. The process is demonstrated by processing InAs/Al80Ga20Sb self-switching diodes (SSDs). SSDs require high-resolution isolation patterns, which presents a major fabrication challenge because of the oxidation sensitivity of Al(Ga)Sb alloys. The presented fabrication process completely avoided exposure of Al(Ga)Sb to air and resulted in an isolation pattern with a feature size down to 35 nm. The process was based on a dry etch of isolating trenches, in situ removal of the resist etch mask followed by in situ encapsulation of etched surfaces by silicon nitride. The applicability of the InAs/Al80Ga20Sb SSD process was demonstrated with on-wafer RF measurements of zero-bias detection up to 315 GHz. Below 50 GHz, the detector's noise-equivalent power was estimated to less than 100 pW/Hz½.