Acquisition of Inductively Coupled Plasma Etch Tool for New Microsystems Technologies

亚利桑那州立大学的主要研究仪器计划的这一奖项将用于获得电感耦合等离子体（ICP）蚀刻机，以支持广泛的资金充足的跨学科研究计划，共同关注新的集成微系统技术，用于新颖的，高回报的应用。 该设备的独特性能提供了一个关键的工具，将大大提高宽带隙半导体和硅制造能力，从而开辟了新的前沿微系统的概念和应用的积极探索和发现。 该设备配置有两个独立的蚀刻室和ICP源，以运行用于III族氮化物的氯基蚀刻工艺和用于硅的深度蚀刻的“Bosch”氟基工艺。 双腔室系统将避免工艺交叉污染，并增强待执行的蚀刻的整体可靠性和鲁棒性。由该设备支持的研究福尔斯属于两个技术领域之一：（一）宽带隙材料，器件和微系统，（二）硅基微机电系统（MEMS）。 来自材料工程，化学工程，电气工程，生物工程，机械工程，物理，植物生物学，化学和生物化学的跨学科团队的研究人员将成为主要的设备用户。预计通过ICP蚀刻工具的新图案化能力，将能够在每个目标应用中实现实质性突破。该设备将作为多用户设施运行，位于跨学科固态电子研究中心（CSSER）的M3.5级洁净室中。设备的日常操作将由CSSER的副主任监督。 设备的实际用户大多数将是博士后、研究生和本科生研究人员。 学生将受益于最先进的制造设备和跨学科微系统研究的令人兴奋的创造性环境的实践培训。来自主要研究仪器计划的这一奖项将使亚利桑那州立大学能够创建一个最先进的高密度等离子体处理设施，该设施将提供无法以其他方式实现的独特的微图案化能力。 新的多用户设施将促进材料科学家、化学工程师、电气工程师、物理学家、化学家和生物学家之间的研究合作，反映出将要开展的活动的高度跨学科性质。通过这种新的能力和新的协同作用，亚利桑那州立大学将有助于通过扩大在设计，合成，制造和新型微系统的应用研究和教育能力的高科技产业基础。 由这种独特的高科技加工设备支持的研究将使跨学科先进材料研究在两个高回报领域取得进展：（1）硅基纳米结构科学和技术，以及（2）宽带隙半导体微系统。学生和博士后将受益于最先进的制造设备和跨学科微系统研究的令人兴奋的创造性环境的实践培训。

This award from the Major Research Instrumentation program to Arizona State University will be used to acquire an inductively coupled plasma (ICP) etcher to support a broad spectrum of well-funded interdisciplinary research programs with a common focus on new integrated microsystems technologies for novel, high payoff applications. The unique performance of this equipment provides a critical tool that will substantially enhance wide bandgap semiconductor and silicon fabrication capabilities, and thereby open up new frontiers in microsystems concepts and applications for active exploration and discovery. The equipment is configured with two independent etch chambers and ICP sources to run a chlorine-based etch process for group III - nitrides, and a "Bosch" fluorine-based process for deep etching of silicon. The dual chamber system will avoid process cross-contamination and enhance overall reliability and robustness of the etching to be performed. Research supported by this equipment falls into one of two technology areas: (i) Wide Bandgap Materials, Devices and Microsystems, and (ii) Si-based Microelectromechanical Systems (MEMS). Researchers in interdisciplinary teams from Materials Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Bioengineering, Mechanical Engineering, Physics, Plant Biology, Chemistry and Biochemistry will be the principal equipment users. It is anticipate that substantial breakthroughs in each of the target applications will be enabled through the new patterning capability of the ICP etch tool. The equipment will be run as a multi-user facility housed in the class M3.5 cleanroom of the interdisciplinary Center for Solid State Electronics Research (CSSER). Day-to-day operation of the equipment will be overseen by CSSER's Associate Director. The majority of the actual users of the equipment will be post-doctoral, graduate student and undergraduate student researchers. Students will benefit from hands-on training with state-of-the-art fabrication equipment and the exciting, creative environment of interdisciplinary microsystems research. This award from the Major Research Instrumentation program will allow Arizona State University to create a state-of-the-art high density plasma processing facility that will provide unique micropatterning capabilities that cannot otherwise be realized. The new multi-user facility will bring catalyze research collaboration between materials scientists, chemical engineers, electrical engineers, physicists, chemists, and biologists, reflecting the highly interdisciplinary nature of the activities to be undertaken. Through this new capability and new synergies, ASU will contribute to the high technology industrial base by expanding research and education capabilities in the design, synthesis, fabrication, and application of novel microsystems. Research supported by this unique high tech processing equipment will enable advances in interdisciplinary advanced materials research in two high-payoff areas: (1) silicon-based nanostructure science and technology, and (2) wide bandgap semiconductor microsystems. Students and postdocs will benefit from hands-on training with state-of-the-art fabrication equipment and the exciting, creative environment of interdisciplinary microsystems research.