Selective electrochemical process for creating semiconductor nano-and micro-patterns

• US 6,284,671 B1
• Filed: 11/19/1998
• Issued: 09/04/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 11/19/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: National Research Council Canada
• Original Assignee: National Research Council Canada
• Inventors: Erickson, Lynden, Lockwood, David J., Schmuki, Patrik
• Primary Examiner(s): Hitesher, Felisa
• Assistant Examiner(s): Vinh, Lan
• Application Number:
  US09/196,641
• Time in Patent Office: 1,020 Days
• Field of Search: 438/745, 438/750, 438/754, 438/746, 438/508, 438/766, 438/914, 257/77, 257/21, 257/35, 204/157.15
• US Class Current: 438/745
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/3063 Electrolytic etching
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/30635 of AIIIBV compounds

Abstract

A porous semiconductor is created by electrochemical etching. Selected regions of a semiconductor are first treated to reduce the threshold potential at which pore formation occurs, and then an electrochemical etch is carried out on the semiconductor at a potential at least equal to the reduced threshold potential for the selected regions and less than the threshold potential for untreated regions. The selective treatment preferably involves implantation with the same ions as the semiconductor, i.e. Si ions for silicon. The treatment results in the formation of highly defined etch patterns or patterns of porous material depending on the process conditions.

Claims

1. A method of selectively creating a patterned semiconductor by electrochemical etching, comprising the steps of:

a) treating selected regions of a semiconductor to create crystal defects in said selected regions and thereby reduce the threshold potential at which pore formation occurs during an electrochemical etch; and

b) carrying out an electrochemical etch on said semiconductor at an anodic potential that is at least equal to said reduced threshold potential for said selected regions and less than the threshold potential for untreated regions to selectively form patterns in said selected regions.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said patterns are patterns of porous material.

3. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said patterns are highly defined etch patterns.

4. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said treatment results in the creation of crystal defects in said selected regions of the semiconductor.

5. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said selected regions are treated by ion implantation to create said crystal defects.

6. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said electrochemical etch is carried out with an acid selected from the group consisting of:

hydrochloric acid, hydrobromic acid, and hydrofluoric acid.

7. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said electrochemical etch is carried out with hydrofluoric acid.

8. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said electrochemical etch is carried out in dark conditions.

9. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said potential is stepped in increments in the range between said threshold potentials.

10. A method as claimed in claim 5, wherein said ion implantation is carried out with a focussed ion beam implantation apparatus.

11. A method as claimed in claim 5, wherein the ion implantation energy is greater than about 10 KeV.

12. A method as claimed in claim 5, wherein the implanted ions are the same substance as the semiconductor so that no impurities are introduced during the ion implantation process.

13. A method as claimed in claim 12, wherein said semiconductor is silicon and said ions are silicon ions.

14. A method as claimed in claim 5, wherein said semiconductor is doped with dopant ions, and the implanted ions are the same as the dopant ions.

15. A method as claimed in claim 7, wherein said electrochemical etch takes place at an anodic potential of between about 0.25 to 3.8 Volts.

16. A method as claimed in claim 14, wherein said semiconductor is GaAs, and the implanted ions are silicon.

17. A method as claimed in claim 16, wherein the etchant is selected from the group consisting of:

hydrochloric acid, hydrobromic acid, and hydrofluoric acid.

18. A method of selectively creating a porous semiconductor by electrochemical etching, comprising the steps of:

a) creating crystal defects in selected regions of a semiconductor to reduce the threshold potential at which pore formation occurs during an electrochemical etch; and

b) carrying out an electrochemical etch on said semiconductor at an anodic potential that is at least equal to said reduced threshold potential for said selected regions and less than the threshold potential for untreated regions to selectively form pores in said selected regions.

19. A method as claimed in claim 18, wherein said crystal defects are created by ion implantation.

20. A method as claimed in claim 18, wherein the electrochemical etch is carried out in dark conditions.

21. A method of selectively creating a porous semiconductor by electrochemical etching, comprising the steps of:

a) implanting ions in selected regions of a semiconductor to selectively create crystal defects and thereby reduce the threshold potential at which pore formation occurs during an electrochemical etch in said selected regions; and

b) carrying out an electrochemical etch in dark conditions on said semiconductor at an anodic potential that is stepped in value at intervals over a range lying between said reduced threshold potential for said selected regions and the threshold potential for untreated regions to selectively form pores in said selected regions.