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Plasma Passivation Etching for HgCdTe

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Abstract

Inductively coupled plasmas (ICP) are the high-density plasmas of choice for the processing of HgCdTe and related compounds. Most dry plasma process works have been performed on HgCdTe for pixel delineation and the p-to-n-type conversion of HgCdTe. We would like to use the advantages of “dry” plasma processing to perform passivation etching of HgCdTe. Plasma processing promises the ability to create small vias, 2 μm or less with excellent uniformity across a wafer, good run-to-run uniformity, and good etch rate control. In this study we developed processes to controllably etch CdTe, the most common passivation material used for photovoltaic-based HgCdTe devices. We created a process based on xenon gas that allows for the slow controllable CdTe etch at only 0.035 μm/min, with smooth morphology and rounded corners to promote further processing.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. U.S. Army RDECOM CERDEC Night Vision and Electronic Sensors Directorate, Ft. Belvoir, VA, USA

    A. J. Stoltz, J. D. Benson & P. J. Smith

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  1. A. J. Stoltz
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  2. J. D. Benson
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  3. P. J. Smith
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Correspondence to A. J. Stoltz.

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Stoltz, A.J., Benson, J.D. & Smith, P.J. Plasma Passivation Etching for HgCdTe. J. Electron. Mater. 38, 1741–1745 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11664-009-0833-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11664-009-0833-0

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