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#020 Chemical etching - Etchants

Category : Metal etching
November20, 2009

　Many etchant (corrosive liquid) compositions and temperature settings are used according to the metal material and process speed requirements. (Table 1) shows the etchant compositions for representative metals and process conditions.

(Table 1) Etchants used for chemical etching
Metal materialEtchant compositionLiquid temperature （℃）Process speed (mm/min.)
Aluminum (AL) and alloysNaOH（150-180ｇ/L）+AL（6-20g/L）70-800.018-0.025
FeCL3（120-180g/L）500.025
HCL（50vol%）+HNO3（5vol%）500.025-0.05
FeCL3（30Be,3.8L）+HCL（38%,34ml）45-
Copper (Cu) and alloysFeCL3（30-40g/L）500.025-0.05
（NH4）2S2O8（8-16g/L）32-500.013-0.025
CuCL2（30-35g/L）550.013-0.015
CrO3（22-30g/L）500.025-0.035
Chrome (Cr)FeCL3（42Be,2vol）+HCL（38%,1vol）80-
HCL（38%,3vol）+H2O（7vol）--
Gold (Au)HCL（75vol%）+HNO3（25vol%）32-380.025-0.05
NaCN+H2O2--
MgHNO3（12-15vol%）32-500.025-0.05
MoH2SO4（25vol%）+HNO3（25vol%）550.025
HNO3（30vol%）+HCL（30vol%）--
Nickel (Ni) and alloysHNO3（48vol%）+H2SO4（5.5vol%）+H3PO4（11vol%）+HC2H3O2（5.5vol%）43-500.025
FeCL3（34-38g/L）500.013-0.025
HNO3（1vol）+HCL（1vol）+H2O（3vol）--
Silver (Ag)HNO3（50-90vol%）38-500.013-0.025
Fe（NO3）3（30g/L）550.020
CrO3（40g/L）+H2SO4（20mL）+H2O（2L）--
Steel alloysHNO3（20vol%）+H2SO4（5vol%）+H3PO4（5vol%）57-700.018-0.025
FeCL3（34-38g/L）500.025
HNO3（10-15vol%）500.025
Stainless steelHCL（50vol%）+HNO3（5vol%）+H3PO4（2.5vol%）650.01
FeCL3（34-38g/L）650.02
Tin (Sn)FeCL3（34-38g/L）55-
TiHF（10-50vol%）30-500.013-0.025
Metal materialEtchant compositionLiquid temperature （℃）Process speed(mm/min.)

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