There are two popular etching processes being used to produce patterned sapphire substrate - the dry and wet etching. It is imperative to know the differences between the two so that a manufacturing company is able to determine which between the two is better. To help you with that, I have prepared below some points of comparison:
Dry etching
- the most common method to etch sapphire substrate and is considered to be a very slow process with a low throughput rate;
- Etching a standard 2-inch wafer can take between 30 and 60 minutes;
- it does not scale effectively. As a wafer size increases, throughput of a dry etcher falls as fewer wafers fit inside the vacuum chamber. And because of that, more expensive plasma etching tools are needed to achieve the same throughput as achieved by smaller wafers;
- dry etching rates range between 50nm and 200nm in a minute (an estimate by some experts);
- dry etching is also known in producing bright and efficient LEDs; however, the process takes so slow and produces limited throughput.
Wet etching
- is known to provide dual advantages of being extremely fast and a lot cheaper than dry etching;
- it is very scalable but produces LEDs that are not quite as effective or efficient as dry etching;
- wet etching process provides a cost-saving advantage compared to dry etching;
- in a wet etching process, the etcher needs to perform a polishing touch-up on the wafers to improve the light extraction efficiency.
Sample of equipment utilized in sapphire etching process:
The Accubath Xe-Series -- an etching bath equipment from Imtec Acculine, was designed with Sapphire etching in mind but we know there are other processes that will benefit from the increased chemical reactivity that higher temperatures provide (300C). Processes that were previously thought to be too slow due to temperature limitations may now be practical because of innovations like this.
Hitachi High-tech Silicon Etch System -- this equipment is capable of generating a stable high density plasma at a very low pressure; it is utilized in dry etching based on an ECR (*1) plasma source.
CDE-80N Chemical Dry Etching Equipment -- used chemical dry etching process for thin film in a gaseous state semiconductor process. Damage-free etching process, through perfect separation of the etching unit and plasma generating unit, enables wide use in the damage removal process.
Each of the etching processes discussed above has its own advantages and disadvantages. But, just like any other processes, stick to the one you think can help in improving your bottom-line -- revenue.
Dry etching
- the most common method to etch sapphire substrate and is considered to be a very slow process with a low throughput rate;
- Etching a standard 2-inch wafer can take between 30 and 60 minutes;
- it does not scale effectively. As a wafer size increases, throughput of a dry etcher falls as fewer wafers fit inside the vacuum chamber. And because of that, more expensive plasma etching tools are needed to achieve the same throughput as achieved by smaller wafers;
- dry etching rates range between 50nm and 200nm in a minute (an estimate by some experts);
- dry etching is also known in producing bright and efficient LEDs; however, the process takes so slow and produces limited throughput.
Wet etching
- is known to provide dual advantages of being extremely fast and a lot cheaper than dry etching;
- it is very scalable but produces LEDs that are not quite as effective or efficient as dry etching;
- wet etching process provides a cost-saving advantage compared to dry etching;
- in a wet etching process, the etcher needs to perform a polishing touch-up on the wafers to improve the light extraction efficiency.
Sample of equipment utilized in sapphire etching process:
The Accubath Xe-Series -- an etching bath equipment from Imtec Acculine, was designed with Sapphire etching in mind but we know there are other processes that will benefit from the increased chemical reactivity that higher temperatures provide (300C). Processes that were previously thought to be too slow due to temperature limitations may now be practical because of innovations like this.
Hitachi High-tech Silicon Etch System -- this equipment is capable of generating a stable high density plasma at a very low pressure; it is utilized in dry etching based on an ECR (*1) plasma source.
CDE-80N Chemical Dry Etching Equipment -- used chemical dry etching process for thin film in a gaseous state semiconductor process. Damage-free etching process, through perfect separation of the etching unit and plasma generating unit, enables wide use in the damage removal process.
Each of the etching processes discussed above has its own advantages and disadvantages. But, just like any other processes, stick to the one you think can help in improving your bottom-line -- revenue.
About the Author:
Paul Drake writes various industry-related topics like etching sapphire equipment. He leverages his years of work experience in a high tech industry in writing useful resources. To learn more about wet etching process, visit Imtec Acculine official website.
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