Friction-Induced Selective Etching of GaAs Surface at Elevated Temperatures

A series of nanostructures can be produced on gallium arsenide (GaAs) surface by friction-induced selective etching method. The nanofabrication method can be realized without any templates such as the photomasks. It is a promising method with the advantages of high processing efficiency and low cost. This paper aims to further study the performance of this friction-induced selective etching and optimize the processing parameters through investigating the influences of etching temperature on the etching process of GaAs surface. The variation of the nanostructure height and surface roughness on GaAs surface created by the post-etching was comparatively studied under elevated etching temperatures in a H₂SO₄-H₂O₂ solution. The mechanism for the temperature-dependent etching was interpreted. Finally, the optimized etching condition was addressed taking into account surface roughness and nanostructure height. The present study provides the guidance for selecting the parameters for processing by friction-induced selective etching on GaAs surface.