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“Chlorine-based Reactive Ion Etching Process to Pattern Platinum for MEMS Applications”

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  17 March 2011

Sung H. Choi ,
Jon V. Osborn  and
Brent A. Morgan
Sung H. Choi
Affiliation:
The Aerospace Corporation 2350 E. El Segundo Blvd., M2-244 El Segundo, CA 90245
Jon V. Osborn
Affiliation:
The Aerospace Corporation 2350 E. El Segundo Blvd., M2-244 El Segundo, CA 90245
Brent A. Morgan
Affiliation:
The Aerospace Corporation 2350 E. El Segundo Blvd., M2-244 El Segundo, CA 90245
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Abstract

We have developed platinum (Pt) deposition and chlorine-based Reactive Ion Etch (RIE) processes that are needed to deposit, pattern and embed electrodes deep within a MEMS process flow. Various combinations of chlorinebased gases were tested to find the optimum gas mixture for RIE. A 1: 0.4 mixture ratio of pure chlorine to argon and 100-150 Watts of RF microwave power were found to be optimum conditions for the RIE of platinum metal. The addition of argon gas to chlorine was found to contribute to the anisotropic etching of platinum, obtaining vertical shaped sidewall patterns. A simple model of the platinum etching mechanism is proposed. Following the plasma enhanced formation of platinum and chlorine ions, volatile products of platinum chlorides were formed and driven away at elevated temperature. As a demonstration of our RIE process, micron-sized platinum patterns with vertical sidewalls were fabricated. Etch chemistry was investigated using ToF SIMS analysis. This etch technique will be useful to device developers intending to use the unique properties of platinum metal as an electrode that is deeply embedded within a MEMS process flow.

Type
Research Article
Information
MRS Online Proceedings Library (OPL) , Volume 812: Symposium F – Materials, Technology and Reliability for Advanced Interconnects and Low-k Dielectrics-2004 , 2004 , F8.2
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2004

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