Highly anisotropic photoenhanced wet etching of n-type GaN

A room-temperature photoelectrochemical etching process for n-type GaN films using a 0.04 M KOH solution and Hg arc lamp illumination is described. The process provides highly anisotropic etch profiles and high etch rates (>300 nm/min) at moderate light intensities (50 mW/cm² @365 nm). The etch rate and photocurrent are characterized as a function of light intensity for stirred and unstirred solutions, and the etch process is found to be diffusion limited for light intensities greater than 20 mW/cm² @365 nm. A reaction mechanism for the etch process is proposed.