RIE / Reactive Ion Etching
Reactive Ion Etching (RIE) is one of the two major categories of the plasma etching process. In a typical RIE, plasma is initiated under low pressure by applying a Radio Frequency (RF) voltage capacitively coupled to the substrate. Typical value for the RF frequency of the voltage is 13.56MHz. The generated electric field is applied at a power of a few hundreds of Watt. An RIE system has a low ionization efficiency and generates a low density plasma. Both features result in low etching rates making RIEs a good choice for thin film applications. In contrast to the typical isotropic etch profiles resulting from wet chemical etch processing, highly controllable isotropic and anisotropic etch profiles can be produced by RIE depending on the treated material and etching parameters (pressure, gas, power).
Innovation-el offers access to two RIE tools for dry etching at the micro/nanoscale of a wide range of materials (Si & III-V semiconductors, dielectrics, metals, polymers, etc.).


RIE Alcatel / Nextral NE330
Dry etching of Si, GaAs, SiO2, Si3N4 and organic materials. Surface modification.
13.56MHz
0 – 500Watt
5 to 100mTorr
O2, N2, SF6, CHF3
From pieces of 1 x 1 cm2 up to 5 wafers of 4 inch in diameter
Dr. Vassilis Vamvakas, v.vamvakas@inn.demokritos.gr
RIE Vacutec 1500
Dry etching of GaAs, AlGaAs, AlAs, InGaAs, GaN, AlGaN, InGaN, InN, AlN and relevant heterostructures, Si, SiO2, Si3N4, Photoresists and Polymers, BCB and Polyimides
13.56MHz
0 – 300Watt
10 to 500mTorr
O2, N2, Ar, SF6, CF4, BCl3, Cl2, H2
From pieces of ~ 1 x 1 cm2 up to 5 wafers of 4 inch in diameter
Mr. Antonios Stavrinidis, astav@physics.uoc.gr