Advanced Wet Etch for Emerging Materials

Partner Call open until: 15.05.2026

Project Start: Q4 2026 – Q1 2027

The objective of this project is to research and co-develop advanced wet etching processes for a broad range of emerging semiconductor materials relevant to next-generation applications in photonics, MEMS, quantum technologies, and wide bandgap (WBG) devices. 

The project aims to establish a state-of-the-art wet processing expertise, enabling high-throughput, high-uniformity batch processing with precise control of chemical delivery, temperature, and process conditions. 

Target material classes include (but are not limited to): 

• Ferroelectric and electro-optic materials (e.g., Lithium Niobate, AlN) 

• Wide bandgap semiconductors (e.g., SiC, GaN) 

• Piezoelectric and MEMS materials (e.g., AlScN, PZT) 

• Emerging quantum materials (e.g., thin films, defect-engineered materials) 

• Advanced dielectric and photonic materials (e.g., TFLN, Ge) 

Key challenges to be addressed include: 

• Achieving high etch uniformity and repeatability at batch scale 

• Controlling etch selectivity across heterogeneous material stacks 

• Minimizing surface roughness and subsurface damage critical for optical and quantum performance 

• Managing complex chemistries and reaction kinetics for new materials 

• Enabling flexible multi-material processing within a unified platform 

• Reducing chemical consumption and environmental impact 

The scope of work may include: 

• Provision, installation and commissioning of advanced batch wet processing equipment within SAL cleanroom by the project partner. 

• Research and Co-development of wet etch processes across multiple emerging material systems 

• Process parameter optimization (chemical composition, temperature, flow dynamics, wafer handling) 

• Material and surface characterization (etch rate, selectivity, morphology, defectivity) 

• Development of integrated process modules (etch, clean, surface conditioning) 

• Implementation of process control strategies (e.g., endpoint detection, inline monitoring) 

• Integration into device fabrication flows across photonics, MEMS, quantum, and WBG applications 

• Correlation of process conditions with device-level performance and reliability 

The project is structured as a collaborative co-development effort, inviting equipment providers to jointly research, develop and validate scalable process solutions. 

• Research and co-development of state-of-the-art batch wet processing techniques 

• Demonstration of high-uniformity, low-damage wet etch processes for multiple material systems 

• Validated process modules for integration into advanced device fabrication flows 

• Reduced chemical consumption and improved sustainability compared to conventional wet processing approaches 

• Establish process libraries for emerging materials across photonics, MEMS, quantum, and WBG domains 

• Demonstration of representative devices enabled by optimized wet processing