[labnetwork] ICP-RIE Purchase

[James Grant]

Hi Christophe,

At the James Watt Nanofabrication Centre we have 9 OIPT systems (x 3 PECVD, x 1 ICPCVD, x 1 RIE, x 2 ICP-RIE, x 1 DSiE and x 1 ALD). We also have x 3 systems from SPTS (DSiE, PECVD, ICP-RIE).

Surprised you are considering OIPTs Cobra offering instead of their bespoke tool for DSiE, the Estrelas<https://plasma.oxinst.com/products/dsie/plasmapro-100-estrelas-dsie>. However I'm likely out of touch on ability of Cobra to also be configured for Bosch Si etching.

You will have seen that we have x 2 DSiE etch tools, one from OIPT (Estrelas) and one from SPTS (Rapier). On the Estrelas we have a cryogenic lower electrode that we could cool using either liquid nitrogen (for cryogenic processes) or a standard chiller (Julabo FP51+SL). However when Estrelas was installed (2014) a dewar was positioned about 5 metres from tool but this dewar still had to be filled with liquid nitrogen from the source which was around 20-30 m away. Long story short it was basically impractical for us/we did not have enough staff resource to switch between cryogenic and room temperature processing. Ended up in 2019, to make away for new SPTS Rapier tool we had to remove the liquid nitrogen dewar meaning we can no longer do cryogenic processes on the Estrelas. For most of our applications this has not been a hindrance.

Hope this works; here's<https://my.matterport.com/show/?m=AbEeptQqRai&sr=-.41,.93&ss=10> what our SPTS Rapier looks like (process chamber backing pump, loadlock pump and lower electrode are behind the wall but still housed in the cleanroom(!).....eek!) and here's<https://my.matterport.com/show/?m=AbEeptQqRai&sr=-2.68,-1.16&ss=16> what our OIPT Estrelas looks like (process chamber backing pump, loadlock pump and component cooling chiller is above tool in our mezzanine).

Wary of being too critical of OIPT as I know at least one employee (Matthi!) who subscribes to this mailing list. Overall I think they suffer from having not enough bodies to deliver decent service. They have lots of excellent people (Matthi being one of them) but I'm realistic; you get what you pay for. We have had less faults with our SPTS Rapier but then again it's ~6 years newer and a lot of the install oversights that we have learnt from the Estrelas we have implemented on the Rapier. SPTS field service engineer costs (for us anyway, a few hundred miles from their base) about double that of OIPT. Parts slightly more expensive. SPTS Rapier, if we paid full price (we didn't), around 20-30% more than OIPT Estrelas.

In terms of Bosch processes I'd actually say both tools are excellent. Repeatability is very good however a lot of that is down to the excellent groundwork/skill/expertise/procedures put in place by our plasma expert (aware I'm supposed to be that!) Dr. Corrie Farmer who is a true master of silicon etching. SPTS process experts are always happy to have a call with him! Our Rapier also has an electrostatic chuck (ESC) while our Estrelas has a mechanical clamp. Believe the Estrelas can have an ESC but we didn't get it. In terms of wafer cooling, an ESC is way better than a mechanical clamp.

If pushed I would favour the SPTS Rapier over the OIPT Estrelas but I caveat that with I have more experience of the tool and, being more expensive than the OIPT Estrelas, it should be better!
Cheers,
James
Dr. James Paul Grant
Research Engineer in Plasma Processing
Plasma Processing Group
james.grant at glasgow.ac.uk<mailto:james.grant at glasgow.ac.uk>
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From: labnetwork <labnetwork-bounces at mtl.mit.edu> On Behalf Of Christophe Clément
Sent: Tuesday, November 21, 2023 7:26 PM
To: labnetwork at mtl.mit.edu
Subject: [labnetwork] ICP-RIE Purchase

Hello community,

I need your input regarding the purchase of a new ICP-RIE. We currently have two Oxford systems, Plasmalab System100. We're quite happy with them (the service could be better though), so we've asked Oxford to quote us for an ICP-RIE, the Cobra model. This system will be dedicated for Silicon Bosch process only.
However, we wouldn't want to miss out on other tools that might satisfy us. Apart from Plasma Therm, whom I intend to contact shortly, do you know of any other suppliers of this type of equipment? As our cleanroom space is limited, equipment the size of a Plasmalab would be ideal.

Also, regarding wafer cooling, we currently use liquid nitrogen only, although we haven't been doing cryo processes for a long time, but we don't want to eliminate this option at this time for the new tool. I've been proposed to use a chiller and LN2 combo, to save LN2 when not using cryo processes.
I'd be interested to hear what you think of this choice (cooling time, maintenance...)

Thank you
Best
Christophe


Christophe Clément
Technicien laboratoire
Laboratoire de microfabrication (LMF)
Groupe des Couches Minces (GCM) www.gcmlab.ca<http://www.gcmlab.ca/>
Ecole Polytechnique de Montréal www.polymtl.ca<http://www.polymtl.ca/>
Département de génie physique
* 2900 Boulevard Edouard Monpetit
Pavillon JAB
Campus de l'Université de Montréal
Montréal (Québec) H3T 1J4

* christophe.clement at polymtl.ca<mailto:christophe.clement at polymtl.ca>
* 514 340 4711 #2417
Fax : 514 340 5195


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