Specific Process Knowledge/Etch/Etching of Gold

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Etching of Gold

Etching of Gold can be done either by wet etch, or by sputtering with ions.

• Etching of Gold by wet etch
• Sputtering of Au

Comparison of Gold Etch Methods

	Au wet etch 1	Au wet etch 2	IBE (Ionfab300+)
Generel description	Wet etch of Au using iodine based chemistry	Wet etch of Au using Aqua Regina	Sputtering of Au - pure physical etch
Etch rate range	~100nm/min	680 nm/min (dilute) or faster (concentrated). Mainly used for complete removal of metals	~55nm/min (acceptance test)
Etch profile	Isotropic	Isotropic	Anisotropic (angles sidewalls, typical around 70 dg)
Masking material	Photoresist	None (mainly used for stripping Au)	Any material that is allowed in the chamber, photoresists included
Substrate size	Any size and number that can go inside the beaker in use	Any size and number that can go inside the beaker in use	Smaller pieces glued to carrier wafer #1 50mm wafer #1 100mm wafer #1 150mm wafer #1 200mm wafer
Allowed materials	No restrictions cross contamination wise as long as you use the right beaker and make sure that they are safe to enter in the chemicals	No restrictions cross contamination wise as long as you use the right beaker and make sure that they are safe to enter in the chemicals	Silicon Silicon oxides Silicon nitrides Metals from the +list Metals from the -list Alloys from the above list Stainless steel Glass III-V materials Resists Polymers Capton tape