公开(公告)号：US10431436B2

公开(公告)日：2019-10-01

申请号：US15690414

申请日：2017-08-30

Applicant: SPTS TECHNOLOGIES LIMITED

Inventor： Huma Ashraf ,  Kevin Riddell ,  Roland Mumford ,  Grant Baldwin

IPC: H01J37/32 ,  H01L21/67

Abstract: A method and system are for monitoring and controlling deformation of a wafer substrate during a plasma etching of the wafer substrate. The method includes disposing a wafer substrate on a platen assembly within a process chamber so that an entire upper surface of the wafer is exposed, passing a process gas into the process chamber, applying a radio frequency bias voltage to the platen assembly, generating a plasma within the process chamber, monitoring a voltage difference between the platen assembly and the process chamber, during the etch process, and attenuating or extinguishing the plasma to prevent further etching once a threshold monitored voltage is reached.

公开(公告)号：US20230197457A1

公开(公告)日：2023-06-22

申请号：US18075128

申请日：2022-12-05

Applicant: SPTS Technologies Limited

Inventor： Alex Wood ,  Kevin Riddell ,  Huma Ashraf

IPC: H01L21/3065 ,  H01L21/308 ,  H01L21/02 ,  H01L21/67 ,  H01L21/768 ,  H01J37/32

CPC classification number: H01L21/3065 ,  H01L21/3086 ,  H01L21/02631 ,  H01L21/67253 ,  H01L21/76862 ,  H01L21/67207 ,  H01L21/02389 ,  H01J37/32174

Abstract: An additive-containing aluminium nitride film containing an additive element selected from Sc, Y or Er is plasma etched through a mask for a period of time, t, with a plasma formed in a gaseous atmosphere having an associated gas pressure while an RF bias power is applied to the additive-containing aluminium nitride film. The gas pressure is reduced and/or the RF bias power is increased for a majority of the period of time t, so that the plasma etching becomes less chemical and more physical over a majority of the period of time, t.

公开(公告)号：US20210193908A1

公开(公告)日：2021-06-24

申请号：US17101951

申请日：2020-11-23

Applicant: SPTS Technologies Limited

Inventor： Huma Ashraf ,  Kevin Riddell ,  Codrin Prahoveanu

IPC: H01L41/332 ,  H01J37/32

Abstract: A structure comprising a semiconductor substrate and a layer of PZT (lead zirconate titanate) is etched by performing a first plasma etch step with a first etch process gas mixture. The first etch process gas mixture comprises at least one fluorine containing species. The first plasma etch step is performed so that involatile metal etch products are deposited onto interior surfaces of the chamber. The structure is further etched by performing a second plasma etch step with a second etch process gas mixture. The second etch process gas mixture comprises at least one fluorocarbon species. The second plasma etch step is performed so that a fluorocarbon polymer layer is deposited onto interior surfaces of the chamber to overlay involatile metal etch products deposited in the first plasma etch step and to provide a substrate on which further involatile metal etch products can be deposited.

公开(公告)号：US20180362334A1

公开(公告)日：2018-12-20

申请号：US16010395

申请日：2018-06-15

Applicant: SPTS Technologies Limited

Inventor： Kerry Roberts ,  Huma Ashraf ,  Pen Fen Eng

IPC: B81C1/00 ,  A61K9/00 ,  A61M37/00

Abstract: A method is for manufacturing a plurality of silicon microneedles which have a bevelled tip. The method includes providing a silicon substrate having a front face and a rear face, forming a first mask arrangement on the front face of the substrate, the first mask arrangement defining one or more gaps, and performing a SF6 based plasma etch of the front face through the gaps in the first mask arrangement to provide one or more etch features having a sloping face. The SF6 based plasma etch undercuts the first mask arrangement with an undercut that is at least 10% of the depth of a corresponding etch feature. The method further includes forming a second mask arrangement on the etch features to define locations of the microneedles, in which the second mask arrangement is located entirely on sloping faces of the etch features, and performing a DRIE (deep reactive ion etch) anisotropic plasma etch of the etched front face of the substrate to form a plurality of microneedles which have a bevelled tip, where the sloping faces of the etch features at least in part give rise to the bevelled tips of the microneedles.

公开(公告)号：US09601341B2

公开(公告)日：2017-03-21

申请号：US14577442

申请日：2014-12-19

Applicant: SPTS TECHNOLOGIES LIMITED

Inventor： Huma Ashraf

IPC: H01L21/76 ,  H01L21/3065 ,  H01L21/033 ,  H01L21/308 ,  H01L21/02 ,  H01L21/768 ,  H01L23/48

CPC classification number: H01L21/30655 ,  H01L21/0212 ,  H01L21/0334 ,  H01L21/3081 ,  H01L21/3083 ,  H01L21/3086 ,  H01L21/76816 ,  H01L23/481 ,  H01L2924/0002 ,  H01L2924/00

Abstract: A method of etching a feature in a substrate includes forming a mask structure over the substrate, the mask structure defining at least one re-entrant opening, etching the substrate through the opening to form the feature using a cyclic etch and deposition process, and removing the mask.