Authors
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Schutzeichel, C. ; Kiriy, N. ; Kiriy, A. ; Voit, B.
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Title
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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
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Date
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12.07.2021
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Number
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59551
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Abstract
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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.
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Publisher
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Advanced Functional Materials
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Wikidata
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Q108004206
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Citation
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Advanced Functional Materials 31 (2021) 2100105
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DOI
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https://doi.org/10.1002/ADFM.202100105
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Tags
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