The wet etching of wide bandgap semiconductors for device applications (06317)

Project nummer: 06317

Omschrijving van het onderzoek

Wide bandgap semiconductors, in particular silicon carbide (SiC), gallium nitride (GaN) and other group III-nitrides (AlGaN, InGaN), are world-wide the focus of a broad range of research activities. The advantage of these materials compared to classical semiconductors, such as Si and GaAs, is that they combine a large bandgap, a high heat conductivity and excellent properties for electrical and optical devices. Light-emitting diodes and blue lasers produced from group III-nitrides are on the way to revolutionising the lighting and the information technology industries, while high-power, high-frequency and high-temperature electronic applications based on SiC and group III-nitrides are on the brink of industrial production. In addition, there is a growing interest in SiC for micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS).
Etching is an essential step in device fabrication. "Dry etching" techniques, like reactive ion etching (RIE), are currently being used. Apart from the high costs involved, dry etching may give rise to "electronic damage" of the surface. In classical III-V technology, wet-chemical etching offers a simple and attractive alternative, which avoids the problem of surface damage. In the case of GaN and SiC, however, the extreme chemical stability poses a problem; there are no simple wet-chemical etchants available for the materials. Electrochemical etching may offer an alternative.
The aim of this project is to obtain insight into the mechanisms and the kinetics of the electrochemical etching (the influence of electrode potential, light intensity, etching medium and hydrodynamics). Etching systems are being developed for a range of applications: revealing of crystallographic defects (for quality control of wafers and epitaxial layers), polishing (for preparation of substrates) and various forms of material selective etching (for device fabrication).

Gebruikers

Three companies, two other universities and three institutes are involved in this project.

Projectleider

Prof.dr. J.J. Kelly
Universiteit Utrecht
Departement Scheikunde
Gecondenseerde materie
Postbus 80000
3508 TA Utrecht

Status van het project

Startdatum:	01-01-2004
Einddatum:	01-11-2008

Trefwoorden

bandgap engineering, etsen, halfgeleider, polijsten, semiconductor.

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