Interhalogen Plasma Chemistries for the Etching of NiMnSb

NiMnSb thin films have been etched in plasma chemistries ICl and IBr, under inductively coupled plasma conditions. These interhalogens produce practical etch rates (500-1500 Å/min-1) provided the incident ion energy is above threshold values (∼120 eV for ICl, ∼230eV for IBr) and there is a balance of etch product formation and desorption through control of the ion and reactive neutral fluxes. Both chemistries appear promising for pattern transfer in NiMnSb-based spin polarized magnetic devices. © 1999 The Electrochemical Society. All rights reserved.