Anisotropy and Mechanistic Elucidation of Wet-Chemical Gallium Nitride Etching at the Atomic Level

Tautz, Markus and Weimar, Andreas and Grassl, Christian and Welzel, Martin and Diaz Diaz, David (2020) Anisotropy and Mechanistic Elucidation of Wet-Chemical Gallium Nitride Etching at the Atomic Level. PHYSICA STATUS SOLIDI A-APPLICATIONS AND MATERIALS SCIENCE, 217 (21): 2000221. ISSN 1862-6300, 1862-6319

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Abstract

Etching of gallium nitride is a key step in the production of blue and white light-emitting diodes (LEDs). Etching in aqueous KOH solution creates a rough surface on the LED chip to facilitate outcoupling of the photons generated, drastically increasing the resulting LED's efficiency. Compared with the common technique of dry etching, wet-chemical etching using aqueous KOH solution has significant advantages, e.g., lower complexity and cost and less remaining surface damage. An in-depth analysis of the molecular etch reaction by characterization of the reaction products is reported. The mechanism identified explains the cause of anisotropic etching, which leads to the formation of hexagonal pyramids. The concept of hydroxide repulsion by protruding NH and NH(2)groups established in the literature is adapted and further developed. The susceptibility of several polar, semipolar, and nonpolar crystal facets may also be explained, as well as the commonly observed increase in average pyramid size over etch time.

Item Type: Article
Uncontrolled Keywords: LIGHT-EMITTING-DIODES; INGAN BLUE; GAN; PITS; PYRAMIDS; POLAR; anisotropy; etching; gallium nitride; light-emitting diodes; mechanism
Subjects: 500 Science > 540 Chemistry & allied sciences
Divisions: Chemistry and Pharmacy > Institut für Organische Chemie
Chemistry and Pharmacy > Institut für Organische Chemie > Arbeitskreis Prof. Dr. David Díaz Díaz
Depositing User: Dr. Gernot Deinzer
Date Deposited: 12 Mar 2021 07:16
Last Modified: 12 Mar 2021 07:16
URI: https://pred.uni-regensburg.de/id/eprint/43816

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