The SENTECH SI 500 uses an inductively coupled plasma (ICP) source with low ion energy for low-damage etch and nanostructuring.

Due to low ion energy and narrow ion energy distribution, low-damage etch and nanostructuring can be performed with the SI 500 ICP-RIE Plasma Etch System. High-rate plasma etching of Si for MEMS with a high aspect ratio is easily performed either using room temperature alternating processes or cryogenic processes for smooth side walls. The SENTECH Planar Triple Spiral Antenna (PTSA) plasma source is a unique, high-end plasma process system feature of the SENTECH SI 500 ICP-RIE Plasma Etch System. The PTSA source generates uniform plasma with high ion density and low ion energy suited for low-damage etch of sensors, quantum dots, and HEMT. It features high coupling efficiency and very good ignition behaviour for processing a large variety of materials and structures. Substrate temperature setting and stability during the plasma etching processes are demanding criteria for high-quality etching. The substrate electrode with dynamic temperature control in combination with He backside cooling and substrate backside temperature sensing provides excellent process conditions over a wide temperature range. Applications like recess and mesa etch in compound semiconductors demonstrate optimal process control, which is necessary for high device performance.

The SENTECH SI 500 ICP-RIE System represents the leading edge for ICP processing in both research and industry. The system comprises the ICP plasma source PTSA, a dynamic temperature-controlled substrate electrode, a fully controlled vacuum system, and a very easy-to-operate user interface. Configurations for processing a variety of materials, including but not limited to III-V and II-VI compound semiconductors (GaAs, InP, GaN, InSb), dielectrics, quartz, glass, silicon, silicon compounds (SiC, SiGe), and metals are achievable with this flexible and modular plasma etch system.

A large variety of substrates from 100 mm wafers up to 200 mm in diameter, as well as substrates on carriers, can be handled by the flexible load lock built into the SENTECH SI 500 ICP-RIE System. The single-wafer vacuum load lock guarantees stable process conditions and allows for straightforward switching of processes. We can offer different levels of automation ranging from vacuum cassette loading to one process chamber up to a six-port cluster configuration, with different etch and deposition modules offering high flexibility and high throughput. The system can also be incorporated as a process module on a cluster configuration. The SENTECH SI 500 ICP-RIE System is controlled by advanced hardware and SIA operating software, with a client-server architecture. A well-proven, reliable programmable logic controller (PLC) is used for the real-time control of all components.