AlAs etch-stop layers for InGaAlAs/InP heterostructure devices and circuits

Author

Broekaert, Tom P E ; Fonstad, Clifton G.

Author_Institution

MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA

Volume

39

Issue

3

fYear

1992

fDate

3/1/1992 12:00:00 AM

Firstpage

533

Lastpage

536

Abstract

Wet chemical etching solutions were developed that allow the selective etching of InP lattice-matched InGaAs and InAlAs compounds using thin pseudomorphic AlAs layers as etch stop. Several dicarboxylic acids were found that allow the etching of indium compounds. The best results were obtained for etchants consisting of succinic acid, ammonia, and hydrogen peroxide. The etch rate in In_0.53Ga_0.47As is found to be over 1000 times the etch rate of AlAs, while the etch rate of In_0.52Ga_0.48As is over 500 times that of the AlAs. The dependences of the succinic acid based etch on p H and hydrogen concentration were also studied. Buffered HF can be used to remove the AlAs stop layer, while it does not etch InGaAlAs to any significant degree

Keywords

III-V semiconductors; aluminium compounds; etching; gallium arsenide; indium compounds; AlAs etch-stop layers; InGaAlAs-InP; buffered HF; dicarboxylic acids; etch rate; etching solutions; heterostructure devices; selective etching; selectivity; semiconductors; succinic acid based etch; succinic acid-NH₄OH-H₂O₂; wet etching; Chemical compounds; Circuits; Contacts; Etching; Indium compounds; Indium gallium arsenide; Indium phosphide; Molecular beam epitaxial growth; Resonant tunneling devices; Testing;

fLanguage

English

Journal_Title

Electron Devices, IEEE Transactions on

Publisher

ieee

ISSN

0018-9383

Type

jour

DOI

10.1109/16.123474

Filename

123474