Photogalvanic Etching of n-GaN for Three-Dimensional Electronics

Dryden, Daniel M.; Nikolic, Rebecca J.; Islam, M. Saif

doi:10.1007/s11664-019-06982-5

Title: Photogalvanic Etching of n-GaN for Three-Dimensional Electronics

Abstract

Etching in wide-bandgap semiconductors such as GaN aids applications including transistors, sensors, and radioisotope batteries. Plasma-based etching can induce surface damage and contamination that is detrimental to device performance. Here, the present a photoelectrochemical approach to etching n-type GaN (n-GaN) that is low-cost, simple, and environmentally benign compared to plasma approaches, with the potential for highly anisotropic etching that avoids material damage. n-GaN was etched in a dilute KOH solution with K₂S₂O₈ oxidizer, ultraviolet (UV) irradiation, and a catalytic metal mask which served as both photomask and counter electrode. Relatively smooth, highly anisotropic, non-defect-selective etching was achieved at rates in excess of 200 nm/min when etching at 65°C. The obstacle of bath acidification was circumvented using the addition of buffering salts to the etchant bath, substantially extending the etchant bath lifetime and etching depth achievable in a single, uninterrupted etch. These results represent a major step toward a scalable, device-ready electrochemical etch for vertical GaN structures and devices.

Authors:

^[1]; Nikolic, Rebecca J. ^[2]; Islam, M. Saif ^[3]

Univ. of California, Davis, CA (United States); Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)
Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)
Univ. of California, Davis, CA (United States)

Publication Date:: Thu Jan 31 00:00:00 EST 2019

Research Org.:: Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)

Sponsoring Org.:: USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA)

OSTI Identifier:: 1593567

Report Number(s):: LLNL-JRNL-758918
Journal ID: ISSN 0361-5235; 946775

Grant/Contract Number:: AC52-07NA27344

Resource Type:: Accepted Manuscript

Journal Name:: Journal of Electronic Materials

Additional Journal Information:: Journal Volume: 48; Journal Issue: 5; Journal ID: ISSN 0361-5235

Publisher:: Springer

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

Subject:: 36 MATERIALS SCIENCE; 42 ENGINEERING; 77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY; Gallium nitride; electrochemical etching; wide-bandgap semiconductors; semiconductor fabrication

Citation Formats


                    Dryden, Daniel M., Nikolic, Rebecca J., and Islam, M. Saif. Photogalvanic Etching of n-GaN for Three-Dimensional Electronics.  United States: N. p., 2019. 
Web.  doi:10.1007/s11664-019-06982-5.

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                    Dryden, Daniel M., Nikolic, Rebecca J., & Islam, M. Saif. Photogalvanic Etching of n-GaN for Three-Dimensional Electronics.  United States.  https://doi.org/10.1007/s11664-019-06982-5

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                    Dryden, Daniel M., Nikolic, Rebecca J., and Islam, M. Saif. Thu .  
"Photogalvanic Etching of n-GaN for Three-Dimensional Electronics".  United States.  https://doi.org/10.1007/s11664-019-06982-5.  https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1593567.

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@article{osti_1593567,

  title        = {Photogalvanic Etching of n-GaN for Three-Dimensional Electronics},

  author       = {Dryden, Daniel M. and Nikolic, Rebecca J. and Islam, M. Saif},

  abstractNote = {Etching in wide-bandgap semiconductors such as GaN aids applications including transistors, sensors, and radioisotope batteries. Plasma-based etching can induce surface damage and contamination that is detrimental to device performance. Here, the present a photoelectrochemical approach to etching n-type GaN (n-GaN) that is low-cost, simple, and environmentally benign compared to plasma approaches, with the potential for highly anisotropic etching that avoids material damage. n-GaN was etched in a dilute KOH solution with K2S2O8 oxidizer, ultraviolet (UV) irradiation, and a catalytic metal mask which served as both photomask and counter electrode. Relatively smooth, highly anisotropic, non-defect-selective etching was achieved at rates in excess of 200 nm/min when etching at 65°C. The obstacle of bath acidification was circumvented using the addition of buffering salts to the etchant bath, substantially extending the etchant bath lifetime and etching depth achievable in a single, uninterrupted etch. These results represent a major step toward a scalable, device-ready electrochemical etch for vertical GaN structures and devices.},

  doi          = {10.1007/s11664-019-06982-5},

  journal      = {Journal of Electronic Materials},

  number       = 5,

  volume       = 48,

  place        = {United States},

  year         = {Thu Jan 31 00:00:00 EST 2019},

  month        = {Thu Jan 31 00:00:00 EST 2019}

}

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Title: Photogalvanic Etching of n-GaN for Three-Dimensional Electronics

Abstract

Citation Formats

Gallium nitride vertical power devices on foreign substrates: a review and outlook journal, June 2018

Photon-trapping microstructures enable high-speed high-efficiency silicon photodiodes journal, April 2017

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High aspect ratio composite structures with 48.5% thermal neutron detection efficiency journal, February 2013

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Origin and Control of OFF-State Leakage Current in GaN-on-Si Vertical Diodes journal, July 2015

Wet etching of GaN, AlN, and SiC: a review journal, January 2005

Room‐temperature photoenhanced wet etching of GaN journal, March 1996

Highly anisotropic photoenhanced wet etching of n-type GaN journal, October 1997

A simple wet etch for GaN journal, October 1999

Ultraviolet photoenhanced wet etching of GaN in K2S2O8 solution journal, April 2001

Photoetching Mechanisms of GaN in Alkaline S[sub 2]O[sub 8][sup 2−] Solution journal, January 2009

Electrochemical etching of highly conductive GaN single crystals journal, February 2001

Etch rate and surface morphology control in photoelectrochemical etching of GaN journal, January 2004

An electrochemical study of photoetching of heteroepitaxial GaN: kinetics and morphology journal, January 2005

Effect of different electrolytes on porous GaN using photo-electrochemical etching journal, May 2011

The K2S2O8–KOH photoetching system for GaN journal, September 2010

Smooth wet etching by ultraviolet-assisted photoetching and its application to the fabrication of AlGaN/GaN heterostructure field-effect transistors journal, December 2000

Ohmic contacts to Gallium Nitride materials journal, October 2016

Complementary study of defects in GaN by photo-etching and TEM journal, April 2002

A review of in situ surface functionalization of gallium nitride via beaker wet chemistry journal, June 2015

Principles of electroless photoetching of non-uniformly doped GaN: Kinetics and defect revealing journal, November 2015

Flash photolysis of per[oxydi]sulfate ions in aqueous solutions. The sulfate and ozonide radical anions journal, July 1967

The Chemistry of Persulfate. I. The Kinetics and Mechanism of the Decomposition of the Persulfate Ion in Aqueous Medium 1 journal, July 1951

A study of the interaction of gallium arsenide with wet chemical formulations using thermodynamic calculations and spectroscopic ellipsometry journal, November 2010

Recycling process for recovery of gallium from GaN an e-waste of LED industry through ball milling, annealing and leaching journal, April 2015

The Eh-pH Diagram and Its Advances journal, January 2016

Gallium nitride vertical power devices on foreign substrates: a review and outlook
journal, June 2018

Photon-trapping microstructures enable high-speed high-efficiency silicon photodiodes
journal, April 2017

Numerical Simulations of Pillar Structured Solid State Thermal Neutron Detector: Efficiency and Gamma Discrimination
journal, October 2009

Present status of microstructured semiconductor neutron detectors
journal, September 2013

High aspect ratio composite structures with 48.5% thermal neutron detection efficiency
journal, February 2013

A review of nuclear batteries
journal, August 2014

Ultradeep electron cyclotron resonance plasma etching of GaN
journal, November 2017

Origin and Control of OFF-State Leakage Current in GaN-on-Si Vertical Diodes
journal, July 2015

Wet etching of GaN, AlN, and SiC: a review
journal, January 2005

Room‐temperature photoenhanced wet etching of GaN
journal, March 1996

Highly anisotropic photoenhanced wet etching of n-type GaN
journal, October 1997

A simple wet etch for GaN
journal, October 1999

Ultraviolet photoenhanced wet etching of GaN in K2S2O8 solution
journal, April 2001

Photoetching Mechanisms of GaN in Alkaline S[sub 2]O[sub 8][sup 2−] Solution
journal, January 2009

Electrochemical etching of highly conductive GaN single crystals
journal, February 2001

Etch rate and surface morphology control in photoelectrochemical etching of GaN
journal, January 2004

An electrochemical study of photoetching of heteroepitaxial GaN: kinetics and morphology
journal, January 2005

Effect of different electrolytes on porous GaN using photo-electrochemical etching
journal, May 2011

The K2S2O8–KOH photoetching system for GaN
journal, September 2010

Smooth wet etching by ultraviolet-assisted photoetching and its application to the fabrication of AlGaN/GaN heterostructure field-effect transistors
journal, December 2000

Ohmic contacts to Gallium Nitride materials
journal, October 2016

Complementary study of defects in GaN by photo-etching and TEM
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A review of in situ surface functionalization of gallium nitride via beaker wet chemistry
journal, June 2015

Principles of electroless photoetching of non-uniformly doped GaN: Kinetics and defect revealing
journal, November 2015

Flash photolysis of per[oxydi]sulfate ions in aqueous solutions. The sulfate and ozonide radical anions
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