Wet Etching Technology for Semiconductor and Solar Silicon Manufacturing: Part 2-Process, Equipment and Implementation

Wet etching is an important step in the manufacturing of semiconductor and solar wafers and for the production of MEMS devices. While it has been replaced by the more precise dry etching technology in advanced semiconductor device fabrication, it still plays an important role in the manufacture of the silicon substrate itself. It is also used for providing stress relief and surface texturing of solar wafers in high volume. The technology of wet etching silicon for semiconductor and solar applications will be reviewed. Impact on this step for wafer properties and critical parameters (flatness, topology and surface roughness for semiconductor wafers, surface texture and reflectance for solar wafers) will be presented. The rationale for the use of a etching technology and etchant for specific applications in semiconductor and solar wafer manufacturing will be presented.