Electrolytic Etching of Germanium Substrates with Hydrogen Peroxide

Anodic electrolytic etching of germanium has been performed in hydrogen peroxide etchants with controlled external conditions. In-situ current and ex-situ etch-depths were measured and tracked with respect to etchant composition and stir rates. Gas bubbles formed during the etching process were found to cause non-uniformity in etch-current and surface quality. The effects were minimized in specific composition spaces. Quantitative analysis revealed a linear correlation of the number of electrons transferred during germanium oxidation with the number of surface atoms removed. Experimental results of 2.77 electrons/atom deviate significantly from 4 electrons/atom previously reported for silicon. The conclusion is that etching mechanisms for germanium are sufficiently different from those for silicon which invalidates the direct transfer of processing techniques between the two materials. Confirmation of 2-electron model for anodic dissolution of Ge in H2O2 Etching mechanism for Ge is significantly different compared to siliconEtch processing techniques cannot be transferred between silicon and germaniumAddition of alcohol to H2O2 and agitation improves specularity and etch quality

Automated summary

Anodic electrolytic etching of germanium has been experimentally studied, and the current and etch-depths during the process were measured and tracked. The results indicate that the etching mechanism for germanium is significantly different from that of silicon, and the processing techniques cannot be directly transferred between the two materials.