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US4172005A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Method of etching a semiconductor substrate

Assignee: Toshiba Corp
•
Filing: 1977-10-20
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Granted: 1979-10-23
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Expires: 1997-10-20
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Abstract

Abstract A method of etching a semiconductor substrate which comprises the steps of selectively mounting an etching mask on the semiconductor substrate and effecting selective etching by an anisotropic etchant comprising an aqueous solution containing 0.1 to 20% by weight of trihydrocarbon-substituted (hydroxyhydrocarbon-substituted) ammonium hydroxide.

Inventors

  • 👤 Hisashi Muraoka
  • 👤 Masafumi Asano
  • 👤 Taizo Ohashi

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-10-26 11:24
CPC Classifications
H; H10; H10P; H10P50/00; H10P50/60; H10P50/64; H10P50/642; H10P50/644; H10W; H10W10/00; H10W10/01; H10W10/011; H10W10/019; H10W10/10

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 11
Claim 1
Independent Claim 85 words
A method of etching a semiconductor substrate which comprises the steps of selectively forming etching masks on the semiconductor substrate; and etching those portions of the semiconductor substrate which are not covered with the etching masks by an anisotropic etchant formed of an aqueous solution containing 0.1 to 20% by weight of at least one substituted ammonium hydroxide selected from the group consisting of trihydrocarbon-substituted (hydroxyhydrocarbon-substituted) ammonium hydroxides, thereby retaining the nonexposed portions of the semiconductor substrate in the form of mutually physically insulated islands.
Claim 2
Independent Claim 85 words
A method of etching a semiconductor substrate which comprises the steps of selectively forming etching masks on the semiconductor substrate; and etching those portions of the semiconductor substrate which are not covered with the etching masks by an anisotropic etchant formed of an aqueous solution containing 0.1 to 20% by weight of at least one substituted ammonium hydroxide selected from the group consisting of trihydrocarbon-substituted (hydroxyhydrocarbon-substituted) ammonium hydroxides, thereby retaining the nonexposed portions of the semiconductor substrate in the form of mutually physically insulated islands.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 17 words
The method according to claim 1, wherein the semi-conductor substrate is formed of a silicon single crystal.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 31 words
The method according to claim 2, wherein that surface of the semiconductor substrate on which the etching mask is formed is constituted by the (100) plane of the silicon single crystal.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 28 words
The method according to claim 3, wherein the etching mask has a rectangular parallelogram body whose sides all point to the direction <100> of the silicon single crystal.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 74 words
The method according to claim 4, wherein the four corners of the rectangular parallelogram etching mask are provided with projections which are arranged in symmetric relationship with respect to the axes extending in the direction <110> of the silicon single crystal, and whose areas are each sufficiently large to cause the surfaces of those portions of the semiconductor substrate which are left after etching by the anisotropic etching solution to have a rectangular parallelogram.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 52 words
The method according to claim 1, wherein the trihydrocarbon-substituted (hydroxyhydrocarbon-substituted) ammonium hydroxide is expressed by the structural formula: ##STR2## wherein R 1 , R 2 and R 3 are independently alkyl radicals each having 1 to 18 carbon atoms, and R 4 is an alkylene radical having 1 to 18 carbon atoms.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 39 words
The method according to claim 6, wherein R 1 , R 2 and R 3 are independently alkyl radicals each having 1 to 4 carbon atoms, and R 4 is an alkylene radical having 2 to 4 carbon atoms.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 20 words
The method according to claim 7, wherein the trihydrocarbon-substituted (hydroxyhydrocarbon-substituted) ammonium hydroxide is trimethyl(2-hydroxyethyl)ammonium hydroxide, triethyl(2-hydroxyethyl)ammonium hydroxide, or trimethyl(3-hydroxypropyl)ammonium hydroxide.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 30 words
The method according to claim 5, wherein the projections provided in the four corners of the rectangular parallelogram etching mask are each made into the form of an isosceles triangle.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 29 words
The method according to claim 5, wherein the projections in the four corners of the rectangular parallelogram etching mask are each made into the form of a notched circle.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US3160539A Cited
US3728179A Cited
US3765969A Cited
US3738881A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1982-10-22 1983-04-23 1983-10-23 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 1986-10-22 1987-04-23 1987-10-23 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 1990-10-22 1991-04-23 1991-10-23 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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