In this paper, a newfound and simple silicon bulk micromachining process based on metal-assisted chemical etching (MaCE) is proposed which opens a whole new field of research in MEMS technology. This method is anisotropic and by controlling the etching parameters, deep vertical etching, relative to substrate surface, can be achieved in micrometer size for 〈1 0 0〉 oriented Si wafer. By utilizing gold as a catalyst and a photoresist layer as the single mask layer for etching, 60 µm deep gyroscope micromachined structures have been fabricated for 2 µm features. The results indicate that MaCE could be the only wet etching method comparable to conventional dry etching recipes in terms of achievable etch rate, aspect ratio, verticality and side wall roughness. It also does not need a vacuum chamber and the other costly instruments associated with dry etching techniques.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.