Investigation of plasma etching for interlayer dielectric planarization in high-efficiency deep-ultraviolet nanowire LEDs

Bryan Melanson; Matthew Seitz; Jing Zhang

doi:10.1117/12.2649333

15 March 2023 Investigation of plasma etching for interlayer dielectric planarization in high-efficiency deep-ultraviolet nanowire LEDs

Bryan Melanson, Matthew Seitz, Jing Zhang

Author Affiliations +

Proceedings Volume 12433, Advanced Fabrication Technologies for Micro/Nano Optics and Photonics XVI; 124330H (2023) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2649333
Event: SPIE OPTO, 2023, San Francisco, California, United States

Conference Poster

Abstract

Nanowire array LEDs rely on an interlayer spacer dielectric to enable connection of many nanowires in parallel. Conventional solutions use spin-coatable materials such as polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) or spin-on-glass (SOG), which are thermally and mechanically unstable. Alternatively, more stable dielectric materials such as SiO₂ or Si₃N₄ can be used, however these materials deposit conformally, leading to significant surface topology above the nanowires prior to the etch back step. In this work, we present a method for removing this surface topology by utilizing a self-planarizing photoresist layer and a plasma etch which removes photoresist and SiO₂ at the same rate. By performing this planarization process several times, surface features of height h > 1 μm can be reduced to less than 50 nm, allowing further etching of the SiO₂ to expose the tips the nanowires and allow for reliable p-contact formation. Unlike CMP, this process only involves dielectric deposition and dry etching, and places no limitations on sample size and shape, making it ideal for research settings.

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Bryan Melanson, Matthew Seitz, and Jing Zhang "Investigation of plasma etching for interlayer dielectric planarization in high-efficiency deep-ultraviolet nanowire LEDs", Proc. SPIE 12433, Advanced Fabrication Technologies for Micro/Nano Optics and Photonics XVI, 124330H (15 March 2023); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2649333

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