Atomic Layer Etch (ALE) is an emerging etch technology that offers precise etch rates, surface smoothening, and ultra-low interface damage as compared to conventional RIE and ICP RIE.
We are thrilled to have two special guests for this event - Professor Austin Minnich from Caltech and Julian Michaels from the University of Illinois.
Prof. Minnich will discuss isotropic ALE of AlN, while Mr. Michaels will make the first public presentation of a novel process for anisotropic ALE of SiC. Oxford Instrument’s Quantum Technology expert, Dr Russ Renzas, will host and provide a brief introduction.
ALE is critical for the next generation of power electronics, quantum devices, photonic integrated circuits, and more – watch the webinar now and learn how ALE can help you.
Watch on demand
On Demand
On Demand
Duration:2 hours
Language:English
Businesses:Plasma Technology
Time (GMT) |
Talk Title |
Presenter |
16:00-16:35 |
Introduction to the webinar and overview of Atomic Layer Etch |
Russ Renzas |
16:35-16:55 |
Bias-pulsed Atomic Layer Etch of SiC |
Julian Michaels |
16:55-17:15 |
Isotropic plasma-thermal atomic layer etching of aluminum nitride for quantum photonics applications |
Austin Minnich |
17:15-18:00 |
Panel Discussion |
Russ Renzas (moderator) |
Atomic Layer Etch (ALE) offers three advantages as compared to standard ICP RIE: precise etch rates, surface smoothening, and reduced damage. We will introduce both types of ALE – anisotropic and isotropic – and discuss key use cases.
Atomic Layer Etching (ALE) is a cyclical etch that removes single atomic layers at a time. ALE methods exist for many semiconductors and is inimitable in precision etching; however, ALE is slow relative to other etching methods because reagent gases are purged between each cycle. This talk presents a novel approach to ALE for 4H-SiC that pulses only the plasma DC bias. This bias-pulsed ALE is approximately ten times faster than conventional ALE because gases are not purged. Atomic force microscopy scans show that this process can substantially smooth the etched surface.
Aluminum nitride is a material of significant interest for quantum photonic integrated circuits owing to its simultaneous second and third-order optical nonlinearities. However, surface roughness induced light scattering originating from nano fabrication imperfections is a major limitation on various figures of merit. In this talk, I will describe an isotropic atomic layer etching (ALE) process we have developed which enables the etching and smoothing of AlN film surfaces with Angstrom precision. The process is based on the fluorination of AlN using an SF6 plasma, followed by a ligand-exchange reaction with trimethylaluminum to yield etching. A maximum etch rate of 1.9 A/cycle was observed at 300 C along with a 35% decrease in surface roughness after 50 cycles. The process has potential to advance the application of AlN for quantum photonics.
Dr Russ Renzas is the Quantum Technology Manager at Oxford Instruments, where he focuses on the use of atomic layer deposition ...
Julian Michaels's work focuses on developing novel nanofabrication techniques for quantum and optical devices.
Professor Austin Minnich's research interests include the development of next-generation nanofabrication processes for quantum ...
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