1
|
Znati S, Wharwood J, Tezanos KG, Li X, Mohseni PK. Metal-assisted chemical etching beyond Si: applications to III-V compounds and wide-bandgap semiconductors. NANOSCALE 2024; 16:10901-10946. [PMID: 38804075 DOI: 10.1039/d4nr00857j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/29/2024]
Abstract
Metal-assisted chemical etching (MacEtch) has emerged as a versatile technique for fabricating a variety of semiconductor nanostructures. Since early investigations in 2000, research in this field has provided a deeper understanding of the underlying mechanisms of catalytic etching processes and enabled high control over etching conditions for diverse applications. In this Review, we present an overview of recent developments in the application of MacEtch to nanomanufacturing and processing of III-V based semiconductor materials and other materials beyond Si. We highlight the key findings and developments in MacEtch as applied to GaAs, GaN, InP, GaP, InGaAs, AlGaAs, InGaN, InGaP, SiC, β-Ga2O3, and Ge material systems. We further review a series of active and passive devices enabled by MacEtch, including light-emitting diodes (LEDs), field-effect transistors (FETs), optical gratings, sensors, capacitors, photodiodes, and solar cells. By reviewing demonstrated control of morphology, optimization of etch conditions, and catalyst-material combinations, we aim to distill the current understanding of beyond-Si MacEtch mechanisms and to provide a bank of reference recipes to stimulate progress in the field.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sami Znati
- Microsystem Engineering, Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, NY 16423, USA.
- NanoPower Research Laboratories, Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, NY 14623, USA
| | - Juwon Wharwood
- NanoPower Research Laboratories, Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, NY 14623, USA
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Howard University, Washington, DC 20059, USA
| | - Kyle G Tezanos
- NanoPower Research Laboratories, Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, NY 14623, USA
- School of Materials Science and Chemistry, Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, NY 14623, USA
| | - Xiuling Li
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Microelectronics Research Center, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78758, USA
| | - Parsian K Mohseni
- Microsystem Engineering, Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, NY 16423, USA.
- NanoPower Research Laboratories, Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, NY 14623, USA
- School of Materials Science and Chemistry, Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, NY 14623, USA
- Department of Electrical and Microelectronic Engineering, Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, NY 14623, USA
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Wang Q, Yang W, Gao S, Chen W, Tang X, Zhang H, Liu B, Han G, Huang Y. GaN nanowires prepared by Cu-assisted photoelectron-chemical etching. NANOSCALE ADVANCES 2023; 5:2238-2243. [PMID: 37056620 PMCID: PMC10089075 DOI: 10.1039/d2na00889k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2022] [Accepted: 03/07/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
A novel Cu-assisted photoelectron-chemical etching is proposed to fabricate GaN nanowires. The functional mechanism of assisted metals, etchant concentrations, and the addition of H2O2 was investigated based on theoretical analysis and experiments. The low-cost metal-assisted etchant (CuSO4) proved more favorable than the conventional noble one (AgNO3) for the preparation of GaN nanowires in this work. The formed Ag dendrite blocked the etching when adopting the Ag-assisted etchant, while the Cu-assisted one did not. Moreover, the etchant consisting of 0.01 M CuSO4 and 5 M HF was demonstrated to realize a relatively good surface morphology and fast etching rate. In addition, the common oxidant H2O2 introduced a quasi-stable configuration between the Cu deposition and dissolution, slowing down the formation of the GaN nanowires. The proposed Cu-assisted photoelectron-chemical etching with the advantages of low cost, room temperature, and controllability could offer a new way to fabricate GaN nano-devices.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Qi Wang
- School of Optoelectronic Engineering, Chongqing University of Posts and Telecommunications Chongqing 400065 China
| | - Wen Yang
- School of Optoelectronic Engineering, Chongqing University of Posts and Telecommunications Chongqing 400065 China
| | - Sheng Gao
- School of Optoelectronic Engineering, Chongqing University of Posts and Telecommunications Chongqing 400065 China
| | - Weizhong Chen
- School of Optoelectronic Engineering, Chongqing University of Posts and Telecommunications Chongqing 400065 China
| | - Xiaosheng Tang
- School of Optoelectronic Engineering, Chongqing University of Posts and Telecommunications Chongqing 400065 China
| | - Hongsheng Zhang
- School of Optoelectronic Engineering, Chongqing University of Posts and Telecommunications Chongqing 400065 China
| | - Bin Liu
- School of Electronic Science and Engineering, Nanjing University Nanjing China
| | - Genquan Han
- School of Microelectronics, Xidian University Xi'an China
| | - Yi Huang
- School of Optoelectronic Engineering, Chongqing University of Posts and Telecommunications Chongqing 400065 China
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Wang Q, Zhou K, Zhao S, Yang W, Zhang H, Yan W, Huang Y, Yuan G. Metal-Assisted Chemical Etching for Anisotropic Deep Trenching of GaN Array. NANOMATERIALS 2021; 11:nano11123179. [PMID: 34947528 PMCID: PMC8704282 DOI: 10.3390/nano11123179] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2021] [Revised: 11/20/2021] [Accepted: 11/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
Abstract
Realizing the anisotropic deep trenching of GaN without surface damage is essential for the fabrication of GaN-based devices. However, traditional dry etching technologies introduce irreversible damage to GaN and degrade the performance of the device. In this paper, we demonstrate a damage-free, rapid metal-assisted chemical etching (MacEtch) method and perform an anisotropic, deep trenching of a GaN array. Regular GaN microarrays are fabricated based on the proposed method, in which CuSO4 and HF are adopted as etchants while ultraviolet light and Ni/Ag mask are applied to catalyze the etching process of GaN, reaching an etching rate of 100 nm/min. We comprehensively explore the etching mechanism by adopting three different patterns, comparing a Ni/Ag mask with a SiN mask, and adjusting the etchant proportion. Under the catalytic role of Ni/Ag, the GaN etching rate nearby the metal mask is much faster than that of other parts, which contributes to the formation of deep trenches. Furthermore, an optimized etchant is studied to restrain the disorder accumulation of excessive Cu particles and guarantee a continuous etching result. Notably, our work presents a novel low-cost MacEtch method to achieve GaN deep etching at room temperature, which may promote the evolution of GaN-based device fabrication.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Qi Wang
- School of Optoelectronic Engineering, Chongqing University of Posts and Telecommunications, Chongqing 400065, China; (Q.W.); (K.Z.); (W.Y.); (H.Z.); (W.Y.)
| | - Kehong Zhou
- School of Optoelectronic Engineering, Chongqing University of Posts and Telecommunications, Chongqing 400065, China; (Q.W.); (K.Z.); (W.Y.); (H.Z.); (W.Y.)
| | - Shuai Zhao
- State Key Laboratory for Superlattices and Microstructures, Institute of Semiconductors, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100083, China;
- College of Materials Science and Opto-Electronic Technology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Wen Yang
- School of Optoelectronic Engineering, Chongqing University of Posts and Telecommunications, Chongqing 400065, China; (Q.W.); (K.Z.); (W.Y.); (H.Z.); (W.Y.)
| | - Hongsheng Zhang
- School of Optoelectronic Engineering, Chongqing University of Posts and Telecommunications, Chongqing 400065, China; (Q.W.); (K.Z.); (W.Y.); (H.Z.); (W.Y.)
| | - Wensheng Yan
- School of Optoelectronic Engineering, Chongqing University of Posts and Telecommunications, Chongqing 400065, China; (Q.W.); (K.Z.); (W.Y.); (H.Z.); (W.Y.)
| | - Yi Huang
- School of Optoelectronic Engineering, Chongqing University of Posts and Telecommunications, Chongqing 400065, China; (Q.W.); (K.Z.); (W.Y.); (H.Z.); (W.Y.)
- Correspondence: (Y.H.); (G.Y.)
| | - Guodong Yuan
- State Key Laboratory for Superlattices and Microstructures, Institute of Semiconductors, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100083, China;
- College of Materials Science and Opto-Electronic Technology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
- Correspondence: (Y.H.); (G.Y.)
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Soopy AKK, Li Z, Tang T, Sun J, Xu B, Zhao C, Najar A. In(Ga)N Nanostructures and Devices Grown by Molecular Beam Epitaxy and Metal-Assisted Photochemical Etching. NANOMATERIALS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2021; 11:E126. [PMID: 33430484 PMCID: PMC7827665 DOI: 10.3390/nano11010126] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2020] [Revised: 12/28/2020] [Accepted: 12/31/2020] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
This review summarizes the recent research on nitride nanostructures and their applications. We cover recent advances in the synthesis and growth of porous structures and low-dimensional nitride nanostructures via metal-assisted photochemical etching and molecular beam epitaxy. The growth of nitride materials on various substrates, which improves their crystal quality, doping efficiency, and flexibility of tuning performance, is discussed in detail. Furthermore, the recent development of In(Ga)N nanostructure applications (light-emitting diodes, lasers, and gas sensors) is presented. Finally, the challenges and directions in this field are addressed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Abdul Kareem K. Soopy
- Department of Physics, College of Science, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain 15551, UAE;
| | - Zhaonan Li
- Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics, School of Optical and Electronic Information, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, China;
| | - Tianyi Tang
- Key Laboratory of Semiconductor Materials Science, Institute of Semiconductors, Chinese Academy of Sciences & Beijing Key Laboratory of Low Dimensional Semiconductor Materials and Devices, Beijing 100083, China; (T.T.); (J.S.); (B.X.)
- College of Materials Science and Opto-Electronic Technology, University of Chinese Academy of Science, Beijing 101804, China
| | - Jiaqian Sun
- Key Laboratory of Semiconductor Materials Science, Institute of Semiconductors, Chinese Academy of Sciences & Beijing Key Laboratory of Low Dimensional Semiconductor Materials and Devices, Beijing 100083, China; (T.T.); (J.S.); (B.X.)
- College of Materials Science and Opto-Electronic Technology, University of Chinese Academy of Science, Beijing 101804, China
| | - Bo Xu
- Key Laboratory of Semiconductor Materials Science, Institute of Semiconductors, Chinese Academy of Sciences & Beijing Key Laboratory of Low Dimensional Semiconductor Materials and Devices, Beijing 100083, China; (T.T.); (J.S.); (B.X.)
- College of Materials Science and Opto-Electronic Technology, University of Chinese Academy of Science, Beijing 101804, China
| | - Chao Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Semiconductor Materials Science, Institute of Semiconductors, Chinese Academy of Sciences & Beijing Key Laboratory of Low Dimensional Semiconductor Materials and Devices, Beijing 100083, China; (T.T.); (J.S.); (B.X.)
- College of Materials Science and Opto-Electronic Technology, University of Chinese Academy of Science, Beijing 101804, China
| | - Adel Najar
- Department of Physics, College of Science, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain 15551, UAE;
| |
Collapse
|