Specific features of the bulk etching of single-crystal semiconducting silicon in aqueous KOH solutions

Bulk chemical etching of single-crystal semiconducting silicon in aqueous alkaline solutions of KOH was studied at various solution temperatures, alkaline component concentrations, and microscopic amounts of a potassium ferricyanide additive. Specific effects of these factors on the process of silicon etching are explained by comparing the corresponding activation energies. The possibility of using alkaline aqueous solutions of KOH with a potassium ferricyanide additive for fabrication of elements in microsystem technology devices is assessed.     

Mechanisms of surface processes in silicon etching

A unified view on the mechanism allowing one to explain the experimental features governing spontaneous silicon etching by atomic fluorine is presented. Analysis of the phenomenological equation of adsorption shows a significant difference between etching mechanisms at high and low heat of adsorption on the surface being etched. As follows from the parameter estimates, one or another case can be realized under different experimental conditions. At steady-state the etching is argued to be determined only by the processes taking place on the SiF. film surface. To describe the process, it is necessary to understand the mechanism of overcoming the surface barrier for fluorine penetration into the film. At low heat of fluorine adsorption the barrier is overcome by thermal activation. In the opposite case the etching mechanism includes electron tunneling from silicon to adatoms and creation of a surface electric field. The field lowers the high energetic barrier for fluorine penetration. Based on the kinetic equations describing the electronic and atomic processes on the surface, the equation of the field strength is obtained. This equation is analyzed in different limit cases. The observed features are shown to be reproduced at some conditions on the parameters. Definite predictions on the temperature dependence of the etch rate are made.     

Specific features of etching of ultrafine- and coarse-grained titanium in base and acid solutions of hydrogen peroxide

The character and kinetics of chemical etching of nanostructured titanium in base (NH₄OH/H₂O₂) and acid (H₂SO₄/H₂O₂) solutions of hydrogen peroxide (Piranha) were studied. A study of the etching kinetics showed that the etching rate of the nanostructured titanium is not constant and tends to decrease, but in the case of the sulfuric acid solution the decrease is smoother owing to the growth of the oxide layer. The etching rate for ultrafine-grained titanium is higher than for the coarse-grained sample. The applied significance of the study is associated with the fact that Piranha solutions show promising for cleaning, hydrophilizing, and making rough the titanium surface for use in medical implants.     

Bulk electrochemical etching of semiconductor single-crystal silicon in HF-containing solutions

Effect of the component composition of an HF-containing electrolytic aqueous solution on the polishing electrochemical etching of semiconductor single-crystal silicon was studied. Propanol-2, SV-1017, and NH₄F served as additional components of solutions used for this purpose. The conditions in which this process can be employed to form elements with 3D structure in microsystems devices were determined. An analysis of the results obtained led to an assumption that the hydrogen passivation of the surface of semiconductor single-crystal silicon is the rate-determining factor affecting the development of a bulk polishing electrochemical etching of this material. Because the process of polishing electrochemical etching of silicon wafers is preserved during approximately 20 min, the method is acceptable for formation of shallow grooves in microsystems devices.     

Maleic anhydride adsorption on silicon (001)

The adsorption of maleic anhydride on the Si(001) surface has been investigated using the first-principles pseudopotential formalism. Our total-energy calculations suggest that maleic anhydride (C2H2-C2O3) adsorbs preferentially through a [2+2] cycloaddition of the C=C bond ([2+2]) with an adsorption energy of around 42 kcal/mol. Besides the [2+2] configuration we have also considered other possible coverages and adsorption models, including the adsorption on inter-row and intrarow dimer sites. Based on the analysis of the relative stability of different adsorption models, we propose the formation of mixed domains, containing the [2+2] unit and an interdimer unit. The comparison of our calculated electronic band structure, vibrational modes, and scanning tunneling microscopy images for the [2+2] and the favored interdimer adsorbed structures corroborate our proposed mixed domain model.     

Analysis of the cleaved topaz (001) surface

We report on the first study of the cleaved (001) topaz surface and the characterization of the chemical composition and atomic arrangement of the surface. We conclude that there is strong evidence for a hydroxyl group termination appropriate for further chemical reactions. The surface itself is easily accessible, atomically flat and suitable for potential technological applications.     

On the stability of the W(001) surface

Recently, the present authors have suggested that some of the basic features of the unstable W(001)-(1×1) surface can be explained by the competition between the direct attractive and indirect repulsive interactions present at the surface. To understand this mechanism in more detail, number of surface structures (steps in the (0,1) and (1,1) direction, vacancy, adatoms etc.) have been investigated within a simple LCAO recursion scheme. The direct interactions (two-body term) and the indirect ones (three-body terms) are approximately additive for surface atoms and adatoms having four nearest neighbours. The unreconstructed (1×1) surface is under compressive (repulsive) stress and we suggest that, for example, steps should expand near their edges.     

Structure and stability of the (001) alpha-quartz surface

The structure and surface energies of the cleaved, reconstructed, and fully hydroxylated (001) alpha-quartz surface of various thicknesses are investigated with periodic density functional theory (DFT). The properties of the cleaved and hydroxylated surface are reproduced with a slab thickness of 18 atomic layers, while a thicker 27-layer slab is necessary for the reconstructed surface. The performance of the hybrid DFT functional B3LYP, using an atomic basis set, is compared with the generalised gradient approximation, PBE, employing plane waves. Both methodologies give similar structures and surface energies for the cleaved and reconstructed surfaces, which validates studying these surfaces with hybrid DFT. However, there is a slight difference between the PBE and B3LYP approach for the geometry of the hydrogen bonded network on the hydroxylated surface. The PBE adsorption energy of CO on a surface silanol site is in good agreement with experimental values, suggesting that this method is more accurate for hydrogen bonded structures than B3LYP. New hybrid functionals, however, yield improved weak interactions. Since these functionals also give superior activation energies, we recommend applying the new functionals to contemporary issues involving the silica surface and adsorbates on this surface.     

Structural analysis of the reconstructed Si(001)-C surface

The atomic structure of reconstructed Si(001)c(4 x 4)-C surface has been studied by coaxial impact collision ion scattering spectroscopy. When the 100L of ethylene (C(2)H(4)) molecules have been exposed on Si(001)-(2 x 1) surface at 700 degrees C, it is found that C atoms cause the ordering of missing Si dimer defects and occupy the fourth layer of Si(001) directly below the bridge site. Our results provide the support for the previous model in which a missing dimer structure is accompanied by C incorporation into the subsurface.     

Atomic structures of the defective SrTiO3 (001) surface

Surface structures of defective SrTiO(3) (001) have been studied by using scanning probe microscopy and density functional theory calculations. We observed several defective surface structures with true atomic resolution under reducing ultrahigh vacuum conditions. It is found that all the defects are terminated by (001), (100) and (010) microfacets of the TiO(2) plane. We propose microfaceting TiO(2) termination with Sr adatom models. The formation of various types of defects is driven by the changes of the surface stoichiometry depending on surface preparations.     

Single P and As dopants in the Si(001) surface

Using first-principles density functional theory, we discuss doping of the Si(001) surface by a single substitutional phosphorus or arsenic atom. We show that there are two competing atomic structures for isolated Si-P and Si-As heterodimers, and that the donor electron is delocalized over the surface. We also show that the Si atom dangling bond of one of these heterodimer structures can be progressively charged by additional electrons. It is predicted that surface charge accumulation as a result of tip-induced band bending leads to structural and electronic changes of the Si-P and Si-As heterodimers which could be observed experimentally. Scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) measurements of the Si-P heterodimer on a n-type Si(001) surface reveal structural characteristics and a bias-voltage dependent appearance, consistent with these predictions. STM measurements for the As:Si(001) system are predicted to exhibit similar behavior to P:Si(001).     

Electronics states of a surface nickel atom on the nickel (001) surface

Electronic states of a Ni(001) surface atom, corresponding to different d-occupations, are calculated for a 49 atom cluster model of the surface. SCF and CI calculations on a variety of low lying states are reported. Strong mixing between d⁹ and d¹⁰ configurations is found for the lowest states of different symmetries with the splitting between the states ranging from 1.7 to 2.0 eV. In contrast, the d⁸ configurations do not interact strongly with other d configurations and lie energetically much higher at 3.0 eV. Thus, the splitting between d⁹ and d¹⁰ configurations is comparable to that of the isolated atom whereas the d⁸ configuration is greatly destabilized. The cluster produces a manifold of closely spaced electronic states above the ground state thus modeling the density of unoccupied states above the Fermi level.     

Three-dimensional etching profiles and surface speciations (via attenuated total reflection-fourier transform infrared spectroscopy) of silicon nanowires in NH4F-buffered HF solutions: a double passivation model

A systematic study of the etching behavior, in terms of three-dimensional profiles, of one-dimensional (1-D) silicon nanowires (SiNWs) in NH(4)F-buffered hydrofluoric acid (BHF) solutions of varying concentrations and pH values and the surface speciations of the resulting etched SiNW surfaces, as characterized by attenuated total reflection-Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy, is reported. It was found that SiNWs are stable only in relatively narrow pH ranges of the BHF solutions. The results are rationalized in terms of a "double passivation" model. When SiNWs are etched in BHF solutions with pH values of 1-3, the surfaces are passivated with hydrogen (inner layer) giving rise to surface moieties such as Si-H(x) species (x = 1-3); at high HF concentrations, the H-terminated Si surfaces are covered with a hydrogen bonding network of HF and related molecules (oligomers, etc.), providing an outer-layer passivation. When SiNWs are etched in BHF solutions with pH values of 11-14 (by adding a strong base such as NaOH), the surfaces are oxygen-terminated with surface moieties such as Si-(O(-))(x)() species (x = 1-3); at high NH(4)F concentrations, the negatively charged Si surfaces are stabilized by NH(4)(+) ions via ionic bonding, again providing outer-layer passivation. In BHF solutions with pH values of 3-11, the surface speciation, consisting of Si-(OH)(x)(O(-))(y) (x + y = 1-3) species, is unstable and etched away rapidly. The surface speciations of SiNWs etched in various BHF solutions were explored via ATR-FTIR spectroscopy. It was found that, while etching SiNWs with HF-rich BHF solutions with pH < 4 gave rise to Si-H(x)() surface species, no surface Si-H(x) species were observed with SiNWs etched in BHF solutions with pH >/= 4 (HF/NH(4)F /= 4 on the other. These two factors, among others, contribute to the rapid hydrolysis of the surface Si-H(x)() species (and the etching of the SiNWs), particularly in BHF solutions with low HF/NH(4)F ratios and high pH values (pH >/= 4).     

The role of oxidative etching in the synthesis of ultrathin single-crystalline Au nanowires

The fabrication of ultrathin single-crystal Au nanowires with high aspect ratio and that are stable in air is challenging. Recently, a simple wet-chemical approach using oleylamine has been reported for the synthesis of Au nanowires with micrometer length and 2 nm in diameter. Despite efforts to understand the mechanism of the reaction, an ultimate question about the role of oxygen (O(2)) during the synthesis remained unclear. Here we report that the synthesis of ultrathin Au nanowires employing oleylamine is strongly affected by the amount of O(2) absorbed in the reaction solution. Saturating the solution with O(2) leads to both a high-yield production of nanowires and an increase in their length. Nanowires with diameters of about 2 nm and lengths of 8 μm, which corresponds to an aspect ratio of approximately 4000, were produced. The role of oxygen is attributed to the enhanced oxidation of twin defects on Au nanoparticles formed in the first stage of the reaction. Understanding the role of oxidative etching is crucial to significantly increasing the yield and the length of ultrathin Au nanowires.     

Theoretical modeling of oxygen adsorption on the PbTe(001) surface

For the semiconducting compound PbTe, the initial stages of oxidation, which are important for technology of IR-and thermoelectric devices, have been theoretically studied. The structure, stability, and changes in the electrostatic potentials at the oxidized sites in lead telluride have been calculated in the framework of the cluster approach by the hybrid density functional theory B3LYP method. Different variants of attachment of one to six oxygen atoms to the atoms of the surface and subsurface layers have been considered. The most stable oxidation products have been found. The calculation results are quantitatively consistent with experimental XPS data on chemical shifts.     

Fabrication of three-dimensional silicon structures by means of doping-selective etching (DSE)

Despite its early discovery, doping-selective etching (DSE) of silicon sensor and actuator structures has not been widely used. The potential advantages of DSE are IC compatibility, new degrees of freedom in three-dimensional micromachining and full exploitation of the excellent mechanical properties of silicon. The mechanisms of DSE are both chemical and electrochemical in nature, and can be described as a ‘race’ between dissolution and passivation of the reaction products. The process has been monitored by studying the current-voltage characteristics of homogeneous silicon wafers. Model experiments on basic sensor structures, such as thin membranes and cantilever beams, have been performed. It is shown that the sequence in patterning the structures is crucial in determining the detailed geometry. This is partly expected due to the well-known anisotropy of alkaline etchants. Some as yet unreported effects of anisotropy will be subject to further investigations. Conclusively, DSE offers new and interesting possibilities in the fabrication of sensor and actuator elements.     

Anisotropic etching of silicon in hydrazine

This paper contains a detailed discussion of the practical issues related to the anisotropic etching of single crystal silicon using a 5050 hydrazinewater solution. Characteristics of the etchant, etching reactor design, etch procedures, safety precautions, etch rate data for typical samples and appropriate etch-masks are among the topic discussed. The etching process is carried out in a atmospheric reflux reactor, continuously purged with nitrogen. The etch rate of (100) silicon at 115°C in this hydrazine solution is nearly 3 μm/min, which is much higher than that of ethylenediaminepyrocatecholwater (EDP) solutions. Silicon dioxide, silicon nitride and most metallic thin films, except aluminium, can be used to mask the etching process. The etch rate is reduced significantly in highly-boron-doped silicon; a boron concentration of 1.5 × 10²⁰ cm⁻³ practically stops the etch. The use of the hydrazine solution for micromachining thin silicon diaphragms, cantilevers and fibers is demonstrated.     

Oxygen chemisorption on the PbS(001) surface: Quantum-chemical modeling

The structure and stability of local centers involving a different number of oxygen atoms on the surface of crystalline lead sulfide (001) were calculated in the framework of the cluster approach by the hybrid density functional theory B3LYP method. The trends of the formation of such centers and changes in the core electron binding energies for the sulfur and lead atoms constituting these centers were considered.