Oxidation of high area ratio silicon microchannels fabricated by electrochemical etching

Silicon microchannel structures exhibit numerous possible applications. In this report, the oxidation of high area ratio silicon microchannels used in weak light detection and night vision is studied. High area ratio microchannels are fabricated by electrochemical etching, and the influences of oxidation time and environments on the microstructures are investigated and analyzed combined with computer simulation. Damages and distortion are found after the oxidation process. It is found that after oxidation at high temperature, surface morphology becomes rough and followed polishing step is recommended to smooth the silicon microchannels' surfaces.