Etching

Which is a characteristic of inductively coupled plasma (ICP) etching equipment?

  1. AIt does not use plasma
  2. BIt generates high-density plasma with a coil, and plasma density and ion energy are easy to control separately
  3. CIt uses liquid chemicals
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Answer: B. It generates high-density plasma with a coil, and plasma density and ion energy are easy to control separately

In ICP, high-density plasma is generated by an induced electric field from RF current in a coil, while a separate RF supply biases the wafer. Plasma density and the energy of ions striking the wafer are easy to adjust independently, enabling fast, highly anisotropic etching at low pressure.

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More Etching questions

  1. Which metric indicates how small the variation in etch rate is across the wafer?
  2. After the etch endpoint is detected, what is it called to continue etching for a set time to ensure the film is removed across the whole wafer?
  3. What is a mask of nitride, carbon or similar material called, used when photoresist alone cannot survive as a mask, such as when etching deep holes?
  4. Which is a characteristic of downstream etching, which supplies only plasma-generated radicals to the wafer?
  5. Which are examples of profile defects seen in high-aspect-ratio etching?