Self-Replication of Deeply Buried Doped Silicon Structures, which Remotely Control the Etching Process: A New Method for Forming a Silicon Pattern from the Bottom Up
Schutzeichel C, Kiriy N, Kiriy A, Voit B (2021)
Publication Type: Journal article
Publication year: 2021
Journal
Book Volume: 31
Article Number: 2100105
Journal Issue: 25
Abstract
A typical microstructuring process utilizes photolithographic masks to create arbitrary patterns on silicon substrates in a top-down approach. Herein, a new, bottom-up microstructuring method is reported, which enables the patterning of n-doped silicon substrates to be performed without the need for application of etch-masks or stencils during the etching process. Instead, the structuring process developed herein involves a simple alkaline etching performed under illumination and is remotely controlled by the p-doped micro-sized implants, buried beneath a homogeneous n-doped layer at depths of 0.25 to 1 µm. The microstructuring is realized because the buried implants act upon illumination as micro-sized photovoltaic cells, which generate a flux of electrons and increase the negative surface charge in areas above the implants. The locally increased surface charge causes a local protection of the native silicon oxide layer from alkaline etching, which ultimately leads to the microstructuring of the substrate. In this way, substrates having at their top a thick layer of homogeneously n-doped silicon can be structured, reducing the need for costly, time-consuming photolithography steps.
Involved external institutions
Germany (DE)How to cite
APA:
Schutzeichel, C., Kiriy, N., Kiriy, A., & Voit, B. (2021). Self-Replication of Deeply Buried Doped Silicon Structures, which Remotely Control the Etching Process: A New Method for Forming a Silicon Pattern from the Bottom Up. Advanced Functional Materials, 31(25). https://dx.doi.org/10.1002/adfm.202100105
MLA:
Schutzeichel, Christopher, et al. "Self-Replication of Deeply Buried Doped Silicon Structures, which Remotely Control the Etching Process: A New Method for Forming a Silicon Pattern from the Bottom Up." Advanced Functional Materials 31.25 (2021).
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