There are two popular etching processes being used to produce patterned sapphire substrate - the dry and wet etching. It is imperative to know the differences between the two so that a manufacturing company is able to determine which between the two is better. To help you with that, I have prepared below some points of comparison:
Dry etching
- the most common method to etch sapphire substrate and is considered to be a very slow process with a low throughput rate;
- Etching a standard 2-inch wafer can take between 30 and 60 minutes;
- dry etching does not scale effectively, according to experts; throughput of a dry etcher falls as wafer size increases as fewer wafers fit inside the vacuum chamber. To address the issue, an etcher uses more expensive etching plasma etching tools -- to achieve throughput that is achieved when using smaller wafers;
- the dry etching rates range between 50nm and 200nm per minute;
- it creates bright, efficient LEDs but does so slowly and with limited throughput.
Wet etching
- wet etching process provides the advantage of being extremely fast and it comes a lot cheaper than dry etching;
- the LEDs that are produced using wet etching process are not as efficient and effective as that of the dry etching process; however, it is very scalable.
- wet etching process can save some of the operational costs as it is a lot cheaper than the dry etching process;
- in a wet etching process, the etcher needs to perform a polishing touch-up on the wafers to improve the light extraction efficiency.
Some equipment used in etching process:
The Accubath Xe-Series -- an etching bath equipment from Imtec Acculine, was designed with Sapphire etching in mind but we know there are other processes that will benefit from the increased chemical reactivity that higher temperatures provide (300C). Processes that were previously thought to be too slow due to temperature limitations may now be practical because of innovations like this.
Hitachi High-tech Silicon Etch System -- this equipment is used in dry etching based on an ECR(*1) plasma source, it is capable of generating a stable high density plasma at a very low pressure.
CDE-80N Chemical Dry Etching Equipment -- used chemical dry etching process for thin film in a gaseous state semiconductor process. Damage-free etching process, through perfect separation of the etching unit and plasma generating unit, enables wide use in the damage removal process.
Each of the etching processes discussed above has its own advantages and disadvantages. But, just like any other processes, stick to the one you think can help in improving your bottom-line -- revenue.
Dry etching
- the most common method to etch sapphire substrate and is considered to be a very slow process with a low throughput rate;
- Etching a standard 2-inch wafer can take between 30 and 60 minutes;
- dry etching does not scale effectively, according to experts; throughput of a dry etcher falls as wafer size increases as fewer wafers fit inside the vacuum chamber. To address the issue, an etcher uses more expensive etching plasma etching tools -- to achieve throughput that is achieved when using smaller wafers;
- the dry etching rates range between 50nm and 200nm per minute;
- it creates bright, efficient LEDs but does so slowly and with limited throughput.
Wet etching
- wet etching process provides the advantage of being extremely fast and it comes a lot cheaper than dry etching;
- the LEDs that are produced using wet etching process are not as efficient and effective as that of the dry etching process; however, it is very scalable.
- wet etching process can save some of the operational costs as it is a lot cheaper than the dry etching process;
- in a wet etching process, the etcher needs to perform a polishing touch-up on the wafers to improve the light extraction efficiency.
Some equipment used in etching process:
The Accubath Xe-Series -- an etching bath equipment from Imtec Acculine, was designed with Sapphire etching in mind but we know there are other processes that will benefit from the increased chemical reactivity that higher temperatures provide (300C). Processes that were previously thought to be too slow due to temperature limitations may now be practical because of innovations like this.
Hitachi High-tech Silicon Etch System -- this equipment is used in dry etching based on an ECR(*1) plasma source, it is capable of generating a stable high density plasma at a very low pressure.
CDE-80N Chemical Dry Etching Equipment -- used chemical dry etching process for thin film in a gaseous state semiconductor process. Damage-free etching process, through perfect separation of the etching unit and plasma generating unit, enables wide use in the damage removal process.
Each of the etching processes discussed above has its own advantages and disadvantages. But, just like any other processes, stick to the one you think can help in improving your bottom-line -- revenue.
About the Author:
Paul Drake writes a wide variety of industry-related topics such as etching sapphire equipment. He utilizes his years of work experience in a high tech industry in writing useful resources. To learn more about wet etching process, visit Imtec Acculine official website.
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