Etching damage and its recovery in n-GaN by reactive ion etching

Plasma-induced damage of n-Type GaN in Cl-2/CH4/Ar reactants and its recovery by the O-2/CHF3 plasma in a reactive ion etching (RIE) system were studied by photoluminescence and Hall measurements. The mobility and optical properties of n-type GaN etched in Cl-2/CH4/Ar were degraded gradually with increased radio frequency power. The effects of O-2/CHF3 plasma treatment on the electrical and optical properties of n-type etched GaN were investigated by changing the ratio of O-2/CHF3 flow rate. It was found that the damage caused by the conventional RIE process could be partly, recovered by O-2/CHF3 plasma treatment. The recovery mechanism was also discussed. (C) 2003 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.Physics, Condensed MatterSCI(E)EI10ARTICLE1-2188-19233