Annealing and Etching Processes for Hafnium Carbide MEMS

HfC has been very under-investigated due to its rarity and synthesising difficulty. Its potential for MEMS and NEMS applications has been recognized and is the object of an ongoing feasibility study for production since 2022. We continue on this impulse by testing annealing protocols in the range between 200°C and 600°C to reduce deposition residual stress, and determining etch rates for Ion Beam Etching in the incident angle range between 0° and 70°. Protocols to determine etching verticality are also tested and analysed.