ETCH/Plasma Etching | Deep Silicon Ion Etching (DSE™)

For a smoother surface, excellent selectivity and etch depths greater than 100 µm.

When a smooth surface, excellent selectivity and etch depths greater than 100 µm are your goal, than Plasma-Therm's ICP-configured Deep Silicon Etching (DSE) is your process of choice. Some customer processes, including those for MEMS and nanotechnology applications, require features with relatively high aspect ratios and anisotropic profiles created in silicon. You can accomplish this using ICP-configured Deep Silicon Etching (DSE). DSE is available on Plasma-Therm's VERSALINE® platform and Mask Etcher® platform. Likewise, their CORIAL platform uses a similar process known as Deep Reactive Ion Etching (ICP-DRIE). In short, Plasma-Therm's ICP-enabled process modules give you the widest process latitude, high mask selectivity, low SOI notching, and fast process switching. You also get high etch rate, superior profile control, a smoother surface, and excellent selectivity for etch depths greater than 100 µm.

Micro-Structures

DSE is routinely used for MEMS manufacturing to create deep micro-structures with high aspect ratios.

Etching Other Materials

Besides silicon, several hard-to-etch materials like glass, quartz, silicon carbide, and lithium tantalate, appeal to designers in the MEMS and packaging industries.

Control

DSE/DRIE is possible through equipment that can achieve high density of reactive species and independent control of ion current and ion energy.

Faster and Deeper

The key differentiation between DSE/DRIE and conventional ICP-RIE, is that DSE/DRIE enables faster etch rates and the formation of deep etch structures.