Silicon 45° micromirrors fabricated by etching in alkaline solutions with organic additives

Abstract

The fabrication of 45° micromirrors by silicon anisotropic etching in potassium hydroxide (KOH) and tetramethylammonium hydroxide (TMAH) solutions containing organic additives is investigated in this paper. The reflective planes are formed by {110} sidewall planes inclined at 45° towards the Si (100) wafer. Isopropyl alcohol and Triton X-100 surfactant are used as additives, because they are supposed to provide the etch rate ratio R(100)/R(110) > 1, which is necessary for {110} sidewalls development. The fabricated spatial microstructures with 45 sidewalls are examined in terms of the {110} surface roughness and the quality of the {110} sidewall profile. The KOH solution saturated with the alcohol gives the striped {110} surface, though the stripes almost disappear after addition of Triton surfactant to KOH and TMAH etchants. The 45° sidewall profiles fully defined by {110} planes are obtained in KOH as well as TMAH solutions containing additives. The measurements of micromirrors' reflectivity indicate that replacement of the alcohol by Triton surfactant in the KOH solution reduces the optical power loss caused by the reflection. The achieved reflectivity is comparable with the one obtained by etching in the TMAH solution with surfactant. © 2013 The Author(s).