Self assembled micro masking effect in the fabrication of SiC nanopillars by ICP-RIE dry etching

• Published in: Applied surface science Vol. 257; no. 9; pp. 3850 - 3855
• Main Authors: Kathalingam, A., Kim, Mi-Ra, Chae, Yeon-Sik, Sudhakar, S., Mahalingam, T., Rhee, Jin-Koo
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier B.V 15.02.2011; Elsevier
• Subjects: Cl2/Ar gas plasma; Condensed matter: electronic structure, electrical, magnetic, and optical properties; Condensed matter: structure, mechanical and thermal properties; Cross-disciplinary physics: materials science; rheology; Dry etching; Drying; Etching; Exact sciences and technology; ICP-RIE etching; Masking; Nanocomposites; Nanomaterials; Nanopillar; Nanostructure; Physics; Pillars; Self assembled micro mask; Silicon carbide; Nanopillar; Silicon carbide; ICP-RIE etching; Dry etching; Cl2/Ar gas plasma; Self assembled micro mask; Self-assembly; Inorganic compounds; Ar gas plasma; Cl; Etching
• ISSN: 0169-4332; 1873-5584
• DOI: 10.1016/j.apsusc.2010.11.053

▶ This paper deals the fabrication of 4H–SiC nanopillars using ICP-RIE dry etching in Cl2/Ar gas plasma. ▶ Cylindrical nanopillars of 300nm diameter and 500nm height with smooth side walls were etched on SiC wafer. ▶ The novelty is the fabrication of nano pillars without patterned etch mask. ▶ The most interesting feature of this mask-less etching is the pore structure of the pillars that is each pillar has been produced as a hollow structure having a pore centrally along its length. ▶ The self assembled micro masking effect for the fabrication of this unique nanostructure has been investigated in this paper. ▶ To our knowledge, no report is available on the fabrication of SiC nanopillars without using patterned nano mask. ▶ In this report we present the experimental results on the novel fabrication of SiC nanopillars using mask-free Cl2 based ICP-RIE etching technique. This report presents the results of the novel fabrication of 4H-SiC pillars with nanopores using ICP-RIE dry etching. Cl2/Ar gas plasma with various mass flow rates was used in this etching process to produce SiC nanopillars without using patterned etch mask. Cylindrical pillars of 300nm diameter and 500nm height with smooth side walls were etched on SiC wafer. The etching condition for the optimized fabrication of SiC nanopillars is presented in this report. Each nanopillar has been produced with a nanosize pore at the center along its length and up to the middle of the cylindrical nanopillar; it is a unique feature has not ever been reported in case of SiC. Inclusion of oxygen was found influence the formation of nanopillars by the effect of SiO2 micro masking. The formation of self assembled SiO2 layer and its micro masking effect in the fabrication of this unique nanostructure has been investigated using TEM, STEM and EDAX measurements.