Engineering Research Equipment Grant: Reactive-Ion Etching System

弗吉尼亚大学半导体设备实验室将购买反应离子蚀刻系统，以支持亚毫米无线电波长设备技术的持续进步。这个实验室已经制造出肖特基二极管，这种二极管已经成功地用作频率高达2500千兆赫的射频混频器。在这些频率及以上使用的设备要求尺寸小于1微米。目前的化学“湿”蚀刻方法很难达到这样的尺寸，而且不完美。在亚毫米波器件中，进一步提高最大工作频率、降低噪声和降低转换损耗需要湿化学蚀刻的替代品。反应离子（干）蚀刻被广泛认为是可行和必要的替代方法。

The Semiconductor Device Laboratory at the University of Virginia will purchase a Reactive-Ion Etching system to support continuing advances in the technology of devices for use at sub-millimeter radio wavelengths. This laboratory has fabricated Schottky diodes which have been used successfully as radio-frequency mixers at frequencies as high as 2500 Gigahertz. Devices for use at these frequencies and beyond require dimensions of less than one micron. Such dimensions are achieved only with difficulty and imperfectly by current methods of chemical "wet" etching. Further advances in increasing maximum operating frequency, reducing noise, and reducing conversion loss in sub-millimeter wave devices require alternatives to wet chemical etching. The widely acknowledged feasible and necessary alternative is Reactive-Ion (Dry) Etching.