Dry etching of using chemically assisted ion beam etching

The dry etching characteristics of grown by metal-organic chemical vapour deposition have been investigated using chemically assisted ion beam etching with an Ar ion beam and gas. Etch rates were investigated as a function of Al composition in ranging from GaN to AlN and as a function of ion beam energy. Anisotropic etched structures with smooth surfaces are demonstrated in layers. Auger electron spectroscopy of etched AlGaN surfaces shows that the stoichiometry is essentially unchanged after etching.