Carrier-lifetime-controlled selective etching process for semiconductors using photochemical etching
Abstract
The minority carrier lifetime is significantly much shorter in semiconductor materials with very high impurity concentrations than it is in semiconductor materials with lower impurity concentration levels. This phenomenon of reduced minority carrier lifetime in semiconductor materials having high impurity concentration is utilized to advantage for permitting highly selective semiconductor material etching to be achieved using a carrier-driven photochemical etching reaction. Various means may be employed for increasing the local impurity concentration level in specific near-surface regions of a semiconductor prior to subjecting the semiconductor material to a carrier-driven photochemical etching reaction. The regions having the localized increased impurity concentration form a self-aligned mask inhibiting photochemical etching at such localized regions while the adjacent regions not having increased impurity concentrations are selectively photochemically etched. Liquid- or gas-phase etching may be performed.
- Inventors:
-
- Edgewood, NM
- Albuquerque, NM
- Issue Date:
- Research Org.:
- AT&T
- OSTI Identifier:
- 868181
- Patent Number(s):
- 5092957
- Assignee:
- United States of America as represented by United States (Washington, DC)
- Patent Classifications (CPCs):
-
H - ELECTRICITY H01 - BASIC ELECTRIC ELEMENTS H01L - SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC04-76DP00789
- Resource Type:
- Patent
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- carrier-lifetime-controlled; selective; etching; process; semiconductors; photochemical; minority; carrier; lifetime; significantly; shorter; semiconductor; materials; impurity; concentrations; concentration; levels; phenomenon; reduced; utilized; advantage; permitting; highly; material; achieved; carrier-driven; reaction; various; means; employed; increasing; local; level; specific; near-surface; regions; prior; subjecting; localized; increased; form; self-aligned; mask; inhibiting; adjacent; selectively; photochemically; etched; liquid-; gas-phase; performed; selective etching; impurity concentration; surface region; etching process; chemical etching; semiconductor materials; semiconductor material; minority carrier; highly selective; localized region; near-surface regions; concentration levels; carrier lifetime; photochemical etching; selectively photochemically; various means; near-surface region; selective etch; chemically etched; surface regions; concentration level; /438/
Citation Formats
Ashby, Carol I. H., and Myers, David R. Carrier-lifetime-controlled selective etching process for semiconductors using photochemical etching. United States: N. p., 1992.
Web.
Ashby, Carol I. H., & Myers, David R. Carrier-lifetime-controlled selective etching process for semiconductors using photochemical etching. United States.
Ashby, Carol I. H., and Myers, David R. Wed .
"Carrier-lifetime-controlled selective etching process for semiconductors using photochemical etching". United States. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/868181.
@article{osti_868181,
title = {Carrier-lifetime-controlled selective etching process for semiconductors using photochemical etching},
author = {Ashby, Carol I. H. and Myers, David R},
abstractNote = {The minority carrier lifetime is significantly much shorter in semiconductor materials with very high impurity concentrations than it is in semiconductor materials with lower impurity concentration levels. This phenomenon of reduced minority carrier lifetime in semiconductor materials having high impurity concentration is utilized to advantage for permitting highly selective semiconductor material etching to be achieved using a carrier-driven photochemical etching reaction. Various means may be employed for increasing the local impurity concentration level in specific near-surface regions of a semiconductor prior to subjecting the semiconductor material to a carrier-driven photochemical etching reaction. The regions having the localized increased impurity concentration form a self-aligned mask inhibiting photochemical etching at such localized regions while the adjacent regions not having increased impurity concentrations are selectively photochemically etched. Liquid- or gas-phase etching may be performed.},
doi = {},
journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Wed Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1992},
month = {Wed Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1992}
}
Works referenced in this record:
Photochemical dry etching of GaAs
journal, October 1984
- Ashby, C. I. H.
- Applied Physics Letters, Vol. 45, Issue 8
Compositionâselective photochemical etching of compound semiconductors
journal, July 1985
- Ashby, C. I. H.; Biefeld, R. M.
- Applied Physics Letters, Vol. 47, Issue 1