Photoinduced chemical changes in obliquely deposited amorphous Se-Ge films

Abstract

A large photoinduced change in the chemical solubility of obliquely deposited a-Se1−xGex films has been observed. The effect is a function of composition of the film, angle of deposition (obliqueness), annealing, exposure kinetics, and temperature of etching solution. The occurrence of large photochemical effects in obliquely deposited films is related to the creation of metastable defect centers on illumination. The effect has been utilized to obtain micron-resolution photolithographic patterns.