MEMS or the Microelectromechanical Systems is a technology that is important to the semiconductor industry; it is designed for very small devices as it is made up of components that are between 1 and 100 micrometers in size. It has a lot of uses particularly in electronics, biotechnology, as well as in communication industry.
Fabrication of MEMS can be performed using several processes such as deposition, patterning, and etching. However, in this content, we are going to give our focus on etching process and its various types.
There are several methods used in MEMS etching but they can be divided into two broad categories - the wet etching and the dry etching process.
Dry etching - the material in this process is dissolved using reactive ions or a vapor phase enchant. One main advantage of this process is that it is capable of defining small feature size that is less than 100 nm. However, it has several disadvantages as well like high cost, low throughput, poor selectivity, and the potential for radiation damage.
Sample of dry etching
Xenon fluoride etching - this particular process was first used in 1995 and is primarily utilized for releasing metal and dielectric structures by undercutting silicon.
Plasma etching - this process includes the generation of reactive species, diffusion of these species, and then adsorption. (note: plasma source is also called etch species)
Wet etching - the material, in this process, is dissolved through immersion using chemical solution inside a wet bench. Several advantages this process has to offer - it is easy to implement has high etching rate, can be done at a lower cost, and good selectivity for most materials. However, it has some limitations as well such as the inadequacy for defining feature size that is less than 1 micrometer.
Sample of wet etching
Isotropic etching - it is known as the non-directional removal of material from a substrate though a chemical process using a substance or mixture called as etchant.
Hydrofluoric acid etching - a process that uses an aqueous etchant for silicon dioxide.
There are several processes involved in etching - each has advantages and limitations. One thing is certain, however - etching is essential for micro fabrication as this is needed for the production of devices that play a huge part for industry's continuous development.
Fabrication of MEMS can be performed using several processes such as deposition, patterning, and etching. However, in this content, we are going to give our focus on etching process and its various types.
There are several methods used in MEMS etching but they can be divided into two broad categories - the wet etching and the dry etching process.
Dry etching - the material in this process is dissolved using reactive ions or a vapor phase enchant. One main advantage of this process is that it is capable of defining small feature size that is less than 100 nm. However, it has several disadvantages as well like high cost, low throughput, poor selectivity, and the potential for radiation damage.
Sample of dry etching
Xenon fluoride etching - this particular process was first used in 1995 and is primarily utilized for releasing metal and dielectric structures by undercutting silicon.
Plasma etching - this process includes the generation of reactive species, diffusion of these species, and then adsorption. (note: plasma source is also called etch species)
Wet etching - the material, in this process, is dissolved through immersion using chemical solution inside a wet bench. Several advantages this process has to offer - it is easy to implement has high etching rate, can be done at a lower cost, and good selectivity for most materials. However, it has some limitations as well such as the inadequacy for defining feature size that is less than 1 micrometer.
Sample of wet etching
Isotropic etching - it is known as the non-directional removal of material from a substrate though a chemical process using a substance or mixture called as etchant.
Hydrofluoric acid etching - a process that uses an aqueous etchant for silicon dioxide.
There are several processes involved in etching - each has advantages and limitations. One thing is certain, however - etching is essential for micro fabrication as this is needed for the production of devices that play a huge part for industry's continuous development.
About the Author:
Paul Drake has had several years of experience working in a high tech facility before venturing on the Internet as a content writer. He leverages his prior knowledge in writing industry-related topics, including etching process for MEMS. He also runs a personal blog of the same niche.
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