Anisotropic wet-chemical etching of silicon pits, peaks, principles, pyramids and particles

Anisotropic wet-chemical etching is a key technology in the fabrication of sensors and actuators because it is fast and cheap. However, the exact nature of the etching process is still unclear. A deeper understanding of the physical chemistry of the etch process is sought by investigating the thermodynamics and chemistry, the difference in underetch rate of apparently identical structures, typical surface structures and finally by computer simulation of the etch rate plot.