Recent Advances in Reactive Ion Etching and Applications of High-Aspect-Ratio Microfabrication
This paper reviews the recent advances in reaction-ion etching (RIE) for application in high-aspect-ratio microfabrication. High-aspect-ratio etching of materials used in micro- and nanofabrication has become a very important enabling technology particularly for bulk micromachining applications, but...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2021-08-01
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| Series: | Micromachines |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2072-666X/12/8/991 |
| _version_ | 1797522863764275200 |
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| author | Michael Huff |
| author_facet | Michael Huff |
| author_sort | Michael Huff |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This paper reviews the recent advances in reaction-ion etching (RIE) for application in high-aspect-ratio microfabrication. High-aspect-ratio etching of materials used in micro- and nanofabrication has become a very important enabling technology particularly for bulk micromachining applications, but increasingly also for mainstream integrated circuit technology such as three-dimensional multi-functional systems integration. The characteristics of traditional RIE allow for high levels of anisotropy compared to competing technologies, which is important in microsystems device fabrication for a number of reasons, primarily because it allows the resultant device dimensions to be more accurately and precisely controlled. This directly leads to a reduction in development costs as well as improved production yields. Nevertheless, traditional RIE was limited to moderate etch depths (e.g., a few microns). More recent developments in newer RIE methods and equipment have enabled considerably deeper etches and higher aspect ratios compared to traditional RIE methods and have revolutionized bulk micromachining technologies. The most widely known of these technologies is called the inductively-coupled plasma (ICP) deep reactive ion etching (DRIE) and this has become a mainstay for development and production of silicon-based micro- and nano-machined devices. This paper will review deep high-aspect-ratio reactive ion etching technologies for silicon, fused silica (quartz), glass, silicon carbide, compound semiconductors and piezoelectric materials. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T08:35:23Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-a26579b885724b3f8b898851cc5f36fd |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2072-666X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T08:35:23Z |
| publishDate | 2021-08-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Micromachines |
| spelling | doaj.art-a26579b885724b3f8b898851cc5f36fd2023-11-22T08:45:08ZengMDPI AGMicromachines2072-666X2021-08-0112899110.3390/mi12080991Recent Advances in Reactive Ion Etching and Applications of High-Aspect-Ratio MicrofabricationMichael Huff0Founder and Director of the MEMS and Nanotechnology Exchange, Corporation for National Research Initiatives, Reston, VA 20191, USAThis paper reviews the recent advances in reaction-ion etching (RIE) for application in high-aspect-ratio microfabrication. High-aspect-ratio etching of materials used in micro- and nanofabrication has become a very important enabling technology particularly for bulk micromachining applications, but increasingly also for mainstream integrated circuit technology such as three-dimensional multi-functional systems integration. The characteristics of traditional RIE allow for high levels of anisotropy compared to competing technologies, which is important in microsystems device fabrication for a number of reasons, primarily because it allows the resultant device dimensions to be more accurately and precisely controlled. This directly leads to a reduction in development costs as well as improved production yields. Nevertheless, traditional RIE was limited to moderate etch depths (e.g., a few microns). More recent developments in newer RIE methods and equipment have enabled considerably deeper etches and higher aspect ratios compared to traditional RIE methods and have revolutionized bulk micromachining technologies. The most widely known of these technologies is called the inductively-coupled plasma (ICP) deep reactive ion etching (DRIE) and this has become a mainstay for development and production of silicon-based micro- and nano-machined devices. This paper will review deep high-aspect-ratio reactive ion etching technologies for silicon, fused silica (quartz), glass, silicon carbide, compound semiconductors and piezoelectric materials.https://www.mdpi.com/2072-666X/12/8/991reactive ion etchinghigh-aspect ratio etchinginductively-coupled plasma etchingmicromachiningMEMSNEMS |
| spellingShingle | Michael Huff Recent Advances in Reactive Ion Etching and Applications of High-Aspect-Ratio Microfabrication Micromachines reactive ion etching high-aspect ratio etching inductively-coupled plasma etching micromachining MEMS NEMS |
| title | Recent Advances in Reactive Ion Etching and Applications of High-Aspect-Ratio Microfabrication |
| title_full | Recent Advances in Reactive Ion Etching and Applications of High-Aspect-Ratio Microfabrication |
| title_fullStr | Recent Advances in Reactive Ion Etching and Applications of High-Aspect-Ratio Microfabrication |
| title_full_unstemmed | Recent Advances in Reactive Ion Etching and Applications of High-Aspect-Ratio Microfabrication |
| title_short | Recent Advances in Reactive Ion Etching and Applications of High-Aspect-Ratio Microfabrication |
| title_sort | recent advances in reactive ion etching and applications of high aspect ratio microfabrication |
| topic | reactive ion etching high-aspect ratio etching inductively-coupled plasma etching micromachining MEMS NEMS |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2072-666X/12/8/991 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT michaelhuff recentadvancesinreactiveionetchingandapplicationsofhighaspectratiomicrofabrication |