Published online by Cambridge University Press: 21 February 2011
Wet and dry laser-etching experiments have been performed on polished CdS crystals, using a CW Ar laser, with the goal of writing patterns with μm linewidth. A nitric acid solution was found to exhibit no appreciable dark etching and high photoetching rate; surface roughening due to scattered light was its limitation. A dry, low-temperature (< 200°C) laser-etching process was also studied, and used to produce satisfactory line patterns with 1- to 5-μm linewidths and a 3:1 depth ratio.