By IMT Masken und Teilungen AG
In RIE (reactive-ion etching), ions are accelerated in an electric field. As this takes place using etching gases such as SF6, this is a mixed process consisting of chemical and physical ablation(sputtering). In contrast to wet-chemical processes, the isotropic/anisotropic etching ratio can be manipulated using various parameters. This means that almost any aspect ratio is technically possible with RIE, giving the user much more freedom. This is contrasted with slow etch rates (nm/min), which extend the processing time, and the substrate being limited to fused silica.
