Etch rates between 3 and 5 μm/min can be achieved and a large number of process parameters enables the variation of the etch profiles in a wide range.
The usage of pulsed ion beams from broad beam ion sources is proposed to control and improve the etch profiles, the defect density and the selectivity of reactive etch processes.
The second part will focus on adjustment of the etch profile to compensate for incoming non-uniformity.
The etch profile of the contact hole obtained in the C4F6/Ar/O2/CH2F2 plasma was shown to have 23% lower degree of bowing than that in the c-C4F8/Ar/O2/CH2F2 plasma.
The etch profile is very important in assessing the etch uniformity, sidewall smoothness, and etch depth.
The etch profile also infers the shape, the slope, and the etch depth of the micro-cavity, in which the micro-cantilevers are freestanding.
It is obvious, from the inspection of the etch profile of the trapezoidal micro-cavity, that the sidewalls of this anisotropically etched trapezoidal micro-cavity are smooth since the profile is not jagged.
The machine starts building the etch profile slowly as the coni-spherical stylus moves over the sample.
Inspection of the etch profile and scanning electron micrograph confirms that the sidewalls are smooth and there is some etch product reminiscent at the bottom of the trapezoidal micro-cavity.
The etched profile of <100> beam depends on the etching characteristics of different planes appearing at <100> mask edge.
