In descumming, a very small layer of the photoresist is removed in a very uniform way in order to prepare the exposed substrate surface for the subsequent step of galvanization or a lift-off process. In both cases, a clearly defined resist profile and a substrate surface with no organic impurities is required so that the subsequent metallization results in good adhesion and has the desired profiles.
Smaller substrates can be processed well and cost-effectively in a batch process, e.g. when manufacturing optoelectronic components or SAW filters. To this end, in line with the substrate size and the requirements of the components, we can structure the process chamber and the loading options and develop special processes with multiple steps using special gases.
In the manufacture of three-dimensional structures, sacrificial layers are used, acting as a supporting structure during creation of the elements. Once the three-dimensional structures are complete, these layers are removed so that the structures can fulfill their mechanical function as inertial mass, a sensor or a drive.
When these sacrificial layers are removed, use is made of the outstanding groove-penetration properties of the microwave plasma that enable the radicals from the plasma to go through very small openings. In combination with the direct microwave excitation in the process chamber, PVA TePla AG’s plasma systems are ideal for removing organic sacrificial layers that are only accessible through very small openings. Furthermore, our processes are highly suited to removing SU-8 as a sacrificial layer.
The etching process for deep trenches in monocrystalline silicon consists of multiple repetition of etching and depositing steps in line with the Bosch process. The side wall of the already etched trench is passivated with a polymer here in order to protect it from the further etching in the subsequent step. Once the preferred etching depth has been reached, this side-wall polymer must be removed before the next process steps. This can be done by means of a relatively simple plasma process in which the radicals penetrate deep into the etched trenches and break down the polymer layer into volatile components.
One key criterion for this process is the wafer temperature: the higher the temperature, the better the polymer removal. If the process chamber is structured appropriately, this process can be performed in a batch as well as in a single-wafer reactor.
The Bosch process was developed by Robert Bosch GmbH and is protected by various patents.
The surface of an object can assume various energy states. One way of describing them relates to how resistant they are to water. Highly resistant surfaces are called hydrophobic. This state can be determined by a simple test in which a small drop of liquid is applied to the surface. The extent to which the drop spreads or forms a sphere is observed here. The related measurement is known as the contact angle. In the case of hydrophobic surfaces, this angle is very large, and wet etching proceeds very uniformly.
The surface energy can be transferred from the hydrophobic to the hydrophilic state in a very simple activation process. A short process with oxygen, possibly mixed with argon, changes the surface to a very low contact angle, with the result that a subsequent wet-chemical process takes place much more quickly and uniformly than without this pretreatment.
Another application of plasma processes is conversion with various contact angles of different surfaces of the same substrate. This is used, for example, as pretreatment of glasses for OLED flat screens that are manufactured with the inkjet method.
Edge isolation is an important step in the manufacture of solar cells. Here, the doping on the edges is removed, as this layer acts as a short for the P-N junction. For this process step, we have devised a special plasma-etching process in the cell stack that works with a process mixture of a gas containing fluorine, and with an oxidant.
The cell stack is only exposed to the etching process at the edges; the adjacent cells protect the surfaces. Rotation of the cell stack during the process ensures uniformity of the process. The throughput for this process is around 800 cells per hour.
The cell stack is held together in a cell clamp, which is available as an optional extra. With the loading aid, it is very easy to load a stack into the cell clamp or remove it. The cell clamp and loading aid are designed for cells of 4″, 5″ or 6″ and for different stack heights.
The process requires a relatively high proportion of gas containing fluorine in combination with an oxidant in order to attain the desired removal rate.