Influence of anisotropic etching on the mechanical strength of single-crystal silicon wafers

Abstract

The influence is investigated of silicon wafer treatment in the alkali etchant with surface orientation close to planes (111), (100), and (110) on the magnitude of mechanical strength. It is shown that the dependence of the mechanical strength of silicon wafers on the etch time in the alkali etchant irrespective of orientation planes has a complex characteristics, namely: with the increase of etch time the mechanical strength increases, reaches its maximum value and with the further etch time growth it decreases and acquires values less than the ultimate strength. The analysis of the experimental results shows a close connection between the mechanical strength changes and the microstructure of the distorted layer of the silicon wafer surface. [Russian Text Ignored].