ICP-RIE
Etching Services
Inductively coupled plasma reactive ion etching where the profile, selectivity and surface matter: waveguides and gratings, mesas and trenches in III-V and GaN, oxide and nitride hard masks and windows, SiC and quartz structures. Chemistry and bias are set for your material and mask, from a few pieces to 200 mm wafers.
diameters
e-beam masks
typical, material dependent
minimum order
ICP-RIE, and why it differs from RIE and wet etching
ICP-RIE controls plasma density and ion energy separately, so a high etch rate can be combined with low damage and a chosen profile. Wet etching is isotropic or crystal-plane bound; parallel-plate RIE couples rate to ion energy. ICP-RIE is the tool for vertical sidewalls, smooth surfaces and selectivity in materials that resist wet chemistry.
Schematic, not to scale: an ICP-RIE trench with near-vertical sidewalls under a hard mask, beside an isotropic profile for comparison. Sidewall angle and roughness are measured on a cross section per program.
Silicon and SOI
Fluorine-based ICP-RIE for waveguides, gratings, shallow trenches and mesas in silicon and SOI; Bosch DRIE for deep structures is on its own page.
Oxide and nitride
Fluorocarbon chemistries for SiO₂, SiN and SiON windows, hard masks, spacers and cladding etch-back with controlled selectivity to silicon and resist.
GaN, AlGaN, GaAs, InP
Chlorine and methane-hydrogen chemistries for mesa isolation, via and recess etching with low damage to the active layers.
SiC
Fluorine ICP-RIE for trenches, mesas and vias in 4H-SiC with metal or oxide hard masks; rates and selectivity per depth.
Quartz, fused silica and glass
Fluorine chemistries for optical and MEMS structures in quartz and fused silica; profile and roughness reviewed against the optical requirement.
Metals and hard masks
Cr, Ni, Al and Ti masks and their removal; mask choice reviewed with the etch depth and selectivity.
ICP-RIE Etching Services
Scope and specification options. Every figure is confirmed for your program in the quotation.
Typical ranges
Etch results depend on material, mask, pattern density and depth; the quotation states what is measured and how.
| Parameter | Typical | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Materials | Si, SOI, poly-Si, SiO₂, SiN, SiON, GaN, AlGaN, GaAs, AlGaAs, InP, SiC, quartz, fused silica, glass | Others reviewed |
| Chemistries | SF₆, C₄F₈, CHF₃, CF₄, Cl₂, BCl₃, CH₄/H₂, O₂, Ar | Selected per material and mask |
| Depth | Tens of nm to tens of µm; deep silicon by Bosch DRIE | Rate and uniformity per recipe |
| Profile | Near-vertical to controlled taper; sidewall angle measured | Notching and trenching reviewed |
| Feature size | Sub-100 nm with e-beam lithography; contact and stepper for larger features | Mask on our 150 mm template or yours |
| Selectivity | Above 10:1 to typical hard masks, material dependent | Stated per program |
| Formats | Pieces, 2 to 8 inch wafers | Larger by inquiry |
From pattern to measured profile
- 01DefineMaterial, film stack, depth, CD, profile, mask type, downstream steps.
- 02RecipeChemistry, pressure, ICP and bias power chosen; coupon run for new combinations.
- 03EtchLithography and mask, ICP-RIE, mask strip and clean.
- 04MeasureProfilometry, cross-section SEM, CD and roughness as agreed.
- 05DeliverWafers or pieces with the measurement data.
Questions engineers ask before ordering
ICP-RIE or DRIE?
ICP-RIE for features up to tens of micrometers where profile, smoothness and selectivity matter; Bosch DRIE for deep silicon at high aspect ratio. Both are quoted together when a device needs both.
Can you etch III-V wafers without damaging the active layers?
Low-bias chlorine or methane-hydrogen recipes are used for GaN and InP mesas and recesses; damage-sensitive steps are reviewed with the epi structure.
What do you need to quote?
Material and film stack, etch depth and critical dimension, profile requirement, mask preference or whether we should pattern, quantity and date.
Processes usually combined with this work
Start your project.
Initial response within one business day.
Share your process requirements, substrate, and production volume. A Nanosystems JP Inc. engineer gives an initial response, typically within one business day. A written quotation typically follows within 7-10 business days after we receive the required information and complete any prerequisite NDA.