Effects of Triton X-n Surfactants on the Fabrication of Si (110) On-chip Micromirrors

Wet etched 45o micromirrors on silicon are useful for directing light from one optical component to another. This work attempts to study the effect of utilizing Triton X series surfactant, namely X-45, X-100 and X-405 for Si... [ view full abstract ]

Wet etched 45^o micromirrors on silicon are useful for directing light from one optical component to another. This work attempts to study the effect of utilizing Triton X series surfactant, namely X-45, X-100 and X-405 for Si etching in KOH to reveal Si (110).Though longer chain length decreases etch depth it promotes better (110) surface as compared to shorter chain length. However, (100) surface is smoother when etched with Triton X-45 in KOH. Optical measurement performed at 1.55μm with samples etched in 30% KOH and 10ppm Triton X reveals that longer chain length is preferred for smoother (110) mirror.