Investigations of mechanically machined monocrystalline silicon surfaces with angular-resolved light scattering

Abstract

Atomic structure determines physical properties of crystalline surfaces. Mechanically machined surfaces of brittle monocrystalline semiconductors, such as Si or GaAs, are characterized by microscopically small fracture areas of the same crystallographic orientation. The slopes of fracture areas and their frequency indicate the crystallographic orientation of the surface. As fracture areas are very small and randomly distributed on the surface, slope analysis of these areas by profiling imaging measurements is difficult. However, angular-resolved scattering provides typical indicatrices of this anisotropic media. Therefore, we have developed a mathematical model for determining the crystallographic orientation of monocrystalline silicon surfaces, and have verified these calculations with further experiments.