Reactive ion beam etching of lithium tantalate and its application for pyroelectric infrared detectors

• Published in: Surface & coatings technology Vol. 74; no. 1-3; pp. 932 - 936
• Main Authors: Plehnert, Corinna, Norkus, Volkmar, Möhling, Silke, Hayes, Alan
• Format: Journal Article Conference Proceeding
• Language: English
• Published: Lausanne Elsevier B.V 01.10.1995; Elsevier
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Electronics; Exact sciences and technology; Infrared detectors; Lithium tantalate; Microelectronic fabrication (materials and surfaces technology); Reactive ion beam etching; Semiconductor electronics. Microelectronics. Optoelectronics. Solid state devices; X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy; Infrared detectors; Reactive ion beam etching; Lithium tantalate; X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy; Microelectronic fabrication; Reactive ion etching; Detector; Lithium tantalates; Infrared detector; Infrared detection; Photoelectron spectrometry; Selectivity; Microelectronics; Experimental study; Angle of incidence
• ISSN: 0257-8972; 1879-3347
• DOI: 10.1016/0257-8972(94)08207-3

The properties of reactive ion beam etching (RIBE) of single crystalline lithium tantalate (LiTaO 3) and photoresist are reported, with particular attention given to the dependence on the gas flow, the ion beam current, the accelerating voltage as well as the angle of incidence. For the experiments a filamentless r.f. ion beam source and gas mixtures containing C 2F 6, CF 4, Ar and O 2 were applied. Compared with Ar ion beam etching (IBE) the LiTaO 3/photoresist etch rate selectivity was found to be three times higher. High selective RIBE of LiTaO 3 and photoresist is an efficient process for the production of one- and two-dimensional pyroelectric IR detectors: The thickness of a LiTaO 3 wafer patterned with photoresist must be reduced by etching by about 10–15 μm.