Triangular extended microtunnels in GaN prepared by selective crystallographic wet chemical etching

Abstract

Extended microtunnels with triangular cross sections in thick GaN films were demonstrated using wet chemical etching on specially designed epitaxial lateral overgrowth structures. For tunnels along the < 1 (1) over bar 00 > and < 11 (2) over bar0 > directions of GaN, the {11 (22) over bar} and {10 (11) over bar} facets are the etch stop planes with activation energies of 23 kcal/mol determined by wet chemical etching. The axial etching rate of the tunnels in the < 1 (1) over bar 00 > direction is twice as large than that along the < 11 (2) over bar0 > direction. The highest etching rate of the tunnels in the axial direction is 1000 mu m/h. (C) 2008 The Electrochemical Society.