New publication from the SUNLAB : Micro and Nano Engineering

We are happy to announce that PhD Physics candidate Alison Clarke has published her first first-author paper in the journal Micro and Nano Engineering! Her article reviews plasma etching processes for III-V semiconductors such as gallium arsenide (GaAs) and indium phosphide (InP).

Plasma etching uses physical and chemical mechanisms to remove material and is essential for fabricating photonic and optoelectronic devices including solar cells and integrated circuits. The paper compares different plasma etching techniques, explains how process parameters like temperature and pressure influence etch results, and highlights challenges for etching different III-V materials. For example, compounds containing nitrogen are difficult to etch because of their strong covalent bonds. It also provides detailed reference tables and a summary plot of III-V etch rates for different plasma chemistries to guide future research. This work is an important resource for anyone interested in advanced semiconductor processing.

Click here for the full article.

A. Clarke, M. Darnon, K. Hinzer, M. de Lafontaine, Review of plasma etching processes for III-V semiconductors, Micro Nano Eng. 29, 100330 (2025). DOI: 10.1016/j.mne.2025.100330