Comparison of dry etching of PMMA and polycarbonate in diffusion pump-based O2 capacitively coupled plasma and inductively coupled plasma

We report a comparison of dry etching of polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) and polycarbonate (PC) in O₂ capacitively coupled plasma (CCP) and inductively coupled plasma (ICP). A diffusion pump was used as high vacuum pump in both cases. Experimental variables were process pressure (30-180 mTorr), CCP power (25-150 W) and ICP power (0-350 W). Gas flow rate was fixed at 5 sccm. An optimized process pressure range of 40-60 mTorr was found for the maximum etch rate of PMMA and PC in both CCP and ICP etch modes. ICP etching produced the highest etch rate of 0.9 μm/min for PMMA at 40 mTorr, 100 W CCP and 300 W ICP power, while 100 W CCP only plasma produced 0.46 μm/min for PMMA at the same condition. For polycarbonate, the highest etch rates were 0.45 and 0.27 μm/min, respectively. RMS surface roughnesses of PMMA and PC were about 2-3 nm after etching. Etch selectivity of PMMA over photoresist was 1-2 and that of PC was less than 1. When ICP power increased from 0 to 350 W, etch rates of PMMA and PC increased linearly from 0.47 to 1.18 μm/min and from 0.18 to 0.6 μm/min, while the negative self bias slightly reduced from 364 to 352 V. Increase of CCP power raised both self bias and PMMA etch rate. PMMA etch rates were about 3 times higher than those of PC at the same CCP conditions. SEM data showed that there was some undercutting of PMMA and PC after etching at 300 W ICP, 100 W CCP and 40 mTorr. The results also showed that the etched surface of PMMA was rough and that of PC was relatively smooth.     

Design of two-dimensional photonic crystal structure based in all-angle negative refractive effect for application in focusing systems

A design of a polarisation independent focusing system of electromagnetic waves in a two-dimensional photonic crystal (PC) is proposed and numerically demonstrated by using the finite-difference time-domain method. We have shown that by the careful selection of both the refractive index of the high index material and the air cylinder radius, a complete all-angle negative refraction can be obtained for both the transverse electric (TE) and the transverse magnetic (TM) polarisations. We have demonstrated that the proposed PC structures can focus either the TE or the TM or both TE and TM polarised waves with sub-wavelength resolution. In addition, a significant improvement of the image resolution has been presented     

Effects of radical-distribution control on etching-profile uniformity in dielectric etching

Uniformity control of etching profile and etching rate across a wafer during damascene etching was investigated using a UHF-ECR etching apparatus with a dual-zone gas-injection system. Uniform etching rate was obtained under various conditions by controlling magnetic field distribution. It was found that etching profile could be controlled without affecting etching-rate uniformity by changing the ratio of inner- to outer-nitrogen-gas flow rate above the wafer. The effect of feed-gas control on radical distribution was evaluated by simulation and measurement of the radical distribution, which showed that controlling the gas-mixing ratio changed the distribution of the nitrogen-to-CF_x ratio. With SiOC via hole etching, nanometer-level bottom-CD uniformity at high etching-rate uniformity was obtained.     

Two-dimensional photonic crystal resist membrane nanocavity embedding colloidal dot-in-a-rod nanocrystals

A novel technique for the fabrication of photonic crystal (PC) nanocavities coupled with colloidal nanocrystals is presented. A waveguiding resist membrane embedding highly emitting dot-in-a-rod nanocrystals was patterned through e-beam lithography and released through wet etching process. The proposed approach makes the PC structure independent of fabrication imperfections induced by etching steps. Micro-photoluminescence spectra revealed degenerated resonant modes (Q-factor approximately 700) whose fabrication-induced spectral splitting is comparable to the full width at half-maximum of the peaks. Active nanocavities tunable from visible to infrared spectral range on GaAs or Si substrates can be easily implemented by this technique.     

Shielded magnetoresistive head for high density recording

The fabrication process and the head material properties for shielded magnetoresistive heads with planarized lower shields using a tri-layered MR element are described in detail. Applying the etch-back process with low molecular weight polystyrene and CF₄/O₂ reactive ion etching, the residual step height for a lower shield is dramatically decreased to less than 5% of the initial step height. The tri-layered MR element consists of an MR layer, a magnetic separation layer (MSL), and a soft adjacent layer (SAL). 40-nm thick Ni ₈₁Fe₁₉ (wt.%) films were deposited by evaporation for use as an MR layer. Evaporated Ti MSL thickness was experimentally determined to be 20 nm. Amorphous Co₈₂Zr₆Mo₁₂ SAL films exhibited preferable magnetic properties as an SAL material. The fabricated shielded MR heads, using the tri-layered MR element with these NiFe, Ti, and CoZrMo films, provide superior capability to realize high recording density     

Integrated optical polarization splitter based on photobleaching-induced birefringence in azo dye polymers

An integrated optical polarization splitter has been fabricated by utilizing the photobleaching-induced birefringence in an azo dye polymer. It consists of a Y-branch waveguide formed by the reactive ion etching with one of the two arms photobleached. The refractive index of the photobleached arm is decreased for the TE mode and increased for the TM mode. The performance of the splitter was measured as a function of the energy of the photobleaching beam and compared to a wave propagation simulation of the device. The measured cross talks are less than -28 dB for the TM mode and -24 dB for the TE mode at a wavelength of 1310 nm. The measured excess losses for the TE and TM modes, which measure the effect of the Y branch and the photobleaching, are 0.3 and 0.4 dB, respectively. The insertion loss was 5 dB, which includes the input fiber to waveguide coupling loss.     

Toughened blends of poly(butylene terephthalate) and BPA polycarbonate

The morphologies of melt blends of poly(butylene terephthalate) (PBT) and bisphenol A polycarbonate (PC) toughened with a core/shell impact modifier have been characterized by transmission and scanning electron microscopy. Selective staining with ruthenium and osmium tetroxide and etching with diethylene triamine have been used to assess the distribution of the various blend components and investigate the effects of thermal history on morphology. Strong evidence for partial melt miscibility of PC and PBT and rate-dependent segregation during cooling is presented.     

Fabrication of SiO2 Microcantilever Using Isotropic Etching With ICP

This paper reports a new design and microfabrication process for high sensing guard-armed silicon dioxide (SiO₂ ) microcantilever sensor, which can be widely used in chemical, environmental and biomedical applications. One sensor platform consists of two SiO₂ cantilever beams as the sensing and reference elements, two connecting wings, and three guard arms. The guard arms prevent damage to the cantilever beam from collision. To efficiently release the SiO₂ cantilevers from the silicon substrate, an isotropic etch method using inductively coupled plasma (ICP) was developed. The isotropic etching with ICP system provides an advantage in good profile control and high etching rate than wet isotropic etching or conventional RIE (reactive ion etching); however, it has not been gained many attentions. In this work, the effects of chamber pressure, plasma source power, substrate power, SF₆ flow rate relating with Si etching rate, undercutting rate, and isotropic ratio were investigated and discussed. The optimum isotropic etching process achieved a 9.1 mum/min etch rate, 70% isotropic ratio, and 92% etching uniformity. The SiO₂ cantilever sensor was fabricated and the cantilever beam was successfully released using a patterned photoresist layer as an etching mask. This plasma isotropic etching release processing can be also applied to release other SiO₂ or metal suspended MEMS structures, such as bridges and membranes, with a fast etch rate and reasonable isotropic ratio.     

A study of the chemical and morphological alterations of PS and PC surfaces induced by excimer laser treatments

The effect of laser irradiation on polystyrene (PS) and bisphenol-A polycarbonate (PC) has been studied by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), optical microscopy and surface profilometry. The dependence of the surface chemical and morphological properties on wavelength and fluence has been investigated.On both materials no apparent chemical modification was induced by irradiation at 350 nm, there is no evidence of non-linear effects. Morphological alterations were induced in the PS subsurface, due to thermal shock effects. The irradiation of both polymers at 248 and 193 nm did not result in photoassisted oxidation. In the case of PS, etching is evident at 193 nm. Irradiation of PC at 248 nm induces oxygen depletion and photo-Fries rearrangements, whereas at 193 nm oxygen depletion and etching are predominant. In both polymers etching yields peculiar surface morphologies, namely the formation of debris and cone-like structures.     

电偶腐蚀法制备多孔硅的研究EI

用电偶腐蚀法制备多孔硅,主要研究了铂电极的优化制备工艺以及腐蚀条件对多孔硅厚度的影响,并且结合SEM,AFM等测试手段对所制备的多孔硅的表面形貌进行了分析。实验发现,在相同的腐蚀条件下,多孔硅的厚度随铂电极的厚度以及铂电极与腐蚀硅片的面积比的增大而增大。     

The maximum temperature difference and polar characteristic of two-stage thermoelectric coolers

The maximum temperature differences (MTDs) of three types of two-stage thermoelectric (TE) coolers are analysed, which are the ones with thermocouples at two stages electrically connected in series and parallel and electrically separated, respectively. The analyses are all performed with respect to an important ratio r in two-stage TE coolers, viz the ratio of thermocouple number between stages. The MTDs of the first and the last configurations can be both far higher than that of a one-stage TE cooler, which may promote the cryogenic applications of TE coolers. When r approaches to infinity, close-form formulae of their limiting MTDs are found. In the mean time, the polar characteristic of two-stage TE coolers is discussed, when the supplied electric current(s) is alternated.     

Formation of high aspect ratio GaAs nanostructures with metal-assisted chemical etching

Periodic high aspect ratio GaAs nanopillars with widths in the range of 500-1000 nm are produced by metal-assisted chemical etching (MacEtch) using n-type (100) GaAs substrates and Au catalyst films patterned with soft lithography. Depending on the etchant concentration and etching temperature, GaAs nanowires with either vertical or undulating sidewalls are formed with an etch rate of 1-2 μm/min. The realization of high aspect ratio III-V nanostructure arrays by wet etching can potentially transform the fabrication of a variety of optoelectronic device structures including distributed Bragg reflector (DBR) and distributed feedback (DFB) semiconductor lasers, where the surface grating is currently fabricated by dry etching.     

PET/PC共混物配比对其高压结晶行为的影响

利用SEM及W AXD等测试手段研究了配比对PET/PC共混物高压结晶行为的影响。SEM观察表明,随PC比例的增加,共混物高压下主要结晶形态以伸直链晶体,生长成熟的立体开放球晶,大尺寸球晶的方式变化。拟合分峰法和W arren-A verbach傅氏分析法的计算结果表明,随PC含量的增加,高压结晶共混物的结晶度降低,PET的平均晶粒尺寸总体呈减小趋势,晶粒尺寸分布则变窄,而晶格畸变平均值在一定PC比例范围内达到极大值。     

类金刚石薄膜的反应离子刻蚀

为了刻蚀出图形完整、侧壁陡直、失真度小、独立的类金刚石薄膜微器件,反应离子刻蚀是一种有效地刻蚀方法。研究了氧气与氩气的混合气体进行类金刚石薄膜刻蚀的主要工艺参数(刻蚀时间、有无掩膜、氩氧体积混合比、负偏压)。研究结果表明:在相同条件下,刻蚀速率随刻蚀时间变化不大;有无掩膜对刻蚀速率无明显影响;流量一定时,刻蚀速率随氩氧体积比的增大而降低,随负偏压的增大先增大后减小。实验得到最佳刻蚀条件,在此条件下,刻蚀出图形完整、侧壁陡直、失真度小的微器件,并成功制备出"独立"的微齿轮,进行了组装。     

A simulation model considering sidewall deposition for the precise prediction of the performance of label-free photonic-crystal biosensors

Photonic-crystal (PC) structures are used as biosensors that detect the changes in the surrounding refractive index due to biomolecular interactions. In this study, a method of modeling a PC structure that considers the sidewall deposition effect during high-index layer deposition was proposed to precisely predict the performance of a label-free PC biosensor. A PC composed of nanoreplicated grating and a TiO2 high-index layer was fabricated. To replicate nanograting, a silicon mold with a 450 nm pitch and a 100 nm grating height was fabricated via photolithography and reactive ion etching. A mold cavity was coated with a self-assembled monolayer, and UV replication was performed. To realize the PC structure, a TiO2 high-index layer was deposited using the E-beam evaporation system. To design the simulation model considering the sidewall deposition effect, the cross-sectional surface profile of each PC layer was measured. Finally, the changes in the transmission spectrum of the fabricated PC structure with different buffer solutions were measured and compared with the simulated results obtained from rigorous coupled wave analysis to examine the prediction accuracy of the proposed simulation model.     

Metallographic techniques for the determination of the austenite grain size in medium-carbon microalloyed steels

Different techniques have been investigated to seek the best procedure to reveal the prior-austenite grain boundaries in three medium-carbon microalloyed steels. This study has been carried out over a wide range of temperatures (950–1250°C) and it has been found that thermal etching (TE) is the best technique to reveal the prior-austenite grain boundaries in these steels.     

Enlarged Photonic Band Gap in Heterostructure of Metallic Photonic and Superconducting Photonic Crystals

We show theoretically that the frequency range of photonic band gap of a hetero-structure which is made of a metallic photonic and superconducting photonic crystal can be enlarged due to the combination of the reflection band properties of the superconductor–dielectric (PC1) and metallic–dielectric (PC2) periodic structures. The transmittance and band structure of the considered structures are calculated using simple transfer matrix method and the Bloch theorem. Beside this, we have also calculated the transmittance of the superconducting photonic structure (PC1), metallic photonic structure (PC2) and heterostructure of metallic photonic and superconductor photonic crystals (PC1/PC2) for TE and TM-mode at the different angles of incidence.     

MR head wafer fabrication technology: current and futureperspectives

Areal storage densities and yield requirements continuously drive process optimizations in volume manufacturing of magnetoresistive (MR) heads. Several topics related to the manufacturability of MR heads are discussed. A dependable supply of MR sputter targets with low magnetostriction λ_s is critical. By using an internally developed technique, λ_s can be predicted to within ±1.0×10^-7. MR film thickness uniformity can be improved by 60% by synchronizing the shutter activation with the substrate table. The profile of the photoresist for the read trackwidth definition is affected by initial exposure dose and post expose bake temperature. The use of mass-spectrometric and optical emission endpoint detection methods during ion beam etching of the MR layers allows a precise determination of the stopping point without overmilling into the layer underneath     

Increasing the efficiency of single walled carbon nanotube amplification by Fe-Co catalysts through the optimization of CH4/H2 partial pressures

Single walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) seeds are grown using Fe-Co nanoparticles on spin-on-glass. The relative efficiency of nucleation and amplification (versus etching) was investigated as a function of the CH(4)/H(2) feedstock ratio and growth temperature. At 900 °C, maximum amplification is obtained with CH(4)/H(2) ratio of 80:20 but 60:40 for nucleation. Amplification is further enhanced at 800 °C, compared with etching dominating at 1000 °C. Amplification of SWNTs is in equilibrium with etching; higher carbon feedstock pressure and decreased temperature increase the rate of amplification; the converse increases etching.     

Study of Effect of Bended Graphene on Its Magnetoresistance and Spin Filtration

Density functional theory (DFT) is used to investigate the spin-dependent quantum transport through bended graphene. Bending results in reduced bandgap in graphene and affects the spin transport by increasing current in parallel configuration (PC) resulting in an increase in magnetoresistance (MR). In antiparallel configuration (APC), bending limits the spin-down current, which results in higher magnetoresistance at all biases. In bended graphene, the magnetoresistance obtained is higher than the MR obtained in pristine and twisted graphene-based structure. High spin filtration for PC and APC is observed in the case of bended graphene as compared with pristine and twisted graphene. However, pristine graphene gives better spin filtration compared with twisted graphene at low voltages.