Dry and plasma etching
About the instruments
Yale’s cleanroom is equipped with multiple dry etchers and a wide variety of process gases. It is capable of etching metals, semiconductors, and organic films at controllable rates with high selectivity. The cleanroom is also capable of filling niche applications such as cryo and Bosch deep silicon etching and oxygen surface cleaning.
The Oxford 100 and DRIE both require four-inch wafers. When etching smaller samples, it is recommended to mount samples to a four-inch carrier wafer. The cleanroom supplies Crystalbond 555-HMP for this purpose, but photoresist, Santovac 5, and AIT Cool-Grease are all acceptable alternatives.
For wet etching capabilities, see the wet chemistry hoods.
Available to Yale researchers & external researchers
Equipment list
- Oxford 100 RIE-ICP-1
- Oxford 100 RIE-ICP-2
- Oxford 80+ ICP RIE
- Oxford Cryo Bosch DRIE
- AutoGlow 200 Etcher-1
- AutoGlow 200 Etcher-2
- XactiX XeF2 Silicon Etcher
Oxford 100 RIE-ICP-1
The Oxford 100 ICP RIE is a versatile load-locked etcher supporting a wide range of materials including III-V semiconductors, silicon, and certain metals. It supports up to 11 process gases including both fluorine- and chlorine-based chemistries, and is optimized for deep silicon and dielectric etching. Samples must be 4-inch wafers or mounted on 4-inch carriers. Back to top
Process gases: Cl₂, BCl₃, CH₄, SF₆, CHF₃, CF₄, O₂, Ar, H₂
Materials: Si, SiO₂, Si₃N₄, GaAs, GaN, Al, AlN, Al₂O₃, LiNbO₃, InP, MoS₂, Ni, SiC, Parylene, hBN, FTO
Banned: Au, Ag, Pt, Cu, magnetic materials
RF powers: ICP 3 kW / RIE 600 W
Cooling: Water-cooled substrate
Wafer size: Up to 200 mm
Tool manager: Yong Sun
Location: Main Campus Cleanroom
Rate: $64/hour
Oxford 100 RIE-ICP-2
The Oxford PlasmaPro 100 at West Campus is a load-locked ICP-RIE system offering etching for a wide range of materials including silicon, wide-bandgap semiconductors, and 2D materials. Its separated ICP and RIE power controls allow fine-tuned plasma density and energy control. Back to top
Process gases: CHF₃, CF₄, SF₆, C₄F₈, Ar, H₂, CH₄, O₂, Cl₂, BCl₃
Materials: GaN, GaAs, AlN, Si, SiO₂
RF powers: ICP 3 kW / RIE 300 W
Substrate cooling: Water-cooled
Wafer size: Up to 200 mm
Features: Load-lock with transfer arm
Tool manager: Yong Sun
Location: West Campus Cleanroom
Rate: $64/hour
Oxford 80+ ICP RIE
The Oxford 80+ is an open-load etcher specialized for superconductors and other clean materials. It is configured with a 2-inch graphite clamp and helium backside cooling, and supports etching at the nano- to micron-scale using fluorine-based gases. Back to top
Process gases: O₂, SF₆, CF₄, CHF₃, Ar
Materials: Si, SiO₂, Si₃N₄, Nb, NbN, Ta, Ge, PMMA, positive resist
Banned: Au, Ag, Pt, Cu, most other materials
RF powers: ICP 600 W / RIE 600 W
Tool manager: Yong Sun
Location: Main Campus Cleanroom
Rate: $64/hour
Oxford Cryo Bosch DRIE
A high-aspect-ratio Deep Reactive Ion Etcher supporting both Bosch and cryogenic etch processes. This load-locked system is ideal for MEMS, microfluidics, and mold fabrication. Back to top
Process gases: O₂, SF₆, C₄F₈, Ar, CF₄, CHF₃
Materials: Si, SiO₂, Si₃N₄, Al, Al₂O₃, AlN, Ni, Cr, PMMA, positive resist
RF powers: ICP 3 kW / RIE 600 W
Wafer requirement: 4-inch or mounted on 4-inch carrier
Tool manager: Yong Sun
Location: Main Campus Cleanroom
Rate: $64/hour
AutoGlow 200 Etcher-1
A benchtop plasma cleaner designed for oxygen and argon plasma processes. Used for surface modification, cleaning, PDMS activation, and SU8 or biochip preparation. Back to top
Gases: O₂, Ar
Power: 50–300 W
Modes: Two-level shelf for high- and low-power zones
Application: General substrate cleaning and surface treatment
Tool manager: Yong Sun
Location: Main Campus Cleanroom
Rate: Included with cleanroom access
AutoGlow 200 Etcher-2
Identical in core design to the main campus version, but includes added flexibility with 1 W resolution RF control, display feedback, and N₂ purge functionality. Suitable for both plasma cleaning and light RIE-style processes. Back to top
Gases: O₂, Ar, N₂ purge (adjustable flow)
Power: 1–300 W (13.56 MHz), 1 W increments
Chamber config: Dual-shelf electrode, configurable for top/bottom RF
Wafer capacity: 8" round or 200 × 200 mm square
Tool manager: Yong Sun
Location: West Campus Cleanroom
Rate: Included with cleanroom access
XactiX XeF2 Silicon Etcher
Ideal for MEMS device release, the XactiX XeF2 uses vapor to spontaneously react with silicon in a high selectivity etch process. It etches isotropically and is ideal for situations where under ten percent of the sample is exposed. Back to top
Tool manager: Yong Sun
Location: Main Campus Cleanroom
Rate: Included with cleanroom access