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Si (100) and (110) etching properties in 5, 15, 30 and 48 wt%KOH aqueous solution containing Triton-X-100

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Abstract

This paper reports the effects of non-ionic surfactant, Triton-X-100 (Triton), on the etching of Si (100) and (110) in 5, 15, 30, and 48 wt% potassium hydroxide (KOH) solutions. In a pure 5 wt% KOH solution, micropyramids are visible on the Si (100) etched surface. A roof-like shape appears on the Si (110) etched surface. However, in 5 wt% KOH with addition of ppb-level Triton, the etched surface became mirror-like. Furthermore, the etching rate decreased greatly when a ppb-level of Triton added to 5 wt% KOH solution. However, for more highly concentrated KOH solutions, the Triton effect became less effective. From activation energy change obtained from the results, it is apparent that ppb-level Triton in lower concentration KOH solutions adsorbed onto the silicon surface and made the etching from reaction-limited to diffusion-limited process. On the other hand, for higher concentration KOH solutions, Triton seems to lose the function because the activation energy remained in a level of reaction-limited process.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by JSPS KAKENHI Grant No. JP 26390042.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Creative Engineering, National Institute of Technology, Tsuruoka College, 104, Inooka, Tsuruoka, Yamagata, 997-8511, Japan

    Hiroshi Tanaka & Masato Takeda

  2. Department of Mechanical Engineering, Aichi Institute of Technology, 1247 Yachigusa, Yakusa-cho, Toyota, Aichi, 470-0392, Japan

    Kazuo Sato

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  1. Hiroshi Tanaka
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  2. Masato Takeda
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  3. Kazuo Sato
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Correspondence to Hiroshi Tanaka.

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Tanaka, H., Takeda, M. & Sato, K. Si (100) and (110) etching properties in 5, 15, 30 and 48 wt%KOH aqueous solution containing Triton-X-100. Microsyst Technol 23, 5343–5350 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00542-017-3368-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00542-017-3368-y

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