Metal-assisted chemical etching of 4H silicon carbide

Metal-assisted chemical etching (MacEtch) is a wet etching method that can produce high aspect ratio nanostructures with minimal crystal damage. The MacEtch process has been demonstrated to overcome limitations of dry and wet etching in several materials, studied extensively since its discovery by Li and Bohn in 2000. These include several semiconductor substrates (Si, GaAs, InP, GaP, GaN, Ga2O3, and SiC) and catalysts (Au, Ag, Pt, Pd, graphene, Cu), each demonstrated with different degrees of anisotropy, porosity, and etching conditions. SiC has only ever been demonstrated to etch with a porous layer generated using a wet etching method. This is a serious limitation for its applicability to a wider range of etching applications. In this thesis, nanoscale nonporous wet etching is demonstrated on 4H-SiC. Both photolithography and nanosphere lithography are used to pattern the substrate, being compared in etch quality and characteristics. Control of porosity and etch rate are presented, with a mechanism analysis provided to complement the explanations in the literature.

Name thesis:degree_name

M.S.

Level thesis:degree_level

Thesis

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Electrical & Computer Engr

Grantor

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Year dc:date

2020

Author dc:creator

• Michaels, Julian Arthur

Contributors dc:contributor

• Li, Xiuling

• SiC
• Metal-assisted Chemical Etch, porous silicon carbide, photochemical, Etching, nanotechnology, nanosphere lithography

Statement dc:rights

• Copyright 2020 Julian Michaels

Language dc:language

en

Handle dc:identifier

http://hdl.handle.net/2142/108347

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:www.ideals.illinois.edu:2142/108347