ECR, ICP, and RIE plasma etching of GaN

The group III-nitrides continue to generate interest due to their wide band gaps and high dielectric constants. These materials have made significant impact on the compound semiconductor community as blue and ultraviolet light emitting diodes (LEDs). Realization of more advanced devices; including lasers and high temperature electronics, requires dry etch processes which are well controlled, smooth, highly anisotropic and have etch rates exceeding 0.5 {mu}m/min. In this paper, we compare electron cyclotron resonance (ECR), inductively coupled plasma (ICP), and reactive ion etch (RIE) etch results for GaN. These are the first ICP etch results reported for GaN. We also report ECR etch rates for GaN as a function of growth technique