Selective etching method

1. An etching method, comprising:

bringing a layer of a metal selected from the group consisting of titanium, niobium, tungsten, molybdenum, ruthenium, rhodium, arsenic, aluminum and gallium, an oxide of the metal, a nitride of the metal, silicon nitride, hafnium nitride, tantalum nitride, and an alloy of these metals, said layer being provided on an underlying base material selected from the group consisting of glass, silicon, copper and nickel, into contact with an etching solution which consists essentially of at least one complexing agent selected from Formulas (I) and (II) and wherein the pH of said etching solution is 11 or higher, thereby selectively etching said metal;

wherein R 1 to R 3 may be identical to or different from one another, and are selected from the group consisting of −R a , —OR b , —OOR e , —COOR d , —COOOR e , —CH 2 COOR f , —CH 2 COOOR g , —CR h O and —CH 2 CHCH 3 , where R a to R h may be identical to or different from one another, and are selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, a C1 to C10 saturated aliphatic group, a C1 to C10 unsaturated aliphatic group, and an aryl group, and

wherein R 4 to R 7 may be identical to or different from one another, and are selected from the group consisting of —R i , —OR j , —OOR k , —COOR l , —COOOR m , —CH 2 COOR n , —CH 2 COOOR o , —CR p O, —CH 2 CHCH 3 , —CN, —NC, —NO 2 , —F, —Cl, —Br, —I, and —SO 2 R q where R i to R q may be identical to or different from one another, and are selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, a C1 to C10 saturated aliphatic group, a C1 to C10 unsaturated aliphatic group, and an aryl group, and X is —OH, —COOH or —COOOH.

2. The etching method according to claim 1 , wherein the pH is from 12 to 14.

3. The etching method according to claim 1 , wherein the etching solution further comprises an oxidizing agent.

4. The etching method according to claim 3 , wherein the pH is from 12 to 14.

5. An etching solution for a metal,

wherein the metal is selected from the group consisting of titanium, niobium, tungsten, molybdenum, ruthenium, rhodium, arsenic, aluminum and gallium, an oxide of the metal, a nitride of the metal, silicon nitride, hafnium nitride, tantalum nitride, and an alloy of these metals, and

said metal is provided on an underlying base material selected from the group consisting of glass, silicon, copper and nickel,

said etching solution consisting essentially of at least one complexing agent selected from Formulas (I) and (II)

wherein R 1 to R 3 may be identical to or different from one another, and are selected from the group consisting of —R a , —OR b , —OOR c , —COOR d , —COOOR e , —CH 2 COOR f , —CH 2 COOOR g , —CR h O and —CH 2 CHCH 3 where R a to R h may be identical to or different from one another, and are selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, a C1 to C10 saturated aliphatic group, a C1 to C10 unsaturated aliphatic group, and an aryl group, and

wherein R 4 to R 7 may be identical to or different from one another, and are selected from the group consisting of —R i , —OR j , —OOR k , —COOR l , —COOOR m , —CH 2 COOR n , —CH 2 COOOR o , —CR p O, —CH 2 CHCH 3 , —CN, —NC, —NO 2 , —F, —Br, and —SO 2 R q where R i to R q may be identical to or different from one another, and are selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, a C1 to C10 saturated aliphatic group, a C1 to C10 unsaturated aliphatic group, and an aryl group, and X is —OH, —COOH or —COOOH, wherein the pH of said etching solution is 11 or higher.

6. The etching solution for metal according to claim 5 , wherein the pH is from 12 to 14.

7. The etching solution for a metal according to claim 5 , wherein said etching solution further comprises an oxidizing agent.

8. The etching solution for metal according to claim 7 , wherein the pH is from 12 to 14.