Applications of Electrochemistry to Fabrication of Semiconductor Devices

Abstract

This paper reviews some of the principal applications of electrochemistry to fabrication of semiconductor devices. Some of the electrochemical techniques used in fabrication of early semiconductor devices, such as chemical polishing, plating of contacts, dislocation etches, and junction delineation techniques continue to be used in manufacturing of present‐day devices. Principal newer uses of electrochemistry are in anisotropic etching of patterns in single crystal Si, in preferential etching of layers of a certain conductivity type or doping level without dissolution of an underlying (or adjacent) layer of Si of different type or doping level, in anodization of aluminum metallization on Si devices, and in Au plating for conductive layers in several types of silicon devices. A wide variety of other electrochemical techniques are being used in material and device characterization, and in fabrication of developmental‐type devices.