Preparation and etching processing of planar thin film of Pr super(3+)-doped fluorozirconate glass

• Published in: Journal of materials science Vol. 36; no. 20; pp. 5013 - 5016
• Main Authors: Kawamoto, Y, Teramoto, M, Hatano, T, Shojiya, M
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: 15.10.2001
• ISSN: 0022-2461

Planar thin-films of a 60ZrF sub(4) times 35BaF sub(2) times 5PrF sub(3) composition were successfully prepared from Zr(hfa) sub(4), Ba(hfa) sub(2)(tg), Pr(fod) sub(3) and NF sub(3) by an electron cyclotron resonance plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition technique. The films obtained were colorless and amorphous. As etching processing of the prepared thin-film, dry etching was performed using Ar, CF sub(4), SF sub(6), Cl sub(2) and Cl sub(2)-BCl sub(3) gases. The Ar etching in which no reactive ion-etching is anticipated exhibited the fastest etching rate. Wet etching was also performed using a ZrOCl sub(2)-HCl etching solution. The etching rate was extremely fast compared with those of dry etching. In this etching, however, undesirable side-etching occurred. At the present stage, therefore, the most preferable etching processing is dry etching by an Ar gas.