Tool #429  Oxford PlasmaPro Inductively Coulpled Plasma / Reactive Ion Etcher (ICP/RIE)

The Oxford PlasmaPro 100 ICP/RIE is primarily intended for etching of III-V semiconductors and dielectrics and silicon.

The Oxford Plasmapro ICP/RIE is equipped with load-lock. The process chamber is equipped wtih Cl-based gases.

The plasma is generated near the bottom electrode and in the upper part of the chamber, independent of each other. The RF power applied to the bottom electrode is capacitive coupled, and offset by a self generated DC-bias. The RF power applied to a water-cooled antenna, winded around the ceramic part of the chamber, couples to the plasma inductively. The vertical electric field near the bottom electrode provides directionality for anisotropic etching. The ICP source can generate the high density of reactive ions needed for high etch rate.

The process chambers are equipped with a laser interferometer endpoint system.

Specifications:

Electrode RF power:
0-300 W

ICP RF power:
Ch1:0-2000 W

Base pressure:
~1x10^-6 Torr

Process pressure:
1-99 mTorr

Gases Chamber:
HBr, Cl2, SiCl4, BCl3, Ar, N2, O2 and SF6. Note that SF6 is present for chamber cleaning and selective etching of AlGaN only

Wafer size:
150mm, or pieces placed on a 150mm transfer wafer

Temperature range:

Chiller: 5-70deg C /// Heater: 70-400deg C

ALE option: The tool is equipped with fast switching valve and small forward power option, allowing for atomic layer etching (measured synergy above 90% on a-Si films).

Established processes:
- Si etching wih high selectivity on SiO2 (HBr)

- Al anisotropic etching

- GaAs anisotropic etching

- Al2O3 etching

- a-Si ALE etching