Chemical Etch Characteristics of N-Face and Ga-Face GaN by Phosphoric Acid and Potassium Hydroxide Solutions

We report the chemical etching characteristics of Ga-face and N-face GaN using phosphoric acid (H3PO4) or potassium hydroxide (KOH) solutions. Hexagonal pyramids, which consisted of the {10-1-1} planes, were present on the N-face after KOH (2M, 100 degrees C) etching. By contrast, using the H3PO4 (85 wt.%, 100 degrees C) solutions, the nitrogen surface of GaN showed dodecagonal pyramids. Dodecagonal and hexagonal pyramids repeatedly appear on the etched surface when using the H3PO4 or KOH solutions, respectively. A low concentration of H3PO4 (H3PO4 : deionized water = 1:32, 1:64) produced a roughened surface with coexistence of dodecagonal and hexagonal pyramids. The photoluminescence (PL) intensity of the etched surfaces significantly increased due to multiple scattering events compared to the non-etched surface. Thus, the etching techniques developed in this study were shown to improve the light extraction efficiency of light emitting diodes (LEDs), avoiding the damage to the GaN typically created by plasma etching methods. (C) 2011 The Electrochemical Society. [DOI: 10.1149/2.039202jes] All rights reserved.