plasma etching, a versatile tool

laser interferometer of the Plasmalab 100; Copyright: Gillian Kiliani

The Oxford Plasmalab 100 offers reactive ion etching of up to 8" wafers with an inductively coupled plasma (ICP) using

  • Cl2
  • SiCl4
  • H2
  • CH4
  • SF6
  • Ar
  • O2

as etch gases.

The system is equipped with an air lock and is mainly used for chlorine-based processes.The substrate temperature can be varied from −150 °C to +400 °C. Both a laser interferometer for determining the etching depth and an optical emission spectroscopy (OES) system for analyzing the etched material are available on the system for end point control.

The nano.lab is equipped with a second plasma etching system which is mainly used for fluorine-based etching processes. The Oxford PlasmaPro 80 offers reactive ion etching of up to 4” wafers with an inductively coupled plasma (ICP) and can handle

  • SF6
  • CF4
  • Ar
  • O2

as etch gases. A built-in laser interferometer can be used to control etch depths.

short comment on plasma etching (german)

Credit: This video was produced by the "Medienlabor AG Medienwissenschaft/camera and cut: Lukas Burg" in the course of a web documentary for the 50 year anniversary of the University of Konstanz.