Chemically assisted ion beam etching for photonics applications

In this work, the art of chemically assisted ion beam etching (CAIBE) is extended in ways which will enhance the quality and flexibility of fabrication for future photonic integrated systems. The starting point is the establishment of a capability to create very high quality three-dimensional microstructures in GaAs/AlGaAs by CAIBE in a contamination-free environment. All ultrahigh vacuum etching chamber construction with a high throughput turbomolecular pump and high vacuum loadlock provide routine high quality etching of AlGaAs without the use of etch chamber cryo panels or cryo pumps. The technology is extended by moving the process to lower ion energies (...