A method is described which permits rapid and precise selective etching of silicon crystal surfaces without protecting any part of the surface during the etch procedure. Prior to the etching process the areas to be etched are subjected to an ion-bombardment treatment, which increases the etch rate in the bombarded surface layer compared to the etch rate of untreated silicon. Etching characteristics for silicon crystals bombarded with neon and argon are presented and shown to agree with theoretical predictions based on a simple model in which the etching characteristics are related to implantation-produced cluster damage.
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.