Open AccessPositive- and negative-tone structuring of crystalline silicon by laser-assisted chemical etching
Author(s) -
Maxime Chambonneau,
X. Wang,
Xiaoming Yu,
Qingfeng Li,
Damien Chaudanson,
Shuting Lei,
David Grojo
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
optics letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.524
H-Index - 272
eISSN - 1071-2763
pISSN - 0146-9592
DOI - 10.1364/ol.44.001619
Subject(s) - materials science , silicon , etching (microfabrication) , laser , isotropic etching , optics , nanosecond , isotropy , optoelectronics , crystalline silicon , structuring , irradiation , nanotechnology , layer (electronics) , physics , finance , economics , nuclear physics
We demonstrate a structuring method for crystalline silicon using nanosecond laser internal irradiation followed by chemical etching. We show a dramatic dependence of the etch rate on the laser-writing speed. Enhanced isotropic etch rates of silicon by laser-induced internal damage were recently demonstrated with strong acids, but our results add the possibility to obtain reduced etch rates leading to different topographies. Material analyses indicate the possibility to efficiently produce high-aspect ratio channels, thanks to laser-induced porosities, as well as silicon micro-bumps due to highly stressed regions. This holds promises for fabricating microfluidic, photovoltaic, and micro-electromechanical systems.