ICP-RIE

Inductively Coupled Plasma etching is an anisotropic dry-etching process where material is removed with the use of chemically reactive plasma under a low pressure (~1-100 mTorr). Typically the material removed is a thin film previously deposited on a wafer.

The ICP-RIE uses two independent RF sources, one to strike plasma in a gas mixture and one to create a DC bias which extracts and accelerates ions and radicals from the plasma towards a sample surface. This gives independent control of ion density and energy. ICP RIE is a popular dry-etching technique because of its possibility for high etch rates, great selectivity and reduced ion bombardment damage.

Technical specifications

Manufacturer: Oxford Instruments

Model: PlasmaPro Cobra 100

• Sample sizes: from small chips up to 8” wafers
• Process Gases: CHF₃, CF₄, SF₆, C₂F₈, Ar, O₂, N₂
• ICP Power: 3kW
• RIE Power: 600W
• Standard operating temperature 20ºC
• He backside cooling
• Equipped with laser endpoint detection

The ICP-RIE has received funds from the CENanoTech project. In turn, the CENanoTech projectThe CENanoTech project (ref.: 2015 FEDER/S-16) is funded through the call for the development of R&D infrastructures launched by the Regional Ministry of Economy and Knowledge, of the Generalitat de Catalunya, with funding received from the European Regional Development Fund. The project has also been co-funded by the Severo Ochoa Programme granted by the Spanish Ministry of Economy, Industry and Competitiveness.