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Reactive ion etching is a microfabrication technology that removes substances from semiconductors without sacrificing wafer integrity. It uses a vacuum chamber with gas and electromagnetic fields to create plasma and remove defects. It is more expensive than wet etching but more effective in hard-to-reach areas.
Reactive ion etching is a type of technology used in microfabrication to remove substances from wafers. Wafers are small strips of semiconductors used in the creation of microdevices, and reactive ion etching technology ensures they remain free of materials that could adversely affect their effectiveness. Microfabrication procedures are performed with specially designed devices that locate the substance to be removed without sacrificing wafer integrity.
The most common reactive ion etching device consists of a cylinder-shaped vacuum chamber with an insulated wafer holder attached to the bottom of the chamber. There are small holes in the top of the vessel that let the gas in. Various types of gas are used, depending on the individual needs of a particular wafer.
Inductively coupled plasma is another modality of this technology. With this device, plasma is created by a highly specialized magnetic field. It is not uncommon to achieve high plasma concentration levels with this method.
Ion etching reactive plasma is a state of matter that is chemically reactive and is created by the more standard radio frequency (RF) electromagnetic field. The ions within the plasma have an unusually high amount of energy. These ions react to debris on a wafer and work to remove defects on its surface.
The chemical process involved in reactive ion etching is multifaceted. First, a substantial electromagnetic field is sent to the wafer chamber. The field then oscillates, which ionizes the gas molecules in the vessel and removes their electrons. This results in the creation of plasma.
Reactive ion etching is one type of a larger category of microfabrication removal called dry etching. It does not use liquids in the removal process, unlike wet etching, which uses various acids and chemicals to achieve the same purpose. Because wet etching causes undercuts on the wafer, as well as significant amounts of toxic waste, dry etching is becoming a more popular method for chemical wafer removal.
One major disadvantage of reactive ion etching is cost. Compared to wet etching techniques, it is much more expensive due to the specialized equipment required. However, dry etching processes in general are much more effective at reaching the hardest-to-reach areas of a wafer. It’s important to remember, however, that some jobs don’t require the fine detail this form of etching provides, and wet etching procedures can do the job just as effectively.
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