Thickness control of semiconductor device layers in reactive ion etch processes
US5882468A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Feb 24, 1997 |
| Grant date | Mar 16, 1999 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Feb 24, 2017 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH01L21/67069
- WIPO fieldSemiconductors
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
By moving a substrate relative to a shadow mask in a reactive ion etching system, we are able to precisely tailor the thickness of critical layers. To minimize disturbing the plasma, all the mechanical components are kept below the anode. The system is highly reproducible, and can be programmed to yield arbitrary vertical profiles along one horizontal axis. Using silicon-on-insulator substrates, the resonance wavelength was modified as a function of position with better than 1 nm control in the vertical dimension. This technique should prove useful for optical devices where the thickness of the layers controls the device characteristics.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.