Laser-induced microscopic etching of GaAs and InP

Abstract
Ultraviolet laser photolysis of methyl‐halides has been used to produce localized photoetching of GaAs and InP. A spatial resolution of ≃1μm has been achieved and an etch rate ≳104 times that of the dark reaction demonstrated. A chemical mechanism is proposed and the observed resolution is explained by a simple physical model.