Deep reactive ion etching technique involving use of 3D self-heated cathode

摘要

In this study, a thermally assisted reactive-ion etching (TRIE) technique using a 3D self-heated stage as the etching stage in a conventional reactive-ion etcher was developed and applied to a large size wafer. The 3D stage was designed based on simulation results and its heating characteristics on application of RF power were evaluated. Results indicated that the temperature of the etching stage increased rapidly to 350 °C, but maintained a distribution of ≤ 4 °C. Its application to various minor metals (Ti, Ti 6Al-4V, Ta, Nb, and Mo) was investigated. The resultant etch rates substantially increased with the use of the 3D self-heated cathode in a conventional reactive-ion etcher.