Specific Process Knowledge/Etch/DryEtchProcessing

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Challenges and techniques common to all dry etch tools

This page contains information that is common to dry etch instruments.

Hardware and option comparison of the dry etchers at Danchip

The table below compares the hardware and the options.

		RIE2	ASE	AOE	DRIE-Pegasus	ICP Metal etch	III-V RIE	III-V ICP
Purpose	Primary uses	The RIE chamber for etching of: silicon silicon oxides/nitrides The users are allowed to have 5% metal exposed to the plasma	Formerly the primary silicon etcher; now polymers may also be etched	Etching of silicon oxides or nitrides	Silicon etching	Standard recipes for etching of Al, Cr and Ti, now also etches of W, TiW and Mo	Etching of silicon oxide, resist, BCB, silicon nitride, InP, InGaAs and GaAs on III-V substrates	Etching of III-V materials such as GaN, InP/InGaAsP/InGaAs, AlGaAs, GaAs
	Alternative/backup uses	Shallow silicon etches	Backup silicon etcher		Barc etch	Silicon etcher
General description	Plasma source	Parallel plate capacitor setup with RF power between the two electrodes	Inductively coupled plasma chamber with two RF generators; the coil and platen generator	Inductively coupled plasma chamber with two RF generators; the coil and platen generator	Inductively coupled plasma chamber with two RF generators; the coil (with outer and inner coil) and platen generator	Inductively coupled plasma chamber with two RF generators; the coil and platen generator	Parallel plate capacitor setup with RF power between the two electrodes	Inductively coupled plasma chamber with two RF generators; the coil and platen generator
	Substrate cooling/temperature	The electrode is oil cooled: Fixed at 20oC	The electrode is oil cooled. Also, Helium backside cooling: -10oC to 20oC	The electrode is oil cooled. Also, Helium backside cooling: -10oC to 60oC	The electrode is oil cooled. Also, Helium backside cooling: 0oC to 50oC	The electrode is oil cooled. Also, Helium backside cooling: -20oC to 30oC	The electrode is oil cooled: Fixed at 20oC	The electrode is oil cooled with a special chiller. Also, Helium backside cooling: 20oC to 180oC
	Clamping	No clamping	Electrostatic clamping (semco electrode)	Electrostatic clamping (TDESC)	Electrostatic clamping (TDESC)	Electrostatic clamping (TDESC)	No clamping	Mechanical clamping (weighted clamp with ceramic fingers)
	Gasses	SF6 O2 CF4 N2 Ar CHF3	SF6 O2 C4F8 Ar CO2	SF6 O2 C4F8 H2 CF4 He	SF6 O2 C4F8 Ar	SF6 O2 C4F8 Ar CF4 H2 CH4 BCl3 Cl2 HBr	O2 CHF3 CH4 Ar H2	SF6 O2 CF4 Ar CH4 H2 HBr BCl3 Cl2
	RF generators	RF generator	Coil generator Platen generator	Coil generator Platen generator	Coil generator Platen generator Low frequency platen generator	Coil generator Platen generator	RF generator	Coil generator Platen generator
	Substrate loading	Loading via cluster 2 load lock	Loading via dedicated two-slot carousel load lock	Loading via dedicated two-slot carousel load lock	Loading via dedicated two-slot carousel load lock or via atmospheric cassette loader	Loading via dedicated two-slot carousel load lock	Manual loading directly into process chamber	Loading via dedicated two-slot carousel load lock
	Options	Optical endpoint detector at fixed wavelength	Bosch multiplexing Parameter ramping		Bosch multiplexing Parameter ramping SOI option Optical endpoint detection	Parameter ramping Optical endpoint detection	Laser endpoint detection	Parameter ramping Bosch multiplexing Optical endpoint detection Laser endpoint detection
Allowed materials		Silicon Fused silica Sapphire SiC	Silicon Fused silica Sapphire SiC	Silicon Fused silica Sapphire SiC	Silicon Fused silica Sapphire SiC	Silicon Fused silica Sapphire SiC	Silicon Fused silica Sapphire SiC GaAs, GaN, InP, with epitaxial layers	Silicon Fused silica Sapphire SiC GaAs, GaN, InP, with epitaxial layers