Catalytic nickel silicide as an alternative to noble metals in metal-assisted chemical etching of silicon

Kim, Kyung-Hwan; Choi, Sung-Mo; Bong, Haekyun; Lee, Hanglim; Kim, Minyoung; Oh, Jungwoo

doi:10.1039/d3nr02053c

Cited by 2 publications

(1 citation statement)

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“…However, a challenge arises from the residue of the noble metal left in the etched pores on the silicon surface after the etching process; it can negatively affect device performance. 6) Some recent investigations have reported the assisted chemical etching with non-noble metal catalysts, such as TiN, 7) NiSi 8) and RuO 2 , 9) to solve the problems with MACE. Carbon materials (e.g., graphite flakes, 10) graphite particles, 11) carbon nanotubes, 12) graphene, 13) and graphene oxide 14,15) ) have also attracted increasing attention as the catalyst for chemical etching of silicon.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

MoS₂-assisted chemical etching of silicon in an HF/H₂O vapor

Yamamoto,

Utsunomiya,

Ichii

et al. 2024

Jpn. J. Appl. Phys.

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Assisted chemical etching using non-noble metal catalysts is attracting new attention for the fabrication of semiconductor micro/nanostructures. Here, we perform silicon etching in a vapor phase using molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) flakes exfoliated from a natural bulk crystal. The edge plane of MoS2 works as a catalytic active site, while its basal plane is inert. This unique feature distinguishes MoS2 from other catalysts used in assisted chemical etching. Therefore, MoS2 can be a promising candidate for elucidating the mechanism behind assisted chemical etching using non-noble metal catalysts. When the MoS2-loaded silicon substrate is exposed to an HF/H2O vapor, the whole silicon substrate under the MoS2 flakes is selectively etched, forming etched hollows despite the presence of the catalytic active sites located only at the edge. This vapor-phase etching using MoS2 flakes is expected to stimulate new fundamental research on chemical etching assisted by other non-noble metal materials.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

MoS₂-assisted chemical etching of silicon in an HF/H₂O vapor

Yamamoto,

Utsunomiya,

Ichii

et al. 2024

Jpn. J. Appl. Phys.

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Modified Si Oxidation Behavior by Ultrathin Ni Catalyst Enabling Oxidant‐Less Metal‐Assisted Chemical Etching

Kim,

Choi,

Bong

et al. 2024

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Metal‐assisted chemical etching (MACE), a wet‐based anisotropic etching process for semiconductors, has emerged as an alternative to plasma‐based etching. However, using noble metal catalysts in MACE limits the implementation of complementary metal‐oxide‐semiconductor (CMOS) processes. This study explores Si etching using an ultrathin Ni catalyst as a novel approach for MACE. The thickness of the Ni catalyst emerges as a critical parameter, with 1 nm of Ni proving to be the optimal thickness to achieve smooth and deep etching. Unlike conventional MACE methods, the ultrathin Ni catalyst enables Si etching without strong oxidants. Wafer‐scale Si etching demonstrates the versatility of the ultrathin Ni catalyst in producing various microstructures. It is found that the ultrathin Ni/Si interfacial state plays a crucial role in influencing the Si reactivity, lowering the barrier for Si oxidation. CMOS‐compatible and cost‐efficient ultrathin Ni makes MACE a promising alternative for semiconductor nanofabrication. This study pioneers MACE using an ultrathin non‐noble metal catalyst, offering valuable insights for researchers in this field.

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Catalytic nickel silicide as an alternative to noble metals in metal-assisted chemical etching of silicon

Abstract: Metal-assisted chemical etching (MACE) has received much attention from researchers because it can be used to fabricate plasma-free anisotropic etching profiles for semiconductors. However, the etching mechanism of MACE is...

Cited by 2 publications

References 43 publications

MoS₂-assisted chemical etching of silicon in an HF/H₂O vapor

MoS₂-assisted chemical etching of silicon in an HF/H₂O vapor

Modified Si Oxidation Behavior by Ultrathin Ni Catalyst Enabling Oxidant‐Less Metal‐Assisted Chemical Etching

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Catalytic nickel silicide as an alternative to noble metals in metal-assisted chemical etching of silicon

Abstract: Metal-assisted chemical etching (MACE) has received much attention from researchers because it can be used to fabricate plasma-free anisotropic etching profiles for semiconductors. However, the etching mechanism of MACE is...

Cited by 2 publications

References 43 publications

MoS2-assisted chemical etching of silicon in an HF/H2O vapor

MoS2-assisted chemical etching of silicon in an HF/H2O vapor

Modified Si Oxidation Behavior by Ultrathin Ni Catalyst Enabling Oxidant‐Less Metal‐Assisted Chemical Etching

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Product

Resources

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MoS₂-assisted chemical etching of silicon in an HF/H₂O vapor

MoS₂-assisted chemical etching of silicon in an HF/H₂O vapor