A kind of wet etching method of gallium-nitride-based devices
Technical field
The invention belongs to microelectronics technology, relate to the lithographic technique of semiconductor device, be specifically related to a kind of wet etching method of gallium-nitride-based devices.
Background technology
Device take AlGaN/GaN as material foundation is referred to as gallium-nitride-based devices, AlGaN/GaN hetero junction field effect pipe (heterostructure field effect transistors for example, HFET), heterojunction bipolar transistor (heterostructure bipolar transistor, HBT) etc.Gallium-nitride-based devices has the advantages such as working temperature height, breakdown field is powerful, cut-off frequency is high, power density is large, is the first-selection in the high-power field of future microwave, more becomes the nearly during the last ten years research emphasis in microwave power device field.
Be different from the traditional Si device system, the chemistry of GaN sill and physical property are all highly stable, to such an extent as to current its etching technics mainly is take ion etching as main dry etch process, but this technique can be given GaN base device injury inevitably, and device performance is descended.
Summary of the invention
The object of the present invention is to provide a kind of wet etching method of gallium-nitride-based devices, can make the etching tank that bottom land is smooth, step edge is smooth, and can effectively reduce the damage that device is caused.
For achieving the above object, the present invention adopts following technical scheme:
A kind of wet etching method of gallium-nitride-based devices, its step comprises:
1) at gallium-nitride-based devices surface deposition protective layer:
2) apply photoresist at described protective layer, and the photoetching corrosion figure;
3) etching is treated the protective layer of corrosion area;
4) remove the residue photoresist;
5) gallium-nitride-based devices is carried out oxidation processes under hot conditions;
6) place corrosive solution to corrode the gallium-nitride-based devices after the oxidation processes.
Further, described gallium-nitride-based devices comprises that AlGaN/GaN heterojunction device, LED device etc. are based on the semiconductor device of gallium nitride material characteristic.
Further, described protective layer can adopt SiO
2Or the material such as SiN.
Further, the method for described etching includes but not limited to: 1) RIE(reactive ion etching, Reactive Ion Etching) process; 2) BOE(Buffer Oxide Etch, the buffering etching solution) the solution immersion treatment.
Further, the method for described deposit includes but not limited to: PECVD(Plasma Enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposition, plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition), low-pressure chemical vapor deposition, optical thin film deposition; The preferred PECVD method that adopts.
Further, described photoresist can adopt the materials such as AZ5214; The modes such as contact photolithography are adopted in described photoetching.
Further, carry out described oxidation processes by oxidation furnace, Temperature Setting is 600-900 ℃, and the time is 30min-10h.Can according to the groove depth that will corrode and application, make corresponding modification to the temperature and time of oxidation processes.
Further, described corrosive solution can be alkaline solution, can be acid solution also, includes but not limited to:
A) potassium hydroxide solution or sodium hydroxide solution: its mass concentration is 15%-25%, and its temperature is 50 ℃-100 ℃, and etching time is 5-60 minute;
B) strong acid class solution, such as rare nitric acid, watery hydrochloric acid, hydrofluoric acid and dilute sulfuric acid etc.: its mass concentration is the laboratory typical concentrations, and its temperature is 50 ℃-100 ℃, and etching time is 5-60 minute.
The wet etching method of gallium-nitride-based devices of the present invention for gallium nitride-based material, can obtain the deep trouth greater than 150nm, and its bottom land is smooth, and step edge is smooth, can effectively avoid the damage that causes to device as main dry etch process take ion etching.The inventive method can be applied to the isolation technology of gallium-nitride-based devices, also can be applicable to other etching process of gallium nitride-based material, such as corrosion of enhancement device grid groove etc.
Description of drawings
Fig. 1 is the flow chart of steps of the wet etching method of gallium-nitride-based devices of the present invention.
Fig. 2 is the atomic force microscope images of the isolation channel shoulder height of the embodiment of the invention.
Fig. 3 is the atomic force microscope images of the isolation channel bottom land pattern of the embodiment of the invention.
Fig. 4 is the atomic force microscope images of the isolation channel three-dimensional structure of the embodiment of the invention.
Embodiment
Below by specific embodiment and cooperate accompanying drawing, the present invention is described in detail.
The present invention to the principle that gallium-nitride-based devices carries out wet etching is: at first carry out oxidation processes under hot conditions; Then be soaked in the alkaline solution of constant temperature and corrode.The GaN material at high temperature (is generally more than 600 ℃), can be oxidized, form the oxide of Ga, and the N element is then with N
2Form leave.And the oxide of Ga is amphoteric oxide, can be dissolved in highly basic or strong acid solution at a certain temperature, thereby stays the etching tank structure.
Fig. 1 is the flow chart of steps of wet etching method of the gallium-nitride-based devices of present embodiment.The below is specifically described the method take the isolation technology of AlGaN/GaN HMET as example.The preparation process of this isolation channel comprises:
1) adopt the PECVD method to prepare the SiO that thickness is 500nm on GaN base device surface
2Protective layer.
This step prepares SiO
2The purpose of layer is the non-isolation channel of protection zone, i.e. device area not oxidized and damage under the high-temperature oxygen environment.
2) at described SiO
2Coating photoresist on the layer, and photoetching corrosion figure.
The domain that present embodiment adopts is the isolation structure domain, and the photoresist of employing is AZ5214; Adopt the contact photolithography method to carry out photoetching.
3) etching is treated the SiO of corrosion area
2Protective layer.
The purpose of this step is to etch away the SiO that treats corrosion area
2Protective layer exposes out the isolation channel zone, is convenient to follow-up oxidation, but not the SiO of corrosion area
2Protective layer can not be etched away because the protection of photoresist is arranged.This step employing RIE(reactive ion etching) method is carried out etching.
4) remove the residue photoresist.Adopt the method for organic washing to remove photoresist, solvent is acetone and other organic solvent.
5) step 4) gained gallium-nitride-based devices is put in the oxidation furnace under the purity oxygen environment and carries out oxidation processes.
The purpose in front four steps is before the print oxidation, will not need the zone SiO of oxidation
2Protective layer protects, and needs the zone of oxidation exposed out, carries out oxidation in this step.The Temperature Setting of oxidation is 900 ℃, and the time is 9 hours.
6) gallium-nitride-based devices after the oxidation processes is soaked in potassium hydroxide solution and corrodes, namely make isolation channel after the taking-up.
In this step, the temperature constant of potassium hydroxide solution is 70 ℃; Wherein the ratio of saturated potassium hydroxide solution and water is 1:4, and being converted into mass concentration is 19.7%; Etching time is 30 minutes.
Fig. 2,3 and 4 is for adopting atomic force microscope (AFM) that above-described embodiment gained isolation channel is detected the image of gained, and wherein: Fig. 2 is for being the shoulder height image of isolation channel; The bottom land feature image of Fig. 3 isolation channel; Fig. 4 is the three-dimensional structure image of isolation channel.Can find out, the isolation channel (isolation channel) of this wet etching method preparation, its shoulder height is about 150nm, shown in Fig. 2 upper right corner; Its trench bottom is smooth, and average roughness Ra is 10.7nm; And step edge is neatly smooth.
In above-described embodiment, described gallium-nitride-based devices can be that AlGaN/GaN heterojunction device, LED device etc. are based on the semiconductor device of gallium nitride material characteristic.
In above-described embodiment, described protective layer is except adopting SiO
2Can also adopt the materials such as SiN outward.
In above-described embodiment, step 3) can also adopt BOE(Buffer Oxide Etch except adopting the RIE method to carry out the etching, the buffering etching solution) etc. solution carry out immersion treatment, finish etching.
In above-described embodiment, described deposit can also be adopted the methods such as low-pressure chemical vapor deposition, optical thin film deposition except adopting the PECVD method.
In above-described embodiment, when carrying out oxidation processes by oxidation furnace, temperature can be adjusted in 600-900 ℃ of scope, and the time is 30min-10h.Can according to the groove depth that will corrode and application, make corresponding modification to the temperature and time of oxidation processes.
In above-described embodiment, step 6) can adopt alkaline solution to corrode, and can be acid solution also, includes but not limited to:
A) potassium hydroxide solution or sodium hydroxide solution: its mass concentration is 15%-25%, and its temperature is 50 ℃-100 ℃, and etching time is 5-60 minute;
B) strong acid class solution, such as rare nitric acid, watery hydrochloric acid, hydrofluoric acid and dilute sulfuric acid etc.: its mass concentration is the laboratory typical concentrations, and its temperature is 50 ℃-100 ℃, and etching time is 5-60 minute.
Above embodiment is only in order to technical scheme of the present invention to be described but not limit it; those of ordinary skill in the art can make amendment or is equal to replacement technical scheme of the present invention; and not breaking away from the spirit and scope of the present invention, protection scope of the present invention should be as the criterion so that claim is described.