Plasma Therm APEC SLR ICP-RIE

The Plasma Therm APEC SLR is an advanced Inductively Coupled Plasma Reactive Ion Etching (ICP-RIE) system, renowned for its precise etching capabilities on a wide array of materials, including III-V and IV semiconductors, silicon (Si), silicon dioxide (SiO2), silicon nitride (Si3N4), tungsten (W), molybdenum (Mo), various metals (e.g., chromium), and polymers (resists). This system features two independent RF power supplies (ICP and Capacitively Coupled Plasma, CCP), which allow for the decoupling of plasma density control from ion energy. This unique design enables significantly higher etch rates without compromising selectivity. It supports both fluorine-based and chlorine-based chemistries, utilizing gases such as chlorine (Cl₂), boron trichloride (BCl₃), silicon tetrachloride (SiCl₄), methane (CH₄), hydrogen (H₂), argon (Ar), sulfur hexafluoride (SF₆), tetrafluoromethane (CF₄), oxygen (O₂), nitrogen (N2), trifluoromethane (CHF₃), and octafluorocyclobutane (C4F8). The APEC SLR can accommodate wafers up to 6 inches (150mm), with flexibility for 2, 4, and 8-inch wafers, and includes substrate temperature control and an optical emission spectroscopy (OES) system for accurate process endpoint detection.