Plasmalab 80 Plus RIE-PECVD

The Plasmalab 80 Plus is configured with two chambers: Chamber A for PECVD and Chamber B for RIE.^[1][2]

RIE uses a radio-frequency plasma to create chemically reactive ions that bombard the substrate, removing material through a combination of physical sputtering and chemical reaction. PECVD also employs an RF plasma to break down precursor gases, allowing thin films to be deposited at lower temperatures than thermal CVD. In a dual-chamber system, the two processes are performed in separate chambers without cross-contamination, enabling sequential etching and deposition steps without breaking vacuum.

The RIE chamber is typically used for pattern transfer from a photoresist mask into underlying layers, such as silicon dioxide, silicon nitride, or metals. The PECVD chamber is used to deposit dielectric films like silicon dioxide or silicon nitride, which may serve as etch masks, passivation layers, or interlayer dielectrics. In a typical process flow, a substrate may receive a deposited film in the PECVD chamber, then be transferred to the RIE chamber for patterning.

Applications include microelectromechanical systems fabrication, where both etching and deposition are required, and semiconductor device development for research environments. The combination of RIE and PECVD in one system allows for in-situ processing sequences without atmospheric exposure.