Orientation Dependent Etching of Silicon

Abstract

The etching as a process of micromachining silicon wafers strives for an even removing of material from the surface which will be displaced parallel to itself as a consequence. The distance d between the original and the etched surface describes the thinning of the wafer or the depth of an etched deepening. A characteristic parameter of the etching process is the etch rate v as the ratio of the etch distance d to the etching time t: