Sub-10 μm-Thick Ge Thin Film Fabrication from Bulk-Ge Substrates via a Wet Etching Method

Wang, Liming1; Zhu, Ying1,2; Wen, Rui-Tao2; Xia, Guangrui1

2023-12-12

10.1021/acsomega.3c07490

ACS OMEGA   影响因子和分区

2470-1343

Low-defect density Ge thin films are crucial for studying the impact of defect density on the performance limits of Ge-based optical devices (optical detectors, LEDs, and lasers). Ge thinning is also important for Ge-based multijunction solar cells. In this work, Ge wet etching using three acidic H2O2 solutions (HF, HCl, and H2SO4) was studied in terms of etching rate, surface morphology, and surface roughness. HCl-H2O2-H2O (1:1:5) was demonstrated to wet-etch 535 mu m-thick bulk-Ge substrates to 4.1 mu m with a corresponding RMS surface roughness of 10 nm, which was the thinnest Ge film from bulk-Ge via a wet etching method to the best of our knowledge. The good quality of pre-etched bulk-Ge was preserved, and the low threading dislocation density of 6000-7000 cm(-2) was maintained after the etching process. This approach provides an inexpensive and convenient way for accurate Ge substrate thinning in applications such as multijunction solar cells and sub-10 mu m-thick Ge thin film preparation, which enables future studies of low-defect density Ge-based devices such as photodetectors, LEDs, and lasers.

SCI

英语

其他

Chemistry

Chemistry, Multidisciplinary

WOS:001132978200001

AMER CHEMICAL SOC

Web of Science

1.Univ British Columbia, Dept Mat Engn, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada
2.Southern Univ Sci & Technol, Dept Mat Sci & Engn, Shenzhen 518055, Peoples R China

Wang, Liming,Zhu, Ying,Wen, Rui-Tao,et al. Sub-10 μm-Thick Ge Thin Film Fabrication from Bulk-Ge Substrates via a Wet Etching Method[J]. ACS OMEGA,2023,8(51).

Wang, Liming,Zhu, Ying,Wen, Rui-Tao,&Xia, Guangrui.(2023).Sub-10 μm-Thick Ge Thin Film Fabrication from Bulk-Ge Substrates via a Wet Etching Method.ACS OMEGA,8(51).

Wang, Liming,et al."Sub-10 μm-Thick Ge Thin Film Fabrication from Bulk-Ge Substrates via a Wet Etching Method".ACS OMEGA 8.51(2023).