Fabrication of Structures on SiC Surfaces by Plasma Chemical Etching

This study investigates the plasma chemical etching of silicon carbide in an ICP/CCP discharge using a CCl2F2/O2/Ar mixture. The research establishes the influence of ICP power (300–500 W) and gas chemistry on key morphological parameters. The results demonstrate that the etch rate increases with higher ICP power and fluorine-containing gas concentration. An optimized process at 300 W and a gas ratio of O2/CCl2F2/Ar (81/7/11) produced structures with a height of 983.62 ± 37.64 nm, surface roughness of 14.13 ± 2.15 nm, and a sidewall angle of 74.63° ± 1.87°. A key finding is that increased oxygen content raises the sidewall angle while diminishing the influence of ICP power on this parameter. These insights are crucial for developing precise etching recipes for next generation SiC devices.