Etchant and etching process

• US 9,484,211 B2
• Filed: 01/24/2013
• Issued: 11/01/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/24/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited
• Inventors: Lee, Wan-Yu, Kuo, Ying-Hao, Chen, Hai-Ching, Bao, Tien-I
• Primary Examiner(s): Deo, Duy
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dahimene, Mahmoud
• Application Number:
  US13/749,388
• Publication Number:
  US 20140206191A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,377 Days
• Field of Search: 438/745, 438/694
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 13/02 containing an alkali metal hydroxide
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2006/12104 Mirror; Reflectors or the like
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/1221 made from organic materials
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/136 by etching
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/42 Coupling light guides with opto-electronic elements
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/30604 Chemical etching
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/30608 Anisotropic liquid etching H01L21/3063 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/3085 characterised by their behaviour during the process, e.g. soluble masks, redeposited masks

Abstract

A system and method for manufacturing semiconductor devices is provided. An embodiment comprises using an etchant to remove a portion of a substrate to form an opening with a 45° angle with a major surface of the substrate. The etchant comprises a base, a surfactant, and an oxidant. The oxidant may be hydrogen peroxide.

Claims

1. A method for manufacturing a device, the method comprising:

masking a substrate with a patterned mask, wherein the substrate is a waveguide substrate and wherein the masking the substrate with the patterned mask comprises;

blanket applying a first material; and

removing a portion of the first material through a patterned photosensitive material to form the patterned mask;

exposing the substrate through the patterned mask to an etchant, wherein the etchant removes a semiconductor portion of the substrate to form an opening, a first planar surface intersecting the opening, and a second planar surface intersecting the opening on an opposite side of the opening from the first planar surface, the etchant comprising;

a strong base;

a surfactant; and

an oxidant; and

forming a reflective material over and in physical contact with each surface within the opening, the reflective material extending from the first planar surface to the second planar surface.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the base is potassium hydroxide.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the oxidant is H₂O₂.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the oxidant is ozone.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the oxidant is KMnO₄.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein the surfactant has the following structure:

7. The method of claim 3, wherein the surfactant is alkyl based.

8. A method of etching a substrate, the method comprising:

applying an etchant to a first section of an optical bench exposed through a hard mask, the etchant comprising a strong base, a surfactant, and an oxidant;

oxidizing a first portion of the optical bench to change the first portion from hydrophobic to hydrophilic, wherein a second portion of the optical bench remains hydrophobic at the same time as the first portion is hydrophilic, the first portion and the second portion both being laterally removed in a direction parallel with a major surface of the optical bench from sidewalls of the hard mask; and

forming an opening in the optical bench with the etchant.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the oxidant is H₂O₂.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the opening has a 45°

angle with a major surface of the optical bench.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the base comprises KOH and the oxidant comprises one of H₂O₂, O₃, or KMnO₄.

12. The method of claim 8, further comprising forming a laser diode, a photodiode, and a waveguide on the optical bench.

13. A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, the method comprising:

preparing an etchant to be applied, wherein the preparing the etchant further comprises;

providing a solvent;

adding a strong base to the solvent;

adding a surfactant to the solvent, wherein the adding the surfactant modifies the selectivity of the etchant to etch along a crystallographic orientation to an angle of 45′

; and

adding an oxidizer to the solvent;

applying the etchant to a semiconductor substrate, wherein the semiconductor substrate is a waveguide substrate and wherein the applying the etchant removes semiconductor material from the semiconductor substrate through a patterned mask located on the semiconductor substrate to form an opening within the semiconductor substrate, wherein after the forming the opening the opening has a first sidewall that extends from a planar bottom surface of the opening to a first planar top surface of the semiconductor substrate and has a second sidewall that extends from the planar bottom surface of the opening to a second planar top surface of the semiconductor substrate, wherein the second planar top surface is different from the first planar top surface and wherein the planar bottom surface is planar from the first sidewall to the second sidewall; and

applying a reflective material to each surface within the opening.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the applying the etchant to the semiconductor substrate etches an opening into the semiconductor substrate, the opening having a 45°

angle with a major surface of the semiconductor substrate.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the applying the etchant to the semiconductor substrate etches along a crystallographic orientation of the semiconductor substrate.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein after the applying the etchant to the semiconductor substrate the oxidizer oxidizes a surface of the semiconductor substrate to repel by-products of chemical reactions that occur between the etchants and the semiconductor substrate.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein the strong base is potassium hydroxide.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the surfactant is a sulfonated base.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the oxidizer is hydrogen peroxide.

20. The method of claim 13, further comprising forming a waveguide on the semiconductor substrate after the applying the etchant to the semiconductor substrate.