COMSAT Technical Review Volume 20 Number 1, Spring 1990 Advisory Board Joel R. Alper COMSAT TECHNICAL REVIEW Joseph V. Charyk John V. Evans Volume 20 Number 1, Spring 1990 John. S. Hannon Will ard R . Nichols Editorial Board Richard A. Arndt, Chairman 1 EFFECT OF ARGON PLASMA CLEANING ON GAAs FET PASSIVAITON Janes F. Allison E. Y. Chang, F. R. Phelleps , T. Smith, P. Laux, H. E. Carlson, S. Joseph Campanella Dauakumar M. Chitre R. J. Porter, T. C. Ho AND K. Pande William L. Cook Calvin B. Cotner 21 RF/OPTICAL INTERFACE DESIGN FOR OPTICAL INPERSATELLITE LINKS Allen D. Dayton R. K. Garlow AND S. J. Campanella Russell J. Fang Ramesh K. Gupta 63 140-Mbit/s COPSK MODEM LABORATORY TESTS AND TRANSATLANTIC Michael A. Halley FIELD TRIALS D. H. Layer, J. M. Kappes AND C. B. Cotner Ivor N. Knight Allied A . Norcott 97 CTR NOTE: RESULTS OF A 12-GHz RADIOMETRIC SITE DIVERSITY Hans J. Weiss EXPERIMENT AT ATLANTA, GEORGIA D. V. Rogers AND Atnir I. Zaghloul J. E. Allnutt ast Editors Pier L. Bargellini, 1971-1983 Geoffrey Hyde, 1984-1988 105 CTR NOTE: GEOSTATIONARY SATELLITE LOG FOR YEAR-END 1989 Editorial Staff MANAGING EDITOR Margaret BJacocks L. W. Kemp TECHNICAL EDITOR Barbara.1. Wassell 217 TRANSLATIONS OF ABSTRACTS PRODUCTION FRENCH 217 SPANISH 219 Barbara J. Wassell Virginia M. Ingrain 221 AUTHOR INDEX, CTR 1989 CIRCULA I ION Merilee J. Worsey 223 INDEX OF 1989 PUBLICATIONS BY COMSAT AUTHORS COMSAT TECHNICAL REvIEW is published twice a year by the Communications Satellite Corporation (COMSAT). Subscriptions, which include the two issues published within a calendar year, are: one year, $20 U.S.; two years, $35; three years. S50; single copies, S12; article reprints, $3. Overseas airmail delivery is available at an additional cost of $18 per year. Make checks payable to COMSAT and address to Records Department, Communications Satellite Corporation, 22300 Comsat Drive, Clarksburg, MD 20871-9475, U.S.A. ISSN 0095-9669 Co COMMUNICATIONS SATELLITE CORPORATION 1990 COMSAT IS A TRADE MARK AND SERVICE MARK OF THE COMMUNICATIONS SATELLITE CORPORATION ii Ill Index: amplifiers , low noise, power amplifiers, solid state devices Effect of argon plasma cleaning on GaAs FET passivation E. Y. CHANG, F. R. Puprlrps, T. SMITu, P. LAUX, H. E. CARLSON, R. J. PORTER , T. C Ho, AND K. PANDI! (Man u .scripI recdved December 11. 19891 Abstract Monolithic microwave integrated circuit (MMIC) chips are typically passivated with a dielectric film to improve their long-term environmental reliahil ity. Improper passi- vation generally degrades chip performance, reducing wafer yield. Surface preparation of the field-effect transistor (rcT) channel prior to dielectric passivation requires good control to reduce the native oxide and thus maintain the initial device performance. This paper describes a plasma process to etch the native oxide, coupled with silicon nitride passivation. Before nitride passivation, pulsed currendvollage measurement was used to study the effect of this etching process. It was found that argon plasma etching prior to passivation affects the channel surface differently, depending on the structure of the GaAs PFT. For example, argon plasma etching using self-induced bias voltage in the plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PccvD) system is benefi- cial for GaAs metal-semiconductor FETs (MESFETS) that have a recess width approxi- mately equal to the gate length. However, for delta-doped GaAs Fsrs with unrecessed gates, use of the plasma process before nitride passivation is likely to generate surface states and degrade ecT perlormance. Introduction The passivation of GaAs field-effect transistors (FFTS) and monolithic mi- crowave integrated circuits (MMtes) using dielectric films, with varying de- grees of success, has been reported in the past few years 111-151. The preferred 2 COMSAT TECHNICAL REVIEW VOLUME 20 NUMBER I. SPRING 1990 EFFECT OF. ARGON PLASMA CLEANING ON LET PASSIVATION 3 dielectric for passivation is silicon nitride, because devices passivated with induced bias voltage in the PECVD system. The parameters for the argon this dielectric display significantly improved resistance to long-term burnout plasma etch were as follows: 14]. However, to maintain device performance after passivation, it is essential • Pressure: 600 mTorr to control the interface states between the silicon nitride and the GaAs. For example, poor-quality passivation can degrade the breakdown voltage of power • Argon Flow: 1,000 seem FETS and lead to a burnout problem, which has been attributed to the chemical • Temperature: 250°C instability of the GaAs native oxides 15]. • Time: 30 s This paper evaluates an in situ argon plasma etching process for removing the native oxide from the PET channel surface to control the interface prior to In the second process, the GaAs channel surface was etched in the sulfuric silicon nitride passivation. This technique was successfully applied to flat- acid mixture and immediately loaded onto the grounded electrode; however, the sample was not subjected to argon plasma etch. profile power metal-semiconductor FET (MESFET) passivation, yielding FETS with excellent RE performance and device reliability. However, for delta-doped In both cases, the nitride film was deposited at 250°C in the PECVo system. FETS with an unrecessed gate, use of the plasma process before nitride passiva- The reactant gases were ammonia and silane, with nitrogen as the carrier gas. The deposition conditions were as follows: tion was found to generate surface states and degrade FET performance. Thus it was determined that the usefulness of the plasma process during passivation • Gas Flow Rate depends on the device structure. - Ammonia: 3.8 seem - Nitrogen: 800 seem Experimental procedures - Silane: 10 seem Device fabrication • Power: 25 W • Pressure: 600 mTorr Two types of device structures, one with a flat doping profile (regular MESFEL) and the other delta-doped, were used for this study. Standard proc- This nitride film exhibited stress of 109 dyne/cm2 (tensile stress) as measured essing available at COMSAT Laboratories was used to fabricate both types of by a stress gauge; a refractive index of 2.0 as measured by an ellipsometer; devices. The layers for the flat-doped MESFET were grown by vapor phase and a silicon-nitrogen ratio of 0.75 as obtained by Auger analysis. epitaxy (vPE), while molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) was used to grow the layers for the delta-doped FETs. Mesa etch was used for device isolation. The ohmic Current transient measurement contacts to the device structure were formed by alloying Au/Ge/Ni/Ag/Au in a Current transient measurement was used to evaluate the passivation char- rapid thermal annealing system at 450°C. The COMSAT direct-write electron- acteristics of the FEES. In this technique, the drain current transient measure- beam (e-beam) lithography system was used to define the submicrometer ment samples and records the drain current gates, which were recessed using citric acid prior to Ti/Pt/Au metali7ation. (I,js) of a LET at various times fol- The gate length of the MESFEPS used in this study was 0.7 µm. lowing an abrupt change in gate voltage (usually reverse-biased near pinchoff voltage, e.g., at -4 to +1 V). The drain voltage is stepped in even increments passivation process from V, (drain-to-source voltage) minimum (usually V,t, = 0) to V,ts maximum (>V,t, knee), and the I,,, is measured and recorded for each V J, increment. These Two distinct processes were used to passivate the two types of MESFETS. In data are then plotted in the form of an 1/V curve (1,,, rs V(° ), with pulsed time the first process, the surface of the GaAs wafer was cleaned in a dilute etch as a parameter. If a drain current transient exists, the plotted data will be a mixture containing sulfuric acid, and the wafer was immediately loaded onto family of curves showing the time-dependence of 1r1, Otherwise, the curves will the grounded electrode of the plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition overlay each other, providing a single trace (showing no time-dependence (PECVD) system. The wafer was then etched lightly in argon plasma using self- of Id,). 4 COMSAT I HCHNICAL REVIEW VOLUME 20 NUMBER I, SPRING 1990 EFPEcL OF ARGON PLASMA CLEANING ON FET PASSIVATION 5 Since GaAs LET performance is quantitatively related to the drain current, a large transient in the drain current usually indicates that significant surface states have been generated as a result of the plasma passivation process. A small transient, as indicated by the drain current curves being superimposed on each other, usually indicates low interface states in the passivated channel, unless the "access length" (the length from the recessed wall to the gate) is small 161. Experimental results and discussion The Ia, transient measurement was used to evaluate the passivation process. This measurement is performed both before and after nitride passivation, and the difference in the transient amplitude* before and after passivation is used to determine whether the surface states created by the PECVD process will ad- versely affect large-signal performance. In these experiments, small changes in the process chemistry were found to affect the amplitude of the transients. Before passivation, GaAs LETS usually show a certain amount of transient in they, pulse measurement. The amplitude of this transient increases relative to Figure 1. SEM Mierograp/t of a Cross Section of the Flat-Profile MESFET the amount of time the FIT channel surface is exposed to the air prior to passi- vation. This increase in IU, transient amplitude before nitride passivation is The other half of the wafer was passivated using both a wet chemical etch believed to be due to oxidation of the GaAs surfaces. and a plasma etching process. Figure 3a shows the I,t, pulse measurement for Results on passivation for flat-profile MESFETS and delta-doped MESFETS are the MESFET that was plasma etched before nitride passivation.