Dry etching techniques (RIE, ion beam and plasma etching) are extensively used at microfab for patterning of dielectrics, polysilicon and metal layers. Further important applications are the photoresist stripping and the anisotropic deep silicon trench etching (Deep Reactive Ion Etching – DRIE).
Dry etching
Standard RIE Processes
There are several standard processes available:
- RIE/ICP deep silicon trench etching (ASE process, up to 675 µm, aspect ratio 40:1)
- anisotropic RIE of dielectric layers (SiO2, Si3N4, Si:ON)
- anisotropic RIE of poly silicon
- isotropic RIE of poly silicon
- anisotropic RIE of bulk mono silicon
- isotropic RIE of WTi10 metal layers
- isotropic strip of photoresist (up to 100 µm)