Abstract
We present a method for the selective two- and three-dimensional patterning of sapphire using light ion-beam implantation to generate severe lattice damage to depths exceeding 1 μm and subsequent selective wet chemical etching of the damaged regions by hot H3PO4. C-cut sapphire crystals were implanted through contact masks using ion fluences of 1×1016 to 5×1017 He+/cm2 and energies up to 400 keV. The etching process is characterized by a high selectivity and a rate of approximately 19 nm/min. Whereas an implantation that produces a continuously damaged pathway results in complete etching from the surface, sole in-depth implantation using only high-energy ions leads to under-etching of the crystalline surface layer. By a combination of these processes we have fabricated three-dimensional structures such as channels and bridges in sapphire.
Original language | Undefined |
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Article number | 10.1007/s00339-002-2027-y |
Pages (from-to) | 1109-1112 |
Number of pages | 4 |
Journal | Applied physics A: Materials science and processing |
Volume | 76 |
Issue number | 7 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 2003 |
Keywords
- EWI-17543
- IR-70077
- IOMS-APD: Active Photonic Devices