AVS 46th International Symposium
    Electronic Materials and Processing Division Thursday Sessions
       Session EM2-ThM

Paper EM2-ThM10
Synchrotron Radiation-Induced Wet Processing of GaAs*

Thursday, October 28, 1999, 11:20 am, Room 612

Session: Dielectric Passivation/Oxides on Compound Semiconductors
Presenter: Q. Ma, Argonne National Laboratory
Authors: Q. Ma, Argonne National Laboratory
D.C. Mancini, Argonne National Laboratory
R.A. Rosenberg, Argonne National Laboratory
Correspondent: Click to Email
To explore the potential for photoelectrochemical processing of materials using hard x-rays generated by a third-generation synchrotron radiation (SR) light source, we initiated studies of SR-induced surface wet etching and metal deposition. We report in this paper a room-temperature, x-ray-induced chemical wet etching process that produces smoothly etched surfaces on n-GaAs using a HNO@sub 3@ solution as the reagent. Atomic force microscope measurements indicate a root-mean-square surface roughness of @<=@ 1.5 nm, which compares favorably to the unetched surface roughness. An etch rate of up to 64 nm/min was achieved under current experimental conditions, which still leaves room for significant enhancement. Dependence of the etching rate on photon intensity, photon energy, semiconductor doping types, and solution concentration, as well as the etched surface chemistry have been studied in order to understand the underlying mechanism. We will also report a preliminary result of patterned wet metal deposition on n-GaAs using a commercial Ni-containing electrolyte and describe the processing. *The submitted manuscript has been created by the University of Chicago as Operator of Argonne National Laboratory ("Argonne") under Contract No. W-31-109-ENG-38 with the U.S. Department of Energy. The U.S. Government retains for itself, and others acting on its behalf, a paid-up, nonexclusive, irrevocable worldwide license in said article to reproduce, prepare derivative works, distribute copies to the public, and perform publicly and display publicly, by or on behalf of the Government.