We have developed the following formula for Cu etching and we have not had any problem with Ni pitting. The etching process is well behaved with a very smooth Cu-surface morphology maintained throughout the etching process. HNO3:H3PO4:CH3COOH = 0.5:50.0:49.5 (volume) Application condition: room temperature Etching rate: ~ 10 to 20 Å/sec Good luck. Xiaochuan Zhou Xeotron Corporation Xczhou@email.msn.com -----Original Message----- From: Adam Cohen [mailto:acohen@ISI.EDU] Sent: Friday, September 18, 1998 7:10 PM To: MEMS@ISI.EDU Subject: Ni-compatible Cu etchants Dear Colleagues, We are seeking a Cu etchant that doesn't cause any pitting or other damage to Ni. A commercial product we have tried, Enthone's Enstrip C38, seems to pit the Ni, at least sometimes. Does anyone have any suggestions on what we might try? They would be greatly appreciated. Sincerely, Adam Cohen USC/ISI