Abstract
Etch product chlorides from a gallium arsenide substrate subjected to a high density Cl2/Ar plasma etching process have been sampled in situ to determine regions of process space commensurate with ion-driven surface chemistry. Experimental results show three distinct surface chemistry regimes as the ion energy is increased: thermal chemistry for energies <50 eV, ion-assisted chemistry for energies of 50–200 eV, and sputtering for energies above 200 eV. Further, ion energies above 200 eV result in unrecoverable pinning of the surface Fermi level whereas at lower ion energies the surface Fermi level returns to the pre-etch condition with in situ Cl2/Ar plasma passivations.