The confined etchant layer technique (CELT) was used to fabricate complex three-dimensional (3D) microstructures on gallium arsenide (n-GaAs). The design of an appropriate chemical etching system is needed in order to realize successful microfabrication. In this study, Br-2 was electro-generated at the mold surface and used as an efficient etchant for n-GaAs. The use Of L-Cystine as a scavenger to replace the toxic scavenger H3AsO3 was explored. The resolution of the fabricated microstructure depended strongly on the composition of the electrolyte, and especially on the concentration ratio between L-cystine and KBr. A well-defined and polished Pt micro-cylindrical electrode with a diameter of similar to 50 mu m was employed as one kind of mold for CELT. By inspecting the deviation of the sizes of the etching spots from the real diameter of the microelectrode, the thickness of confined etchant layer (CEL) can be estimated and thus the composition of electrolyte can be optimized for better etching precision. By choosing an appropriate concentration ratio between L-cystine and KBr, complex microstructures were fabricated successfully on n-GaAs. The etched patterns on n-GaAs were approximately negative copies of the mold, and the precision of duplication could easily reach the submicrometer scale, which was better than that achieved with H3AsO3. The experimental results indicated that L-Cystine is a good scavenger for microfabrication on n-GaAs by CELT. This technique avoids severe pollution of the environment, which will help to extend its future application in industry. (c) 2006 Published by Elsevier Ltd.