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Lecture 10 - Dry Etching PDF

This document discusses different dry etching techniques used in microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) fabrication. It describes vapor phase etching as a non-plasma process using etchants like xenon difluoride or vapor HF. Ion milling uses physical bombardment alone while reactive ion etching (RIE) generates plasma radicals to etch in an anisotropic manner, such as using CF4 or SF6 for silicon. Deep RIE (DRIE) further improves anisotropy using cryogenic cooling and alternating etch/passivation cycles like the Bosch process to achieve high aspect ratios over 500 micrometers depth.

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Siddhant Modi
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156 views

Lecture 10 - Dry Etching PDF

This document discusses different dry etching techniques used in microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) fabrication. It describes vapor phase etching as a non-plasma process using etchants like xenon difluoride or vapor HF. Ion milling uses physical bombardment alone while reactive ion etching (RIE) generates plasma radicals to etch in an anisotropic manner, such as using CF4 or SF6 for silicon. Deep RIE (DRIE) further improves anisotropy using cryogenic cooling and alternating etch/passivation cycles like the Bosch process to achieve high aspect ratios over 500 micrometers depth.

Uploaded by

Siddhant Modi
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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MSE 311: Introduction to MEMS

Lecture 10:
Dry etching

Instructor: Amin Rasouli


School of Mechatronic Systems Engineering
Simon Fraser University

Dry etching
Vapour phase: The etch proceeds without external energy
Examples: Vapour HF, Xenon difluoride.
Notes: Isotropic; Often used for releasing structures.

Ion milling: the material removal is purely due to physical bombardment of


the substrate.
Notes: Little selectivity, Can etch through the substrate, Low throughput

Reactive Ion Etching (RIE): Radicals are generated in a plasma and used to
bombard the surface.
Examples: CF4 and SF6 plasmas for silicon etching.

Deep Reactive Ion Etching (DRIE): Radicals are generated in a plasma and
used to bombard a cryogenically cooled surface.
Generally used for silicon only.

MSE 311/711: Introduction to MEMS

Vapour phase etching


Non-plasma, isotropic dry etching
process
Silicon etchant: Gaseous xenon
difluoride (XeF2)

XeF2 is sublimated from its solid form in a


chamber (1-3 Torr);
Typical Si etch rates: 1-3m/min;

SiO2 etchant: Vapour HF

The substrate is placed above an HF bath


and heated slightly (10-15C)

Carnegie Mellon University

Process Characteristics:
Relatively rough etching surfaces;
Often good selectivity towards target
material;
CMOS compatible.
A comparison between wet HF etching and vapor HF
etching for sacrificial oxide removal, by A. Witvrouwa et al
MSE 311/711: Introduction to MEMS

Reactive Ion Etching (RIE)

This is a compromise between vapour phase etching and ion milling:

Etchant molecules are ionised and accelerated toward the substrate to


add anisotropy.

Plasma etching of Silicon with CF4

Step 1: Non-dissociative adsorption:


CF3 (gas) + Si CF3 (ads.) + Si
Step 2: Dissociative adsorption:
CF3 (ads.) + Si C (ads.) + 3F (ads.) + Si
Step 3: Formation of product molecule:
4F (ads.) + Si SiF4 (ads.)
Step 4: Desorption of product molecule:
SiF4 (ads.) SiF4 (gas)
Step 5: Residue removal:
C(ads.) + 4F (ads.) CF4 (gas)

To increase the etch rate and maintain the directionality of the etch, a
magnetic field may be employed through inductive coupling (ICP).
Number of radicals can increase from 0.55.01010cm3 to 51011cm3.

RIE provides almost vertical sidewalls for depths of 25m.

MSE 311/711: Introduction to MEMS

Deep Reactive Ion Etching (DRIE)


In cryogenic DRIE, the wafer is placed on a cryogenically cooled chuck
(<100C). The cold environment reduces the isotropic etching due to
chemical reactions but the etch due to ion bombardment proceeds while the
sidewalls of the etched profiles are protected.
Note: Smooth sidewalls

The Bosch process alternates etch and


deposition cycles
SF6/Ar plasma to etch silicon (almost
isotropic);
C4F8 (or similar) plasma to passivate sidewalls
with Teflon-like polymer.
Typical etch rates are on the order of 0.5
5m/min.
Typical masks: Photoresist and SiO2.
Note: Scallop-like features on the sidewalls.

Passivation

MSE 311/711: Introduction to MEMS

Etching

DRIE characteristics
Anisotropy independent of silicon crystal direction.
High-aspect ratio structures with straight sidewalls and
aspect ratio up to 30:1 are feasible.
Disadvantages: high system cost ($500k-$700k, research
grade), single wafer process, no ECE or p++ etch stop.
Typical performance data:

Silicon etch rate: 1-10 m/min


Aspect ratio: 20:1 to 50:1
Maximum etch depth: >500m
Selectivity to photoresist: 50-100:1
Selectivity to oxide: 120-200:1

MSE 311/711: Introduction to MEMS

Common etchants

MSE 311/711: Introduction to MEMS

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