Specific Process Knowledge/Etch/Etching of Silicon/Si etch using RIE1 or RIE2

RIE (Reactive Ion Etch) can be used for etching silicon - both crystalline and polycrystalline silicon. This can be done with a simple photoresist as masking material. The etch can be isotropic or anisotropic with vertical sidewalls depending on the process recipe and the masking material and geometry. The Si is etched by flour radicals that are created from SF₆(g)in a RF generated plasma.