RIE / Reactive Ion Etching

Tool
Alcatel / Nextral NE330

Applications
Reactive Ion Etching (RIE) is one of the two major categories of the plasma etching process. In a typical RIE, plasma is initiated under low pressure by applying a RF voltage capacitively coupled to the substrate. The generated electric field is applied ata power of a few hundreds of Watt. An RIE system has a low ionization efficiency and generates a low density plasma. Both features result in low etching rates making RIEs a good choice for thin film applications. Highly controllable isotropic and anisotropic etch profiles can be produced by the NE330 tool depending on the treated material (Si, SiO2, Si3N4, polymers, etc.) and etching parameters (pressure, gas, power).

Technical Specifications
•RF Frequency / Power13.56MHz / 0 –500Watt
•Pressure 5 to 100mTorr
•Gases O2, N2, SF6, CHF3
•Sample dimensions From pieces of 1 x 1 cm2up to 5 wafers of 4 inch in diameter
•Operating environment Clean Room ISO-6 (Class 1000)