Plasma etching
Plasma etching is the material elimination of surface areas by plasma procedures. It is additionally referred to as completely dry etching, given that standard etching processes are executed with wet-chemical harsh acids. The plasmas of the process gases transform the material to be etched from the solid to the aeriform phase as well as the air pump removes the gaseous products. Using masks could additionally make sure the etching of only parts of the surface or structures. Plasma etching is only performed as low-pressure plasma since
substantial etching effects call for longer treatment times.
Mostly all etching gases could be used in low-pressure plasma.
There are a selection of applications for plasma cleaners For application-specific optimization of the etching process a selection of feasible process gases and the option of 3 fundamental etching approaches are readily available.
Ion etching.
Depending on the application, this is additionally called "physical etching", "sputtering" or "micro-sandblasting".
Process gases are argon or noble gases, but the ions do not form complimentary radicals. The etching impact is based upon the ejection of atoms or particles from the substratum with the kinetic power of the sped up electrons in the electrical field.
Applications:
Microstructuring of surfaces such as for enhancing bond (" micro-sandblasting").
Barrage of an evaporation source (" sputtering").
Considering that ion etching does not act chemically, it works on practically any type of substratum (barely careful). The etching impact of the plasma takes place practically exclusively in the acceleration instructions of the ions. The impact is strongly anisotropic.
Chemical plasma etching.
Process gases are utilized whose particles in plasma are generally divided into radicals. The etching effect is mainly based on the response of these radicals with atoms or molecules of the substratum, converting them into aeriform break down items.
Significant applications:.
Elimination of oxide layers.
Eliminating photoresist (" stripping").
Ashing of matrices for analysis.
Etching of PTFE.
Structuring and also microstructuring of semiconductors.
Plasma is very selective, i.e. the process gases and substrates need to be quite possibly matched. The etching is isotropic, i.e. it acts similarly on all sides.
Responsive ion etching.
Molecular gases create radicals as well as positively charged ions in the plasma. The reactive result of the radicals can be used for the etching process, in addition to the kinetic power of the ions. When the plasma excitation is carried out this way, the ions are sped up in the electrical area and are terminated into the substratum.
Responsive ion etching incorporates the impacts of ion etching and plasma etching: A particular quantity of anisotropy is produced and also products which do not chemically react with the radicals could likewise be engraved by this plasma. Above all, the etching price is significantly raised. The substrate molecules are excited by the ion barrage and are therefore a lot more responsive.
Application:.
Particularly during the etching of semiconductors.
PTFE etching.
At Deiner digital we also make use of plasma technology to make plastics bondable, which would certainly or else be thought about as "non-bondable" as a result of their reduced surface energy. For polypropylene (PP), polyethylene (PE) or Polyoxymethylene (POM), this is accomplished by activation in an oxygen plasma. For the plastic material with the most affordable surface area energy, PTFE, an activation procedure is not adequate. The fluorine-carbon bonds can not be barged in an oxygen plasma.
In hydrogen plasma, nonetheless, hydrogen radicals combine with the fluorine atoms of PTFE and so damage the carbon bonds. The hydrogen fluoride gas is exhausted off, as well as unsaturated carbon bonds remain, to which polar liquid particles could highly affixed.
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