FABRICATION OF NIFE THIN-FILM ELEMENTS BY DRY-ETCHING USING CH4/H-2/O-2

A mixture of methane, hydrogen, and oxygen has been used to etch thin films of NiFe. The variation of etch rate with concentration of methane and oxygen has been investigated. By using a SrF2 mask, patterned by liftoff, small micrometer-sized elements have been fabricated. It is demonstrated that the use of CH4/H-2/O-2 as an etchant yields elements possessing similar micromagnetic properties to those produced by conventional liftoff. The process has also been successfully employed to etch other important magnetic thin films. (C) 1995 American Institute of Physics.