Delivery and installation of a ICP Reactive ion etcher for silicon dielctrics

DTU Nanolab wishes to acquire a high ion density source reactive ion etcher for oxides and nitrides of silicon to become its new primary instrument for 150 mm wafer processing. Delivery is expected no later than Q3 2027. The Instrument will be installed in the DTU Nanolab cleanroom - a university facility providing a comprehensive suite of micro- and nanofabrication tools.

It serves a diverse community of over 200 active users, ranging from novice students to experienced researchers, as well a high percentage of commercial clients. As an open access tool, the Instrument must support the full spectrum of etching of silicon-based dielectrics, from sub 100 nm nanostructures defined by electron beam lithography to depths of several tens of microns. Meeting these demands requires exceptional process controllability and tunability: the system must perform ultra precise, low-rate etches (< 100 nm/min) with smooth and straight sidewalls and minimal undercut for shallow features, alongside high etch rate deep etches (approaching 500 nm/min).

It must also accommodate all silicon dielectrics of the form SixNy, SixOx and SixOyNz, and be compatible with mask materials including Si, Cr, e-beam resists and UV/DUV photoresists with high mask selectivity for all these masking materials. The user interface must be intuitive and user friendly. The Instrument should be engineered to the highest industrial standards to minimize maintenance, and any required servicing must be straightforward and efficient.

The instrument must be configured for 150 mm wafer processing and a complete kit enabling the processing of 200 mm wafers must be included in the tender as an option. Furthermore, DTU will have the option to purchase one more ICP Reactive ion etcher for silicon dielctrics identical to the initial instrument.