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Diverse Texturing Characteristics Through Metal-Assisted Plasma Etching with Silver Nanowires

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Abstract

The process of texturing silicon surfaces is critical for enhancing the performance of complementary metal–oxide–semiconductor image sensors that utilize silicon-based photodetectors. Traditional wet etching methods using strong acids or alkaline solutions have been commonly used but present challenges in precision, particularly for microscopic devices. As a viable alternative, dry etching processes using patterned metals and plasma are being explored. However, extensive studies across various metals are necessary. This study introduces a silicon nanotexturing process using silver nanowires and Cl2-based plasma. The etching mechanism involves accelerated etching through eddy currents and hole injection coupled with a diffusion phenomenon of silver. In this study, we examined variations in the etching profile with respect to etching time, upper and bottom radio-frequency powers, and process pressure. Additionally, we analyzed the effects of ion bombardment, enhanced by the introduction of Ar gas. The findings are expected to significantly contribute to the improvement of micro-optoelectronic devices.

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No datasets were generated or analysed during the current study.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by Korea Institute for Advancement of Technology (KIAT) grant funded by the Korea Government (MOTIE) (P0023718, Inorganic Light-emitting Display Expert Training Program for Display Technology Transition), “Regional Innovation Strategy (RIS)” through the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) funded by the Ministry of Education (MOE) (2023RIS-009) and the Institute for Basic Science (IBS-R019-Y1).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, Chung-Ang University, Seoul, 06974, Republic of Korea

    Dong-Geon Lee, Hyun-Seung Ryu & Chang-Il Kim

  2. Center for Multidimensional Carbon Materials (CMCM), Institute for Basic Science (IBS), Ulsan, 44919, Republic of Korea

    Dong-Geon Lee & Mi-Jin Jin

  3. Department of Electronic Engineering, Jeju National University, Jeju, 63243, Republic of Korea

    Doo-Seung Um

  4. Faculty of Energy Application System (Electronic Engineering), Jeju National University, Jeju, 63243, Republic of Korea

    Doo-Seung Um

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  1. Dong-Geon Lee
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Contributions

Dong-Geon Lee: Conceptualization, Validation, Formal analysis, Investigation, Data Curation, Visualization, Writing - original draft. Hyun-Seung Ryu: Validation, Investigation. Mi-Jin Jin: Conceptualization, Methodology, Resources, Writing - Review & Editing. Doo-Seung Um: Conceptualization, Methodology, Resources, Visualization, Writing - Review & Editing, Supervision, Funding acquisition. Chang-Il Kim: Conceptualization, Writing - Review & Editing, Supervision, Project administration, funding acquisition.

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Correspondence to Doo-Seung Um or Chang-Il Kim.

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Lee, DG., Ryu, HS., Jin, MJ. et al. Diverse Texturing Characteristics Through Metal-Assisted Plasma Etching with Silver Nanowires. Plasma Chem Plasma Process (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11090-024-10469-5

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