Research/Patents/US 5354420
US 5354420Tier 3 — General Defense

METHOD FOR LASER-ASSISTED ETCHING OF III-V AND II-VI SEMICONDUCTOR COMPOUNDS USING CHLOROFLUOROCARBON AMBIENTS

Assignee

US Government

Filed as: UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, THE, AS REPRESENTED BY THE SECRETARY OF THE NAVY

Filed

Apr 10, 1990

Granted

Oct 11, 1994

Location

San Diego CA (SAIC/General Dynamics)

Abstract

An etching process allows a selective single-step patterning of III-V or II-VI semiconductor compound devices such as GaAs and InP or CdS and ZnSe in a noncorrosive environment. The etching relies on a maskless laser-assisted technique in a gaseous chlorofluorocarbon ambient, such as gaseous dichlorodifluoromethane and chloropentafluoroethane. Laser-assisted photothermal chemical etching reactions on the III-V or II-VI semiconductor compounds occur in these ambients when the incident fluence from an excimer laser at 248 nm exceeds the melt threshold. This provides a means for thin membrane formation in III-V or II-VI semiconductor compounds, rapid etches and processing of packaged devices or partially fabricated dies. The reduction in processing steps as compared to conventional wet chemical etches provides improvements in yield, reliability and cost.

Source: Google Patents

35 USC §181 Secrecy Order

Imposed

Jul 6, 1990

Rescinded

Apr 23, 1993

Duration

2 years, 9 months

Inventor

  • 1STEPHEN D. RUSSELL

Sensitive facility: San Diego CA (SAIC/General Dynamics)

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Back to patent indexSource: USPTO 35 USC §181 secrecy order records