A gas phase chemical etchant for boron nitride films

We have demonstrated that boron nitride films deposited on silicon and tantalum can be etched in a hot filament environment with an input gas composition of 1% methane in hydrogen. Etching experiments were carried out at around 800 K on a tantalum foil and at somewhat higher temperatures on silicon substrates. If the etchant is atomic hydrogen or methyl radical, then we estimate etching efficiencies (atoms etched per collision) of ∼10−5 or 10−4 for these species, respectively.