ICP

The STS ICP is a plasma etch tool used for inductively coupled plasma processing. In semiconductor fabrication, this class of machine removes material from patterned wafers by using a plasma source and controlled wafer bias to drive directional etching.

An inductively coupled plasma etcher generates a dense plasma from process gases using an inductive source. The wafer sits on a platen or chuck where bias power helps control ion energy at the surface, allowing the etch to be tuned for anisotropy, selectivity, and rate.

In this equipment class, the plasma chemistry is chosen to match the material being removed, and endpoint or process control may be used to stop the etch at the desired depth. The tool is typically configured for wafer processing rather than blanket material removal.

ICP etchers sit in the dry-etch portion of the process flow after lithography has patterned a mask on the wafer. They are used before downstream cleaning, stripping, or further pattern-transfer steps.

A related STS ICP DRIE system is used for deep silicon etching with the Bosch process, and an STS ICP plasma etcher is also used for metals etching, deep polymer etching, and etching of silicon, silicon dioxide, and silicon nitride thin films.^[2][3]