Dry wafer backside etching

05/01/1997

Dry wafer backside etching

This dry etcher removes wafer backside layers without frontside protection. Radicals from a microwave source etch the backside, edges, and a small but sharply defined region on the wafer edge on the frontside. The frontside itself is protected by inert gas. Throughput for a poly-buffered LOCOS mask is >40 wafers/hour with two process chambers (four are possible). Etch rate is high for nitride and polysilicon. SECON, Vienna, Austria; ph 43/1767-56410, fax 43/1767-564112, e-mail [email protected].