Inductively Coupled Plasma Etching of Indium Zinc Oxide Thin Films with HBr∕Ar Discharges

High density plasma etching of indium zinc oxide (IZO) thin films was performed in gas mix. As HBr concentration increased, the etch rate was decreased and etch profile was improved. The high degree of etch anisotropy was achieved with decreasing dc-bias voltage and increasing gas pressure. The formation of protective layer, which had a strong effect on the etch profile, was confirmed by surface analyses. The X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy revealed the formation of and compounds. It could be concluded that the etching of IZO films in plasma was governed by ion sputtering along with chemical assistance.