Issue 23, 2019

Photoelectric effect accelerated electrochemical corrosion and nanoimprint processes on gallium arsenide wafers

Abstract

Here we report photoelectric-effect-enhanced interfacial charge transfer reactions. The electrochemical corrosion rate of n-type gallium arsenide (n-GaAs) induced by the contact potential at platinum (Pt) and GaAs boundaries can be accelerated by the photoelectric effect of n-GaAs. When a GaAs wafer is illuminated with a xenon light source, the electrons in the valence band of GaAs will be excited to the conduction band and then move to the Pt boundaries due to the different work functions of the two materials. This results in an enhanced contact electric field as well as an enlarged Pt/GaAs contact potential. Consequently, in the presence of electrolyte solution, the polarizations of both the Pt/solution interface and the GaAs/solution interface at the Pt/GaAs/solution 3-phase boundary are enhanced. If the accumulated electrons on the Pt side are removed by electron acceptors in the solution, anodic corrosion of GaAs will be accelerated strictly along the Pt/GaAs/solution 3-phase boundary. This photo-enhanced electrochemical phenomenon can increase the corrosion rate of GaAs and accelerate the process of electrochemical nanoimprint lithography (ECNL) on GaAs. The method opens an innovative, highly efficient, low-cost nanoimprint technique performed directly on semiconductors, and it has prospective applications in the semiconductor industry.

Graphical abstract: Photoelectric effect accelerated electrochemical corrosion and nanoimprint processes on gallium arsenide wafers

Article information

Article type
Edge Article
Submitted
21 apr 2019
Accepted
06 mei 2019
First published
07 mei 2019
This article is Open Access

All publication charges for this article have been paid for by the Royal Society of Chemistry
Creative Commons BY-NC license

Chem. Sci., 2019,10, 5893-5897

Photoelectric effect accelerated electrochemical corrosion and nanoimprint processes on gallium arsenide wafers

C. Guo, L. Zhang, Matthew M. Sartin, L. Han, Z. Tian, Z. Tian and D. Zhan, Chem. Sci., 2019, 10, 5893 DOI: 10.1039/C9SC01978B

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