Electrochemical Polishing of p-Type 4H SiC

This article discusses the electrochemical polishing of silicon-face p-type 4H SiC using diluted aqueous HF solution. Etchings on the silicon and carbon faces of SiC samples are performed and compared. The experimental results show that the RMS surface roughness of the electrochemically polished Si-face could be as low as about 2 nm. Carbon-face electrochemical polishing gives a rougher surface. Therefore, silicon-face 4H SiC is a better candidate for MEMS processing. The underlying mechanism is also discussed.