Lesson plan

Wright etch

The Wright etch (also Wright-Jenkins etch) is a preferential etch for revealing defects in - and -oriented, p- and n-type silicon wafers used for making transistors, microprocessors, memories, and other components. Revealing, identifying, and remedying such defects is essential for progress along the path predicted by Moore's law. It was developed by Margaret Wright Jenkins (1936-2018) in 1976 while working in research and development at Motorola Inc. in Phoenix, AZ. It was published in 1977. This etchant reveals clearly defined oxidation-induced stacking faults, dislocations, swirls and striations with minimum surface roughness or extraneous pitting. These defects are known causes of shorts and current leakage in finished semiconductor devices (such as transistors) should they fall across isolated junctions. A relatively low etch rate (~1 micrometre per minute) at room temperature provides etch control. The long shelf life of this etchant allows the solution to be stored in large quantities.

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Article summary

The Wright etch (also Wright-Jenkins etch) is a preferential etch for revealing defects in - and -oriented, p- and n-type silicon wafers used for making transistors, microprocessors, memories, and other components. Revealing, identifying, and remedying such defects is essential for progress along the path predicted by Moore's law. It was developed by Margaret Wright Jenkins (1936-2018) in 1976 while working in research and development at Motorola Inc. in Phoenix, AZ. It was published in 1977. This etchant reveals clearly defined oxidation-induced stacking faults, dislocations, swirls and striations with minimum surface roughness or extraneous pitting. These defects are known causes of shorts and current leakage in finished semiconductor devices (such as transistors) should they fall across isolated junctions. A relatively low etch rate (~1 micrometre per minute) at room temperature provides etch control. The long shelf life of this etchant allows the solution to be stored in large quantities.

Key claims

  1. publication date: 1977 — source: Wikipedia · confidence 0.95

Discussion questions

  1. Summarise the article in your own words. Which single claim would you verify first, and why?
  2. The record states that the publication date is "1977". What evidence would count against this claim?
  3. Which claim in this article is most likely to be revised as the sources update? How would you check its current status?
  4. If two sources disagreed about one of these facts, what would you need in order to trust one over the other?

Bibliography

  1. Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1376852344

Key claims and bibliography are generated from the same tracked claims and sources as the article page.