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Title: Porous siliconformation and etching process for use in silicon micromachining

Abstract

A reproducible process for uniformly etching silicon from a series of micromechanical structures used in electrical devices and the like includes providing a micromechanical structure having a silicon layer with defined areas for removal thereon and an electrochemical cell containing an aqueous hydrofluoric acid electrolyte. The micromechanical structure is submerged in the electrochemical cell and the defined areas of the silicon layer thereon are anodically biased by passing a current through the electrochemical cell for a time period sufficient to cause the defined areas of the silicon layer to become porous. The formation of the depth of the porous silicon is regulated by controlling the amount of current passing through the electrochemical cell. The micromechanical structure is then removed from the electrochemical cell and submerged in a hydroxide solution to remove the porous silicon. The process is subsequently repeated for each of the series of micromechanical structures to achieve a reproducibility better than 0.3%.

Inventors:
 [1];  [1];  [2];  [1];  [1]
  1. Albuquerque, NM
  2. (Albuquerque, NM)
Issue Date:
Research Org.:
AT&T
OSTI Identifier:
867722
Patent Number(s):
4995954
Assignee:
United States of America as represented by Department of Energy (Washington, DC)
Patent Classifications (CPCs):
H - ELECTRICITY H01 - BASIC ELECTRIC ELEMENTS H01L - SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES
Y - NEW / CROSS SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES Y10 - TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC Y10S - TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
DOE Contract Number:  
AC04-76DP00789
Resource Type:
Patent
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
porous; siliconformation; etching; process; silicon; micromachining; reproducible; uniformly; series; micromechanical; structures; electrical; devices; providing; structure; layer; defined; removal; thereon; electrochemical; cell; containing; aqueous; hydrofluoric; acid; electrolyte; submerged; anodically; biased; passing; current; time; period; sufficient; formation; depth; regulated; controlling; amount; removed; hydroxide; solution; remove; subsequently; repeated; achieve; reproducibility; acid electrolyte; micromechanical structure; layer thereon; hydrofluoric acid; etching process; period sufficient; silicon layer; porous silicon; electrochemical cell; time period; cell containing; micromechanical structures; current passing; hydroxide solution; electrical device; silicon micromachining; electrical devices; etching silicon; mechanical structure; cell contain; oxide solution; current pass; /216/205/438/

Citation Formats

Guilinger, Terry R, Kelly, Michael J, Martin, Jr., Samuel B., Stevenson, Joel O, and Tsao, Sylvia S. Porous siliconformation and etching process for use in silicon micromachining. United States: N. p., 1991. Web.
Guilinger, Terry R, Kelly, Michael J, Martin, Jr., Samuel B., Stevenson, Joel O, & Tsao, Sylvia S. Porous siliconformation and etching process for use in silicon micromachining. United States.
Guilinger, Terry R, Kelly, Michael J, Martin, Jr., Samuel B., Stevenson, Joel O, and Tsao, Sylvia S. Tue . "Porous siliconformation and etching process for use in silicon micromachining". United States. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/867722.
@article{osti_867722,
title = {Porous siliconformation and etching process for use in silicon micromachining},
author = {Guilinger, Terry R and Kelly, Michael J and Martin, Jr., Samuel B. and Stevenson, Joel O and Tsao, Sylvia S},
abstractNote = {A reproducible process for uniformly etching silicon from a series of micromechanical structures used in electrical devices and the like includes providing a micromechanical structure having a silicon layer with defined areas for removal thereon and an electrochemical cell containing an aqueous hydrofluoric acid electrolyte. The micromechanical structure is submerged in the electrochemical cell and the defined areas of the silicon layer thereon are anodically biased by passing a current through the electrochemical cell for a time period sufficient to cause the defined areas of the silicon layer to become porous. The formation of the depth of the porous silicon is regulated by controlling the amount of current passing through the electrochemical cell. The micromechanical structure is then removed from the electrochemical cell and submerged in a hydroxide solution to remove the porous silicon. The process is subsequently repeated for each of the series of micromechanical structures to achieve a reproducibility better than 0.3%.},
doi = {},
journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Tue Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1991},
month = {Tue Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1991}
}