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Plasma etching and rapid thermal processing
Vacutec have for 15 years combined its sales/service of vacuum products, with manufacturing and international sales of advanced systems for RIE (Reactive ion Etch), RE (Planar Etch), Triode Etching, PECVD (Plasma Enhanced Deposition), MRTP(Microwave Rapid Processing) and MRTCVD (Microwave Rapid Thermal Chemical Vapour Deposition).
Vacutec has gained wide international acceptance and credibility for its high quality systems and highly reproducible process results,
Vacutec Systems
The systems are available in single or dual chamber configurations. Dual chamber systems generally reduce overall cost by sharing the controller, gas cabinet, vacuum pumps, power supplies, matching units etc.
Microwave Rapid Thermal Processing (MRTP)
The Microwave Rapid Thermal Processing (MRTP) systems offers a unique combination of RTA and low   pressure CVD Chemical Vapour Deposition process capability up to 11500C. The small volume of the single wafer chamber minimises residence time of reaction products and allows for fast changes of process environment. These features and ability to change process temperature almost instantaneously, opens the possibility for sequential  processing.
Reactive Ion Etching (RIE)
The Reactive Ion Etching (RIE) systems are successfully used for anisotropic or isotropic etching of sub micron geometries in silicon, dielectrics, metal or 111-V materials.

The RIE series offers a dual layer gas shower head in the chamber top and axial exhaust pumping. The reactor is designed as an asymmetrical reactor chamber with no counter symmetrical electrode giving precision anisotropic etching and a truly reactive ion instrument. The chamber walls and chamber top form the ground plane, while the substrate holder is the powered electrode.

Exact process parameters are maintained and monitors via computer controlling plasma density, DC potentials, substrate temperature, process gas flow and reactor process pressure.

The substrate temperature is water cooled and can be temperature controlled between -10 to 100'C using an optional heat exchanger. The RF is directly coupled to the lower substrate electrode.
Plasma Enhanced (PECVD)
The Plasma Enhanced (PECVD) systems produces dielectric films with atomic uniformity and repeatability over large substrate areas. With temperature range for up to 400,C PECVD plasma enhanced deposition of   plasma oxide, plasma nitride, oxynitride, amorphous silicon and SiC deposition. These systems can also be  used for isotopic plasma etching.

Through unique hardware design and computer control the CVD reaction chamber and large electrode area is capable of achieving, the reactions necessary to produce a constant physical environment in the immediate vicinity to the water surface.

High pumping speed and adaptive pressure control allows control over a wide range of pressures at a wide selection of gas flows using a Blower package and high conductance vacuum plumbing.

The substrate electrode contains a resistance heater plate (easily replaced for service) that provides uniform high temperature control, giving precise deposition control and reproducible refractive index. The PECVD systems uses a parallel plate, water cooled, counter symmetrical powered top electrode in aluminium with a dual layer gas shower head for ultimate process uniformity and axial exhaust pumping.

Temperature range up to 400'C with +/- 3% temperature uniformity across substrate electrode. The outside temperature of chamber walls/base plate does not exceed 250C at 3500C substrate working temperature. The PECVD system can also be operated in Plasma Etching (PR) mode.
Reactive Ion Etch-Plasma Etch (RIE-PE)
Reactive Ion Etch-Plasma Etch (RIE-PE)system is the addition of an automatically RF switched powered or grounded, counter symmetrical, parallel plate, top electrode. This makes the standard RIE system a RIE-PE system.

Dual electrodes provide process flexibility to change the plasma conditions throughout the range from full RIE to full downstream plasma to produce the desired etch results. This operating range is achieved by simple variation of the powered electrodes.

Full power applied to the lower electrode results in higher DC biases and RIE conditions at the wafer surface. Alternatively, a remote downstream plasma can be created by application of full power to the upper electrode completely isolating the wafer from the plasma.

In the third optional mode of operation, TRIODE power may be applied such that both upper and lower electrodes are powered simultaneously to combine the effects of RIE and remote plasma modes. The automatic match network precisely controls the power distribution to both electrodes and the DC bias at the wafer surface.

Dual Reaction Chamber
A Dual Reaction Chamber system with axial pumping and gas shower head can serve as a complete research and development tool. It is ideal for process development and pilot production in RIE, Plasma Etch, PECVD and RT-CVD.

The system main cabinet is a solid double bay 19 inch rack control centre to house the main chambers and all controls and instrumentation.

Separate reaction chambers avoid contamination problems and reduce technique change over down time. The utilisation of a single pumping system (optionally with independent pumps), gas management control system, and RF power supply (microwave power supply for MRT-CVD) keeps cost to a very reasonable level with no sacrifice in performance.

Chamber selection is easily made through the computer to automatically activate the power, gases and vacuum to the appropriate electrode and chamber. The other chamber will be deactivated and left under vacuum for future operation.
Last updated: 14th March 2008
Copyright 2008 The Vacutec Group
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