A parameter study was conducted with the STS. This is intended to help users tune there recipes based on the desired profile of the etch. Click on each parameter to view photos. A detailed spreadsheet with measurement will be published here soon.

Table 1: Parameters measured. Standard DRIE Parameters

Etch Power (W)	2500, 2650, 2800, 3150, 3500
Deposition Power (W)	1500, 1625, 1875, 2000, 2200
Etch Time (sec)	5, 6, 7, 8, 9
Deposition Time (sec)	2, 3, 4, 5, 6
Etch Flow (SF₆, sccm)	350, 400, 450, 500, 550
Dep Flow (C₄F₈, sccm)	100, 150, 200, 250, 300

Etch Power (W)

As the Etching power is increased, the etch rate increases and levels out. The 20 $LaTeX: \mu$ m and 10 $LaTeX: \mu$ m dip out the trend at the standard parameter, which is probably because the standard sample was done at a separate time.

The initial increase in etch depth/rate is due to the higher energy of the reactive ions, which leads for more efficient material removal. The level etch performance at higher power can be explain by several different phenomenon include; Ion deflection and scattering, aspect ratio-dependent etching, and charge buildup and deflections.

Except for the discrepancies found with the 20 $LaTeX: \mu$ m and 10 $LaTeX: \mu$ m lines, the 2800W setting seems to be the optimum and fastest parameter. If a slower etch rate is desired, then a lower etch power may be used.

20 $LaTeX: \mu$ m (2000 Magnification)

*Add comments

2500 W

20um 2kx-1.jpg

2650 W

20um 2kx-2.jpg

2800 W

3150 W

20um 2kx-3.jpg

3500 W

10 $LaTeX: \mu$ m (3000 Magnification)

*Add comments

2500 W

2650 W (2000)

2800 W

3150 W (2000)

10um 2kx-1.jpg

3500 W (2000)

8 $LaTeX: \mu$ m (3000 Magnification)

*Add comments

2500 W

2650 W (2000)

2800 W

8um 3kx-e59df3c7-75ce-43ab-89bc-c3750f13429f.jpg

3150 W (2000)

3500 W (2000)

7 $LaTeX: \mu$ m (3000 Magnification)

*Add comments

2500 W (4000)

2650 W

2800 W

7um 3kx-148faa22-1776-4995-ad1f-f338bbd5cc63.jpg

3150 W

3500 W

5 $LaTeX: \mu$ m (3000 Magnification)

*Add comments

2650 W

Deposition Power (W)

As the Deposition Power is increased, the etch depth/rate starts decreasing, most reaching a minimum at 1875W, then increasing slightly.

As the deposition power increases, the passivation layer thickens which can attenuate the energy of the incoming ions, thus reducing the etch rates. The slight increase in the etch rate at the end may be due to increasing ion bombardment that can lead to sputter of the passivation layer. This will thin the later and slightly improving the etch rate.

While the standard parameter of 2000W provides a local maximum, the 1500W would provide a better basis for the standard process. It provides the maximum etch rate without compromising the surface finish, and if a lower rate is needed then the power can just be increased.

20 $LaTeX: \mu$ m (2000 Magnification)

*Add comments

1500 W

1625 W

1875 W

2000 W

20um 2kx-9c7a2c7b-e3c5-4b7a-b75a-cae3d1fe4680.jpg

2200 W

20um 2kx-55337eb2-c800-4650-b7bb-0c33d7ac5e4b.jpg

10 $LaTeX: \mu$ m (3000 Magnification)

*Add comments

1500 W (2000)

10um 2kx-3.jpg

1625 W

10um 3kx-2a653e3f-73d8-402e-b693-878f155d1772.jpg

1875 W

10um 3kx-0656b0ae-3388-4344-85ba-c58cdcfbbb0d.jpg

2000 W

10um 3kx-bd37dc90-9062-4232-97a6-9cf3fdb9eb2f.jpg

2200 W

10um 3kx-6461cb17-1a2f-475c-b5ec-39bc8e04477b.jpg

8 $LaTeX: \mu$ m (3000 Magnification)

*Add comments

1500 W (2000)

8um 2kx-3.jpg

1625 W

8um 3kx-2.jpg

1875 W

8um 3kx-3.jpg

2000 W

8um 3kx-3506b272-e0bd-4ba6-a1f5-1c87d101a845.jpg

2200 W

7 $LaTeX: \mu$ m (3000 Magnification)

*Add comments

1500 W (2000)

1625 W

1875 W

2000 W

7um 3kx-1f26cd92-e9ae-456f-9ad0-003fec2d4544.jpg

2200 W

7um 3kx-6.jpg

Etch Time (sec)

*Add comments

20 $LaTeX: \mu$ m (2000 Magnification)

*Add comments

5 sec

6 sec

7 sec

20um 2kx-3739f168-c2d9-4bfe-b719-8cac9de174a9.jpg

8 sec

9 sec

10 $LaTeX: \mu$ m (3000 Magnification)

*Add comments

5 sec

10um 3kx-d42a2b94-8983-4dc2-88b1-84b45c07ec3c.jpg

6 sec

10um 3kx-8f3ba0f2-4f13-437c-bb21-bf20deea9f85.jpg

7 sec

10um 3kx-0e376c6c-d6ab-44aa-b7d8-59f1b393ca4a.jpg

8 sec

10um 3kx-8be395f1-bdf3-493c-abf1-9ee3c40db32b.jpg

9 sec

10um 3kx-6aac14b1-eb81-4add-8fa4-f5fd711665d4.jpg

8 $LaTeX: \mu$ m (3000 Magnification)

*Add comments

5 sec

8um 3kx-5.jpg

6 sec

8um 3kx-6.jpg

7 sec

8um 3kx-797277e5-62cb-456a-ae1f-cc796785a4fa.jpg

8 sec

8um 3kx-7.jpg

9 sec

8um 3kx-4bc223e0-3c0f-42c5-909a-7869f823f819.jpg

7 $LaTeX: \mu$ m (3000 Magnification)

*Add comments

5 sec

7um 3kx-7.jpg

6 sec

5um 3kx-1.jpg

7 sec

7um 3kx-c11f0807-0b59-4ed7-882c-1274dbcff58c.jpg

8 sec

7um 3kx-2f7b1ed4-7b0f-42e5-810d-6445e57b28e8.jpg

9 sec

7um 3kx-d96cc1c1-d712-45ff-b1e8-421381ce07ea.jpg

5 $LaTeX: \mu$ m (3000 Magnification)

*Add comments

5 sec

5um 3kx-2.jpg

6 sec

5um 3kx-3.jpg

7 sec

5um 3kx-7.jpg

Deposition Time (sec)

*Add comments

20 $LaTeX: \mu$ m (2000 Magnification)

*Add comments

2 sec

3 sec

4 sec

5 sec

6 sec

10 $LaTeX: \mu$ m (3000 Magnification)

*Add comments

2 sec

10um 3kx-7aedef63-72a1-4e25-b5cb-25f13b03b200.jpg

3 sec

10um 3kx-071526be-3d54-418b-b168-225099a212a3.jpg

4 sec

5 sec (2000)

6 sec

8 $LaTeX: \mu$ m (3000 Magnification)

*Add comments

2 sec

8um 3kx-1007a592-318c-4e56-bfd8-2dd21fdffcb1.jpg

3 sec

8um 3kx-6e567e13-720b-4845-9803-e72fc1dc2c6d.jpg

4 sec

8um 3kx-e59df3c7-75ce-43ab-89bc-c3750f13429f.jpg

5 sec (2000)

8um 2kx-4.jpg

6 sec

8um 3kx-bc0f2811-2f72-4e45-ad52-da4bcd5ff427.jpg

7 $LaTeX: \mu$ m (3000 Magnification)

*Add comments

3 sec

7um 3kx-bf835fb7-7b74-431b-8024-787e6e033353.jpg

4 sec

7um 3kx-148faa22-1776-4995-ad1f-f338bbd5cc63.jpg

5 sec (2000)

7um 2kx-1.jpg

6 sec

7um 3kx-a0323885-f4b6-4627-bca8-69625770e0c2.jpg

5 $LaTeX: \mu$ m (3000 Magnification)

*Add comments

4 sec

5um 3kx-6.jpg

5 sec (2000)

5um 2kx.jpg

6 sec

5um 3kx-4.jpg

Etch Flow (SF₆_, sccm)

*Add comments

20 $LaTeX: \mu$ m (2000 Magnification)

*Add comments

350 sccm

400 sccm

450 sccm

20um 2kx-98c23fe6-424d-4f78-b271-b0b8c1105e2e.jpg

500 sccm

550 sccm

10 $LaTeX: \mu$ m (3000 Magnification)

*Add comments

350 sccm

10um 3kx-79a8bb97-1318-4cb3-b05d-1a542395546f.jpg

400 sccm

10um 3kx-6f1708c6-e3ec-4648-b9d5-e6499ed96dcc.jpg

450 sccm

10um 3kx-12a08a9a-acdc-4480-b018-b616eab4548b.jpg

500 sccm

10um 3kx-7de9b4dd-92a4-45ff-b80a-448934d69bfe.jpg

550 sccm

10um 3kx-f5e18a88-1e7c-4aad-af65-5f6d10f8a8ca.jpg

8 $LaTeX: \mu$ m (3000 Magnification)

*Add comments

350 sccm

8um 3kx-3c361049-5d3b-48d7-9b25-e75f85b9ded3.jpg

400 sccm

8um 3kx-88c6a99f-35ba-4076-ba8f-a070dee69d69.jpg

450 sccm

8um 3kx-ca4f9c11-54a6-4c50-a672-4b52118cc3b5.jpg

500 sccm

8um 3kx-121336cb-a1d9-4459-a56f-3dcf2f7c80e5.jpg

550 sccm

8um 3kx-6060adfa-9318-4966-97a9-833f29493b80.jpg

7 $LaTeX: \mu$ m (3000 Magnification)

*Add comments

350 sccm

7um 3kx-6283b8b1-1c87-46af-be1e-b9eaebc488e3.jpg

400 sccm

7um 3kx-8a769e5f-5b61-428d-bba4-ed76089b40db.jpg

450 sccm

7um 3kx-1700d715-e115-4aa6-ac32-dfffe191ea8f.jpg

500 sccm

7um 3kx-6a1e009e-d95a-4b53-9dc4-e45933e88992.jpg

550 sccm

7um 3kx-0240c381-5126-4ce6-80d2-3c1414edc5d7.jpg

Deposition Flow (C₄F₈, sccm)

*Add comments

20 $LaTeX: \mu$ m (2000 Magnification)

*Add comments

100 sccm

20um 2kx-2a23e27e-5c72-4f76-9a91-771cb261b0cc.jpg

150 sccm

20um 2kx-adba2eb3-0423-471e-8a48-a16894521a52.jpg

200 sccm

20um 2kx-39fa2c66-5e97-4bd2-8078-f4f55c260a2e.jpg

250 sccm

20um 2kx-9a40ae00-d2fe-48f7-ae84-0456fe9e52d2.jpg

300 sccm

20um 2kx-058b0885-ccaf-4135-8205-af3cf58b5d6c.jpg

10 $LaTeX: \mu$ m (3000 Magnification)

*Add comments

100 sccm

10um 3kx-d8132d19-28e7-4aec-8283-7af48d974569.jpg

150 sccm

10um 3kx-39ebdf3f-4942-4f1e-b411-21fe3c41bb2c.jpg

200 sccm

10um 3kx-d6293b90-458a-4e2e-b9d1-d54aae51aa2e.jpg

250 sccm

10um 3kx-37c88f98-54bd-4c5c-ba55-ec0425931818.jpg

300 sccm

10um 3kx-b4a7b299-87e0-4e4d-8a52-c064d9af529e.jpg

8 $LaTeX: \mu$ m (3000 Magnification)

*Add comments

100 sccm

8um 3kx-25ef8229-1e84-4880-8f54-7b8b8625ac1a.jpg

150 sccm

8um 3kx-41545413-893b-4fc9-9ed3-a116678d7f09.jpg

200 sccm

8um 3kx-39742b05-b173-4f66-83e4-1366d8cd2a43.jpg

250 sccm

8um 3kx-be19ccda-f292-4fa0-b167-8f224d4df4b2.jpg

300 sccm

8um 3kx-5b22b0aa-fddc-49e6-90ed-889fc3183f1e.jpg

7 $LaTeX: \mu$ m (3000 Magnification)

*Add comments

100 sccm

7um 3kx-b049abdc-0199-4232-844e-8f427bf4af84.jpg

150 sccm

7um 3kx-7f14d322-c64e-4214-ad2f-fa6212ee9e3a.jpg

200 sccm

7um 3kx-fe9594cd-4006-4c20-9b9b-a3d90cab4712.jpg

250 sccm

7um 3kx-37ed66cd-3eb1-43e9-bf30-6041acb569fa.jpg

300 sccm

7um 3kx-21940a00-22d2-46a2-a0b3-25bb6ff9aacf.jpg

5 $LaTeX: \mu$ m (3000 Magnification)

*Add comments

200 sccm

5um 3kx-5.jpg