The coalescence of isotropic etch pits observed in the dissolution of semiconductor substrates is studied using a discrete model for the evolution of the surface under reaction-rate-limited conditions. The model discretizes the solid into cubic elements and repetitively applies dissolution rules to the individual elements. The rate of mass removal is based on the number and arrangement of the e...

In this article, a simple and cost-effective method to create patterned nanoindentations on Al surface via mold-assisted chemical etching process is demonstrated. This report shows the reaction-diffusion method which formed nanoscale shallow etch pits by the absorption/liberation behaviors of chemical etchant in poly(dimethylsiloxane) stamp. During subsequent anodization, it was possible to obt...

A technique is presented for fabricating Si nanostructures with a scanning tunneling microscope operated in air. The process involves the direct chemical modification of a H-passivated Si( 100) surface and a subsequent liquid etch. The chemically modified portions of the surface can withstand a deep ( > 100 nm) liquid etch of the unmodified regions with no etch degradation of the modified surfa...

We report a new mechanism that limits the rate of electron beam induced etching (EBIE). Typically, the etch rate is assumed to scale directly with the precursor adsorbate dissociation rate. Here, we show that this is a special case, and that the rate can instead be limited by the concentration of active sites at the surface. Novel etch kinetics are expected if surface sites are activated during...

Anisotropic wet etching is a most widely employed for the fabrication of MEMS/NEMS structures using silicon bulk micromachining. The use of Si{110} in MEMS is inevitable when a microstructure with vertical sidewall is to be fabricated using wet anisotropic etching. In most commonly employed etchants (i.e. TMAH and KOH), potassium hydroxide (KOH) exhibits higher etch rate and provides improved a...

The aim of this study was to evaluate, over an 18-month period, the clinical performance of a self-etch adhesive [Transbond Plus Self Etching Primer (SEP), 3M Unitek] compared with a conventional adhesive that employs the etch-and-rinse approach (Transbond XT, 3M Unitek). One operator, using the straight-wire technique, bonded 567 metallic brackets to the teeth of 30 patients (age range 12-18 y...

We report on experimental and modeling results for photoresist etching with oxygen gas in an inductively coupled large area plasma source ~LAPS!. The source is driven by a 13.56 MHz traveling wave launched along a serpentine antenna embedded in the plasma and has a processing area as large as 40 cm350 cm. We describe a new series-parallel antenna coil configuration, and we present experimental ...