The PlasmaPro 80 ICP RIE from Oxford Instruments is a compact, small-footprint system that has been developed to provide adaptable ICP etch solutions with comfortable open loading. It is easy to site and user-friendly without compromising on process quality.
The open load design enables fast wafer loading and unloading and is also considered ideal for research, prototyping and low-volume production. It enables high-performance processes using optimized electrode cooling and excellent substrate temperature control.
Highlights
- Open load design enables quick wafer loading and unloading
- Outstanding etch control and rate determination
- Low cost of ownership
- Wafer temperature uniformity seems to be excellent
- Up to 200 mm wafers
- Constructed to Semi S2/S8 standards
Applications
- Silicon Bosch and cryo-etch processes
- III-V etch processes
- Hard mask deposition and etch could be performed for high-brightness LED production
- Failure analysis dry etch de-processing ranging from packaged chip and die etch through to full 200 mm wafer etch
- SiO2 and quartz etch

Top dielectric layer removed, exposing four metal layers. Image Credit: Oxford Instruments Plasma Technology

Top dielectric layer removed, exposing four metal layers. Image Credit: Oxford Instruments Plasma Technology

Low damage FA etching in the ICP65. Image Credit: Oxford Instruments Plasma Technology
Features
- Small footprint — Easy to site
- Optimized electrode cooling — Substrate temperature control
- Addition of < 500-millisecond data logging — Traceability and history of chamber and process conditions
- High-conductance radial (axially symmetric) pumping configuration — Guaranteed enhanced process uniformity and rates
- Clear ease of access to key components — Enhanced serviceability and maintenance
- Close-coupled turbo pump — High pumping speed and outstanding base pressure
- Laser end-point detection using interferometry — Evaluate etch depth in transparent materials on reflective surfaces (for instance, oxides on Si) or reflectometry for non-transparent materials (like metals) to determine layer boundaries
- X20 control system — Increases data retrieval and delivers quicker, more repeatable matching
- Fault and tool diagnostics via front-end software — Quick fault diagnosis
- Optical emission spectrometry (OES) for large sample or batch process end-pointing — Identifying changes in etch by-products or depletion of reactive gas species, and for chamber clean end-pointing