Specific Process Knowledge/Etch/Etching of Polymer

Polymer dry etching

Upgrading the silicon etch capability at Danchip with the DRIE-Pegasus has pushed our old ASE (Advanced Silicon Etcher) out of the line so that it now only serves as backup silicon dry etcher. We have therefore decided that the ASE must be converted to a polymer etcher instead. Hence, it will join the plasma asher and to some extend the RIE's where polymer etching is allowed. In RIE1 it is only for removing photo resist before or after a RIE etch if the plasma asher cannot be used for some reason. On RIE2 you can get allowance for some other polymer etching but you have to ask first.

• Etch of Photo Resist using RIE

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Etchning of Polymers

Stripping of polymers are often done by wet chemistry in a solvent that dissolves the given polymer. If wet chemistry cannot be used or a more controled etch of the polymer is needed a plasma system is used instead. Plasma ashers are design for removing polymers in primarily oxygen plasmas. It you need a more directional etch with a masking material RIE2 or ASE can be used.

• Polymer Etch by ASE

• Plasma asher 1

• Plasma asher 2

• Etch of Photo Resist using RIE

• Wet Polymer Etch

Comparison method 1 and method 2 for the process

	ASE	Plasma asher 1	Plasma asher 2	RIE2	By wet etch
Generel description	Generel description - method 1	Generel description - method 2	Generel description - method 3	Generel description - method 4	Generel description - method 5
Parameter 1	A B	A B	A B	A B	A B
Parameter 2	A B C	A	A	A	A
Substrate size	# small samples # 50 mm wafers # 100 mm wafers # 150 mm wafers	# small samples # 50 mm wafers # 100 mm wafers # 150 mm wafers	# small samples # 50 mm wafers # 100 mm wafers # 150 mm wafers	# small samples # 50 mm wafers # 100 mm wafers # 150 mm wafers	# small samples # 50 mm wafers # 100 mm wafers # 150 mm wafers
Allowed materials	Allowed material 1 Allowed material 2	Allowed material 1 Allowed material 2 Allowed material 3	Allowed material 1 Allowed material 2	Allowed material 1 Allowed material 2	Allowed material 1 Allowed material 2