A computer controlled chemical bevel etching apparatus: applications to Auger analysis of multi-layered structures

M El-Gomati; A Gelsthorpe; R Srnanek; J Liday; P Vogrincic; J Kovac

A computer controlled chemical bevel etching apparatus: applications to Auger analysis of multi-layered structures

M El-Gomati, A Gelsthorpe, R Srnanek, J Liday, P Vogrincic, J Kovac

Electronic Engineering

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

Analysis of thin layer structures can be achieved by chemically etching a bevel and subsequently analysing the surface. However non-linear bevels often result due to differing etch rates of the materials lending to incorrect analysis results, We report on a computer controlled stepper motor reactor whereby the specimen is lowered into the etchant at a rate which compensates for the different etch rates of the various layers constituting the sample. The apparatus is used to produce linear bevels of various magnifications on GaAs/AlGaAs heterostructures. The etchant of H3PO4/H2O2/H2O is used for bevel preparation capped by a water layer to suppress the meniscus. Application of the technique to Multi Quantum Wells (MQW) and Bragg diffraction layers is shown. The depth resolution of the bevelled samples are analysed by AES and a comparison is made to conventional ion sputtering techniques. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	128-131
Number of pages	4
Journal	APPLIED SURFACE SCIENCE
Volume	144-45
Publication status	Published - Apr 1999

Keywords

chemical bevel
computer controlled
GaAs
AlGaAs
AES

Cite this

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title = "A computer controlled chemical bevel etching apparatus: applications to Auger analysis of multi-layered structures",

abstract = "Analysis of thin layer structures can be achieved by chemically etching a bevel and subsequently analysing the surface. However non-linear bevels often result due to differing etch rates of the materials lending to incorrect analysis results, We report on a computer controlled stepper motor reactor whereby the specimen is lowered into the etchant at a rate which compensates for the different etch rates of the various layers constituting the sample. The apparatus is used to produce linear bevels of various magnifications on GaAs/AlGaAs heterostructures. The etchant of H3PO4/H2O2/H2O is used for bevel preparation capped by a water layer to suppress the meniscus. Application of the technique to Multi Quantum Wells (MQW) and Bragg diffraction layers is shown. The depth resolution of the bevelled samples are analysed by AES and a comparison is made to conventional ion sputtering techniques. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.",

keywords = "chemical bevel, computer controlled, GaAs, AlGaAs, AES",

author = "M El-Gomati and A Gelsthorpe and R Srnanek and J Liday and P Vogrincic and J Kovac",

year = "1999",

month = apr,

language = "English",

volume = "144-45",

pages = "128--131",

journal = "APPLIED SURFACE SCIENCE",

issn = "0169-4332",

publisher = "Elsevier",

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TY - JOUR

T1 - A computer controlled chemical bevel etching apparatus: applications to Auger analysis of multi-layered structures

AU - El-Gomati, M

AU - Gelsthorpe, A

AU - Srnanek, R

AU - Liday, J

AU - Vogrincic, P

AU - Kovac, J

PY - 1999/4

Y1 - 1999/4

N2 - Analysis of thin layer structures can be achieved by chemically etching a bevel and subsequently analysing the surface. However non-linear bevels often result due to differing etch rates of the materials lending to incorrect analysis results, We report on a computer controlled stepper motor reactor whereby the specimen is lowered into the etchant at a rate which compensates for the different etch rates of the various layers constituting the sample. The apparatus is used to produce linear bevels of various magnifications on GaAs/AlGaAs heterostructures. The etchant of H3PO4/H2O2/H2O is used for bevel preparation capped by a water layer to suppress the meniscus. Application of the technique to Multi Quantum Wells (MQW) and Bragg diffraction layers is shown. The depth resolution of the bevelled samples are analysed by AES and a comparison is made to conventional ion sputtering techniques. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

AB - Analysis of thin layer structures can be achieved by chemically etching a bevel and subsequently analysing the surface. However non-linear bevels often result due to differing etch rates of the materials lending to incorrect analysis results, We report on a computer controlled stepper motor reactor whereby the specimen is lowered into the etchant at a rate which compensates for the different etch rates of the various layers constituting the sample. The apparatus is used to produce linear bevels of various magnifications on GaAs/AlGaAs heterostructures. The etchant of H3PO4/H2O2/H2O is used for bevel preparation capped by a water layer to suppress the meniscus. Application of the technique to Multi Quantum Wells (MQW) and Bragg diffraction layers is shown. The depth resolution of the bevelled samples are analysed by AES and a comparison is made to conventional ion sputtering techniques. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

KW - chemical bevel

KW - computer controlled

KW - GaAs

KW - AlGaAs

KW - AES

M3 - Article

SN - 0169-4332

VL - 144-45

SP - 128

EP - 131

JO - APPLIED SURFACE SCIENCE

JF - APPLIED SURFACE SCIENCE

ER -