Title: Process characterisation of deep reactive ion etching for microfluidic application

Authors: Chien Mau Dang; Ngan Nguyen Le; Khanh Kim Huynh; Hue Cam Thi Phan; Dung My Thi Dang; Eric Fribourg-Blanc

Addresses: Laboratory for Nanotechnology, Vietnam National University – Ho Chi Minh City, Community 6, Linh Trung Ward, Thu Duc District, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam ' Laboratory for Nanotechnology, Vietnam National University – Ho Chi Minh City, Community 6, Linh Trung Ward, Thu Duc District, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam; University of Science, Vietnam National University – Ho Chi Minh City, 227 Nguyen Van Cu Street, District 5, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam ' Laboratory for Nanotechnology, Vietnam National University – Ho Chi Minh City, Community 6, Linh Trung Ward, Thu Duc District, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam ' Laboratory for Nanotechnology, Vietnam National University – Ho Chi Minh City, Community 6, Linh Trung Ward, Thu Duc District, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam ' Laboratory for Nanotechnology, Vietnam National University – Ho Chi Minh City, Community 6, Linh Trung Ward, Thu Duc District, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam ' Laboratory for Nanotechnology, Vietnam National University – Ho Chi Minh City, Community 6, Linh Trung Ward, Thu Duc District, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Abstract: The goal of this paper is to investigate the influence of parameters of the Bosch deep reactive ion etching (DRIE) process on etched surface profile, sidewall profile and etch rate of micrometre silicon features. By investigating these parameters, we found the conditions to obtain smooth sidewall, high etch rate and balance of chemical and physical etching in the DRIE process. In this paper, the silicon surface was covered by a thin silver patterning, created by lift-off, as a hard mask for the DRIE process. The etched samples were characterised by optical microscopy and mechanical profilometry. The results show smooth sidewall of 136 μm-deep silicon trenches obtained at a high etch rate of 4 µm/min using 5 sccm C4F8, 8 sccm O2 and 24 W of bias power.

Keywords: deep reactive ion etching; DRIE; vertical sidewall; surface profile; microfluidic.

DOI: 10.1504/IJNT.2018.089565

International Journal of Nanotechnology, 2018 Vol.15 No.1/2/3, pp.145 - 156

Published online: 30 Jan 2018 *

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