Principle:
Inductively Coupled Plasma Etching (ICP Etching) is an efficient and high-precision dry etching technology that generates high-density plasma through inductively coupled plasma to achieve fine etching of the material surface. The following is a detailed introduction to ICP etching:
The principle of inductively coupled plasma etching is to use an inductively coupled plasma source (ICP source) to generate high-density plasma. This plasma source is excited in the induction coil by a high-frequency electromagnetic field to form high-energy electrons, ionize the reaction gas, and generate plasma. The high-energy ions in the plasma are accelerated to impact the surface of the material to be etched under the action of the electric field, and the material is removed through a combination of chemical reaction and physical sputtering to achieve etching.
Processing capabilities:
Material: Etching thin film materials such as Si, SiO2, Si3N4, SiC, Al, Ti, TiN, Cr, InP, GaAs, GaN, LiNbO3, etc.
Process flow:
1. Preparation: Place the sample to be etched in the vacuum chamber of the ICP etching equipment for cleaning and pretreatment.
2. Mask production: Use photolithography technology to make a protective mask on the surface of the sample to protect the area that does not need to be etched.
3. Gas introduction: Introduce reactive gases (such as chlorine, fluorine, etc.) into the chamber to form an etching atmosphere.
4. Plasma generation: Use a high-frequency power supply to excite plasma in the induction coil to form a high-density plasma.
5. Etching process: Control the density, energy, gas flow and etching time of the plasma to etch the sample.
6. Mask removal: After etching, remove the protective mask to obtain the final pattern structure.
Application scenarios:
1. Semiconductor manufacturing: making fine patterns in high-density integrated circuits, microprocessors and memories.
2. Microelectromechanical systems (MEMS): processing micro sensors, actuators and microfluidic devices.
3. Optoelectronic devices: making optical components such as photodiodes, lasers, gratings, etc.
4. Display technology: used for patterning of TFT-LCD and OLED displays.
Advantages:
1. High anisotropic etching: with excellent directional control, high aspect ratio structures can be achieved.
2. High precision and high resolution: suitable for nano-scale processing, can achieve extremely high etching accuracy.
3. High-density plasma: high plasma density, fast etching rate, suitable for mass production.
4. Strong process controllability: by precisely controlling plasma parameters and gas flow, accurate control of the etching process can be achieved.
5. Good selectivity: can selectively etch different materials, reducing damage to masks and other materials.
Materials that can be etched:
Semiconductor materials: silicon (Si), gallium arsenide (GaAs), gallium nitride (GaN), etc.
Metals: aluminum (Al), copper (Cu), titanium (Ti), etc.
Insulating materials: silicon dioxide (SiO2), silicon nitride (Si3N4), aluminum oxide (Al2O3), etc.
Polymers: polyimide, polyparaxylene, etc.
Etching accuracy:
The accuracy of ICP etching mainly depends on the density of plasma, the resolution of the mask, and the control of etching time and process parameters. Usually, the accuracy can reach 10 nanometers or even higher, and the specific value depends on the actual process conditions and equipment performance.
OMeda (Shanghai Omedasemi Co.,Ltd) was founded in 2021 by 3 doctors with more than 10 years of experience in nanpfabrication. It currently has 15 employees and has rich experience in nanofabrication (coating, lithography, etching, two-photon printing, bonding) and other processes. We support nanofabrication of 4/6/8-inch wafers.
