• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
• /
• v.44 no.5
• /
• pp.483-488
• /
• 2006

Etching process of PMMA (Polymethyl Methacrylate) on glass surface was investigated by dry etching technique using remote plasma. To determine the etching characteristics, the remote plasma etching was conducted for various process parameters such as plasma power, reaction gas and distance from plasma generation. As the distance from the plasma generation was increased, the etch rate of PMMA was linearly decreased by radical density in plasma. PMMA has removed by reactive radicals in the plasma. The etch rate increased with plasma power because of more reactive radicals. The etch rate and surface roughness of PMMA increased with $O_2$ concentration in the etchant.

• Journal of the Korean institute of surface engineering
• /
• v.49 no.3
• /
• pp.231-237
• /
• 2016

This article reports a new chemical bath for preparing a mirror-like surface of AZ31 Mg alloy. In order to find an appropriate chemical polishing solution, four different acidic solutions of sulphuric acid, nitric acid, acetic acid and a specially designed mixture of nitric acid and acetic acid were investigated in view of the changes in surface appearance, roughness and dissolution rate of AZ31 Mg alloy. The surface scales on AZ31 Mg alloy were readily removed by all the acidic solutions, but a reflective surface was produced only by etching in the specially designed solution, and only after a specific etching time. The surface roughness increased with etching time in sulphuric acid, nitric acid, and acetic acid, but it lowered after a specific etching time in the specially designed mixture of nitric acid and acetic acid. Dissolution rate of the alloy in the specially designed mixture of nitric acid and acetic acid appeared to be more than twice than that in separate nitric acid or acetic acid. In this work, we recommend the mirror-like surface of AZ31 Mg alloy obtained by polishing for an optimum time in a mixture of nitric acid and acetic acid for following surface finishings, chemical conversion coating, electroplating, electrophoretic painting and anodizing treatment.

• Journal of the Korean Electrochemical Society
• /
• v.14 no.4
• /
• pp.191-195
• /
• 2011

Wet chemical etching methods were utilized to conduct Si surface texturing, which could enhance photoelectrochemical hydrogen generation rate. Two different etching methods tested, which were anisotropic metal-catalyzed electroless etching and isotropic etching. The Si nano-texture that was fabricated by the anisotropic etching showed ~25% increase in photocurrent for H2 generation. The photocurrent enhancement was attributed to the reduced reflection loss at the nano-textured Si surface, which provided a layer of intermediate density between water and the Si substrate.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
• /
• 2012.02a
• /
• pp.390-390
• /
• 2012

Information technology industries has grown rapidly and demanded alternative memories for the next generation. The most popular random access memory, dynamic random-access memory (DRAM), has many advantages as a memory, but it could not meet the demands from the current of developed industries. One of highlighted alternative memories is magnetic random-access memory (MRAM). It has many advantages like low power consumption, huge storage, high operating speed, and non-volatile properties. MRAM consists of magnetic-tunnel-junction (MTJ) stack which is a key part of it and has various magnetic thin films like CoFeB, FePt, IrMn, and so on. Each magnetic thin film is difficult to be etched without any damages and react with chemical species in plasma. For improving the etching process, a high density plasma etching process was employed. Moreover, the previous etching gases were highly corrosive and dangerous. Therefore, the safety etching gases are needed to be developed. In this research, the etch characteristics of CoFeB magnetic thin films were studied by using an inductively coupled plasma reactive ion etching in $CH_4/O_2/Ar$ gas mixes. TiN thin films were used as a hardmask on CoFeB thin films. The concentrations of $O_2$ in $CH_4/O_2/Ar$ gas mix were varied, and then, the rf coil power, gas pressure, and dc-bias voltage. The etch rates and the selectivity were obtained by a surface profiler and the etch profiles were observed by a field emission scanning electron microscopy. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy was employed to reveal the etch mechanism.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
• /
• 2014.02a
• /
• pp.330.2-330.2
• /
• 2014

III-V족 화합물반도체는 트랜지스터와 광다이오드, 레이저 등의 광전소자 제작물질로 오랫동안 사용 되어 왔다. III-V 화합물 반도체로 제작된 광전소자의 특성을 향상시키기 위해선 다양한 형태의 표면구조가 필요하며, distributed feedback 레이저나 distributed Bragg reflector 레이저의 경우 높은 aspect-ratio를 가지는 구조를 필요로 한다. 현재까지 높은 aspect-ratio를 가지는 III-V족 화합물반도체 구조제작을 위해 reactive ion etching (RIE) 방식을 사용 하였는데, 이 방법은 ion collision에 의한 표면손상과 더불어 에칭 잔여물이 남아 반도체 표면을 오염시키는 문제점을 가지고 있다. 이를 개선하기 위하여 MaCE (Metal-Assited chemical etching)법이 최근 제안되었는데, 본 연구에서는 MaCE 방법을 통하여 다양한 형태의 GaAs 표면구조를 제작하였다. 본 실험을 통하여 에칭용액 조건에 따라 GaAs의 구조적 특성과 morphology가 달라지는 것을 확인하였다.

• 한국정보디스플레이학회:학술대회논문집
• /
• 2009.10a
• /
• pp.1408-1411
• /
• 2009

This paper describes organic acid-based wet chemical etching behaviors of amorphous Ga-doped zinc oxide (GZO) thin film sputter-deposited at low temperature (room temperature). Wet etch parameters such as etching time, temperature, and etchant concentration are investigated for formic and citric acid etchants, and their effects on the etch rate, etch residue and the feature of edge line are compared.

• Journal of the Korean institute of surface engineering
• /
• v.26 no.5
• /
• pp.225-234
• /
• 1993

Titanium nitride coatings were deposited onto SUS304 stainless steel substrates pretreated by mechanical scrubbing, chemical etching at 50% HCl solution and Ar ion etching. Adhesion strength were measured by scratch tester and confirmed by SEM with EDS. Adhesion strength of Ar ion etched substrate was 10 to 15 times higher than that of mechanical scrubbed or chemical etched substrate. Ar ion etching brought about an uniform and fine spherical shaped surface, while chemical etching gave rise to a rough and irregular surface on SEM micrograph. It was suggested that higher adhesion strength might be caused by anchoring effect of Ar ion etched surface prior to TiN deposition.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
• /
• v.25 no.1
• /
• pp.53-57
• /
• 2014

We describe the preparation of highly-ordered etching pits on the Nb foil through a micromachining. The effects of electrochemical polishing on the formation of uniformly-patterned protective epoxy layer was investigated. Unlike the previous process using $O_2$ plasma, well-ordered etched pits were prepared without any dry processes. As a result, the Nb foil with the well-ordered pits of $10{\mu}m{\times}5{\mu}m$ could be obtained by electrochemical etching in methanolic electrolytes for 10 min.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
• /
• v.31 no.3
• /
• pp.162-171
• /
• 2021

Dry etching of copper thin films is performed using high density plasma of ethylenediamine (EDA)/hexafluoroisopropanol (HFIP)/Ar gas mixture. The etch rates, etch selectivities and etch profiles of the copper thin films are improved by adding HFIP to EDA/Ar gas. As the EDA/HFIP concentration in EDA/HFIP/Ar increases, the etch rate of copper thin films decreases, whereas the etch profile is improved. In the EDA/HFIP/Ar gas mixture, the optimal ratio of EDA to HFIP is investigated. In addition, the etch parameters including ICP source power, dc-bias voltage, process pressure are varied to examine the etch characteristics. Optical emission spectroscopy results show that among all species, [CH], [CN] and [H] are the main species in the EDA/HFIP/Ar plasma. The X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy results indicate the formation of CuCN compound and C-N-H-containing polymers during the etching process, leading to a good etch profile. Finally, anisotropic etch profiles of the copper thin films patterned with 150 nm scale are obtained in EDA/HFIP/Ar gas mixture.

• Journal of the Korean institute of surface engineering
• /
• v.28 no.2
• /
• pp.101-109
• /
• 1995

Electroetching rates of $FeCl_3$ solution were increased according to increasing solution temperature. Activation energy of electroetching at Be'36 and 5A/$dm^2$ condition was 28.3Kcal and also, at Be'46 and 5A/dm$^2$ condition was 33.2Kcal. At Be'36 concentration of $FeCl_3$ solution, electroetching rate were more higher than at Be'46 concentration. Surfaces of etched grooves obtained at 8A/$dm^2$ or higher current density in 46 Be' concentration of $FeCl_3$ solution were observed to be flat and smooth owing to suppressing chemical etching reaction. Distinctly etched boundaries became to be appeared at 2A/$dm^2$ in Be'41 electroetching condition by differential effects. In case of applying 8A/$dm^2$ current density to Be'46 of $FeCl_3$ solution, etching depth were 4 times and side etching were 6 times more than chemical etching case respectively.