What Is Etching?

Etching is a material removal process used to selectively remove defined regions of a surface in order to create micro- or macro-scale patterns. It is a fundamental step in microfabrication, semiconductor processing, MEMS, optics, and thin-film device manufacturing.

How Does Etching Work?

Etching is typically performed after photolithography. A photoresist layer is patterned on the substrate to protect regions that should remain intact. The exposed areas are then removed using a chemical, plasma, or ion-based etching process, transferring the desired pattern into the underlying material.

Types of Etching Techniques

  • Chemical Etching (Wet Etching)
    Uses acids or alkaline solutions to isotropically remove material. Suitable for metals, glass, and some ceramics.
  • Photochemical Etching
    Combines photoresist patterning with chemical etchants for high-precision pattern transfer, commonly used in thin metal films.
  • Plasma Etching
    Uses reactive plasma species to chemically remove material with improved directionality and process control.
  • Reactive-Ion Etching (RIE)
    A hybrid physical–chemical process that provides anisotropic, high-resolution etching for semiconductors and microstructures.
  • Laser Etching
    Uses focused laser energy for direct-write material removal without chemical processing.

Why Choose Our Etching Services?

We provide Reactive-Ion Etching (RIE), chemical etching, and plasma etching services for research and industrial applications. Our processes deliver clean, well-defined etching profiles with high dimensional accuracy across a wide range of commercial materials.

Contact us at support@design-realized.com or request a quote to discuss your etching requirements.

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