An a-Si:H vacuum-compatible photoresist process for fabricating device structures in HgCdTe
A process for transferring patterns into HgCdTe epilayers using a hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) photomask has been demonstrated. a-Si:H films were grown using plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD). A latent image of a projected mask pattern was created at the a-Si:H surface by ultraviolet enhanced oxidation in the load lock of the PECVD vacuum chamber. This image was transformed into a mask by hydrogen plasma removal of the unexposed areas. A hydrogen plasma etch selectivity value greater than 500:1 for oxide and a-Si:H allows patterns as thick as 700 nm to be generated. a-Si:H masks were used to create arrays of mesas in planar HgCdTe epilayers by etching in an electron cyclotron resonance (ECR) plasma reactor. Etch selectivity between a-Si:H and HgCdTe during an ECR hydrogen plasma etch was measured to be greater than 18:1. RoA values > 103 were obtained for mid-wavelength infrared diodes made from HgCdTe heterojunctions using a-Si:H masks.