ANISOTROPIC ETCHING OF SILICON IN RUBIDIUM HYDROXIDE

The etch rates and plane selectivity for single-crystal silicon anisot ropic etching in aqueous rubidium hydroxide are reported. Silicon wafe rs of (100) and (110) orientation were etched in 25, 30, 40, and 50 we ight percent (w/o) aqueous RbOH at 50, 60, 70, and 80-degrees-C. The a ctivation energy, based on an Arrhenius equation, was 0.48 eV for the (100) and (110) planes. The etch rate ratio for the (110)/(100) planes was equal to 1.5 at 50 w/o, and 0.6 at 25 w/o. The plane selectivity is not a function of temperature. Silicon spheres, approximately 0.25 in. diam were etched to reveal fast etching high index {522}/{311} pla nes in the vicinity of the [100] direction.