The preliminary study of etching characteristics of atmospheric pressure trifluoromethane plasma jet etching

Abstract The capacitive coupling radio frequency atmospheric pressure plasma jet for silicon etching, through the carrier gas carrying trifluoromethane gas, varying the gas flow rate for plasma etching. It finds the impact of varying gas flow rates on plasma etching and analyzes the resulting two-dimensional and three-dimensional surface topographies using surface profilometer. Experimental findings indicate that at a trifluoromethane flow rate of 250 sccm and a working distance of 6 mm, the etching rate achieves 38.7 μm/min. Notably, the research emphasizes the crucial role of trifluoromethane (CHF3) gas in plasma etching, highlighting its fluorocarbon ratio and chemical structure as primary factors influencing the etching process on monocrystalline silicon. Ultimately, the study proposes a methodology involving trifluoromethane gas for silicon wafer etching, enabling the transformation of micro-patterns onto crystalline silicon using a mask. This research contributes valuable insights into optimizing plasma etching techniques for microfabrication processes in semiconductor technology.