HF Vapor Etch

HF Vapor Etch File:VHF-uETCH.jpg Tool Type Dry Etch Location Bay 2 Supervisor Mike Silva Supervisor Phone (805) 893-3096 Supervisor E-Mail silva@ece.ucsb.edu Description Vapor HF Etcher Manufacturer SPTS Inc Dry Etch Recipes Sign up for this tool

About

The applications of this tool are mainly in MEMS-device fabrication areas (releasing a MEMS structure by etching a sacrificial SiO₂ layer below) with the use of Al₂O₃, Al or some other metal as an etch mask at 60^oC. The tool uses vapor HF (VHF), EtOH (Ethanol vapor is an Alcohol-based one, ionizing the HF and activating etching, influencing within wafer etch uniformity, and being most compatible with VHF)), and N₂ gases and can process small sample(s) (on a 8^" Si carrier wafer) up to an 8^" wafer. There are 5 standard etch recipes installed in the tool with the SiO2 etch rate from low to high. The SiO₂ under etch rate is from ~10nm/min to ~350nm/min.

Documentation

• System Manual
• Si Etching Profile & Results