Abstract
A study of the kinetics of O2 and Ar reactive-ion etching (RIE) of organic polymer films and an analysis of substrate heat transfer was carried out. Radiative heat transfer played a significant role in determining the substrate temperature profile during RIE. At the relatively low pressure of 5 mTorr, where anisotropic etch profiles are typically achieved, radiative heat transfer accounted for nearly 85% of the total energy (heat) flux away from the substrate. RIE processing time (substrate temperature) drastically affected the RIE rate of chain-scissioning polymers, which included poly(methyl methacrylate) and poly(α-methylstyrene), while processing time had absolutely no effect on etch rates of cross-linking polymers. To confirm the role of radiative heat transfer during RIE, the underside of a silicon wafer was painted black, which increased the total radiative surface emittance and lowered the steady-state substrate temperature for a given set of RIE conditions. Ultimate etch rates of poly(methyl methacrylate) were measurably lower for films on the black-silicon substrates. Thermal bonding alleviated substrate heating and greatly improved etch rate control.
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