Plasmalab®System100 - Plasma Etch & Deposition Tool 

A flexible and powerful solution for plasma etching and deposition processes. The load-locked wafer entry allows fast wafer exchange, the widest range of process gases and an extended process temperature range.

Allowing maximum process flexibility for compound semiconductor, optoelectronics, photonics, MEMS and microfluidics applications, the PlasmalabSystem100 can have many configurations as detailed below.

 Key features

• 8" wafer handling, also allowing small batch (6 x 2") pre- and pilot production capability
• Options of single wafer/batch or cassette loading via the load-locked wafer entry. The PlasmalabSystem100 can be integrated into a cluster system with central robotic wafer handler and full cassette-to-cassette wafer handling for production processes.Substrate temperature control is provided by a range of electrodes, with a temperature range of -150 °C to +700 °C
• Endpoint detection by laser interferometry and/or optical emission spectroscopy can be fitted to the PlasmalabSystem100 to enhance etch control
• Options of a 6- or 12-line gas pod provides flexibility in processes and process gases, and may be remotely sited in the service area, away from the main process tool 

Processes  

Some examples of processes available using PlasmalabSystem100 plasma etch & deposition tool:

• Cryo Si etch, Bosch deep Si etch and SOI processes for MEMS, microfluidics and photonics
• III-V etch processes for laser facets, via holes, photonic crystals and many other applications in a wide range of materials (InP, InSb, InGaAsP, GaAs, AlGaAs, GaN, AlGaN, etc.)
• Pre-production and R&D process for GaN, AlGaN, etc. etching for HB LEDs and other power devices
• High quality and high rate SiO2 deposition for photonics applications
• Metal (Nb, W) etch

RIE - Reactive Ion Etch

Key features

• Gas injected into process chamber via “showerhead” gas inlet in the top electrode

• Negative self-bias forms on lower electrode

• Single RF plasma source determines both ion density and energy

• Substrate is usually placed on a quartz or graphite “coverplate” to avoid sputtering/re-deposition of

  electrode material

• 5-500 mTorr operating pressure

RIE benefits

• Economical solution for general plasma etching

• Simple operation

• Multiple choices of etch processes:

  - Chemical etch – isotropic, fast rate

  - Ion induced etch – anisotropic, medium rate

  - Physical etch – anisotropic, slow rate

• Wide applications in semiconductor de-processing and failure analysis

• Wide range of materials can be etched, including:

  - Dielectric materials (SiO2, SiNx, etc.)

  - Silicon-based materials (Si, a-Si, poly-Si)

  - III-V materials (GaAs, InP, GaN, etc.)

  - Sputtered metals (Au, Pt, Ti, Ta, W, etc.)

  - Diamond-like carbon (DLC)

RIE-PE - Reactive Ion Etch - Plasma Etch

Typical applications

• Isotropic PE fotoimide etching

• Anisotropic RIE polyimide etching

• Isotropic PE SiN removal

• Anisotropic SiO2 RIE etching

Benefits

• Substrate electrode cooled

• Top or bottom electrode RF driven (13.56 MHz)

• Automatic switching

• Shower head gas inlet (in the top electrode)

• Parameter: gas flows, pressure, RF power