Etching process

0604002-58

[DEFINITION]
A material removal process by means of chemical corrosion.

[DESCRIPTION]
Etching, either isotropic etching or anisotropic etching, removes part of material in a corrosive environment of either gas or liquid phase, sometimes assisted with electric energy (electrochemical etching). In the field of micromachining technology, anisotropic etching is popular. Examples are application of potassium hydroxide (KOH) or ethylene diamine pyrocatechol (EDP) to single crystal silicon, where the (111) crystal plane is etched away slower than other crystal planes, leaving a three-dimensional structure consisting of the (111) crystal plane.

[References]
(6)

[Related Terms]
Bulk micromachining,