Two different plasma chemistries for etching ZnO were examined. Both Cl-2/Ar and CH4/H-2/Ar produced etch rates which increased linearly with rf power, reaching values of similar to1200 Angstrom/min for Cl-2/Ar and similar to3000 Angstrom/min for CH4/H-2/Ar. The evolution of surface morphology, surface composition, and PL intensity as a function of energy during etching were monitored. The effect of H in ZnO was studied using direct implantation at doses of 10(15)-10(16) cm(-2), followed by annealing at 500-700 degreesC. The hydrogen shows significant outdiffusion at 500 degreesC and is below the detection limits of SIMS after 700 degreesC anneals. SEM of the etched features showed anisotropic sidewalls, indicative of an ion-driven etch mechanism. (C) 2003 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.