80+ Reactive Ion Etcher (RIE)
This RIE is a capacitive parallel plate etcher suitable for up to 8 inch wafers. The etcher is intended for 1) plasma cleans and descums with oxygen 2) etching of materials with fluorocarbon chemistries (e.g. silicon based materials, tungsten, and more) 3) deposition of amorphous carbon. The tool does not have helium backside cooling. Long etches and higher power plasmas will cause an increase in the wafer temperature which can affect the fine detail of the etched feature size and shape.
Oxford PlasmaLab 150 Inductively Coupled Etcher Fluorine (ICP Fluorine)
ICP Fluorine is an inductively coupled etcher where the ion energy at the wafer can be controlled independently from the plasma density. This tool can etch at much lower pressures than the RIE and generally achieve higher etching rates. It is intended for etching materials with fluorine and/or oxygen based gas chemistry. Common applications are silicon etching with SF6/O2 at temperatures below -60C, and polymer etching at -100 C. The tool has a temperature range of -140C to 400C and helium backside cooling to assist with heat exchange between the wafer and chuck. In addition to the 13.56 MHz source on the bottom electrode, there is a low frequency source to assist with charge management at the etched surface. Wafer sizes accepted run from pieces to 8 inch wafers.
Oxford PlasmaLab 150 Inductively Coupled Etcher Toxic gas (ICP toxic gas)
ICP 1 is an inductively coupled etcher where the ion energy at the wafer can be controlled independent of the plasma density. This tool can etch at much lower pressures than the RIE (Oxford 80+) and generally achieve higher etching rates. It is intended for etching materials with non-fluorine based gas chemistry. Common applications are silicon etching with Cl2 or HBr and high selectivity to oxide or GaAs with BCl3 and nitrogen chemistry. The tool has a temperature range of -140C to 400C and helium backside cooling to assist with heat exchange between the wafer and chuck. Wafer sizes accepted run from pieces to 8 inch wafers.
Oxford Plasma lab 100 Viper (FY2013)
The Viper is a multiple frequency parallel plate etcher with 60 MHz on the top plate and 13.56 MHz on the bottom plate (low frequency source for charge management also available). Like the ICP, the ion energy at the wafer can be controlled independent of the plasma density. However, ion densities are lower than in an ICP. Etch rates can be slowed and selectivities increased for controlled nanoscale etching. This tool came on-line July 2013 and is the first of its kind delivered to the US. This tool is intended for nanoscale silicon oxide and silicon nitride etching and experimental nanoscale etching. The tool has a temperature range of -140C to 400C and helium backside cooling to assist with heat exchange between the wafer and chuck. Recipe development is in progress. Wafer sizes accepted run from pieces to 8 inch wafers.
