I am interested in one to three 6-inch sapphire wafers to use as carrier wafers for silicon chips during Deep Reactive Ion Etching (DRIE) using gases such as SF6, C4F8, CHF3, and O2. The sapphire wafer must withstand extended plasma etching conditions while supporting the silicon devices throughout the process.
Researchers Using Substrates for Reactive Ion Etching (RIE)
UniversityWafer, Inc. supplies research-grade substrates for Reactive Ion Etching (RIE) and Deep Reactive Ion Etching (DRIE) applications. Universities, national laboratories, and semiconductor manufacturers use our silicon, sapphire, SOI, silicon carbide, and other specialty wafers for plasma etching, MEMS fabrication, microelectronics, photonics, and advanced device development.
Researcher Request for Sapphire Carrier Wafers:
Sapphire is frequently selected as a carrier wafer because of its excellent mechanical strength, thermal stability, plasma resistance, and chemical durability during aggressive RIE and DRIE processing.
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Silicon-on-Insulator (SOI) Wafers for RIE
Postdoctoral Researcher Request:
I would like to purchase Silicon-on-Insulator (SOI) wafers with a 220 nm device layer and a 2 µm buried oxide layer. I also need information about the boron doping concentration before ordering.
I plan to remove the silicon device layer using either wet chemical etching or Reactive Ion Etching (RIE). Will the buried silicon dioxide surface remain smooth after the etching process?
I am also interested in understanding the differences between wet thermal oxide and dry thermal oxide for a 2 µm silicon dioxide layer.
Reference #249995 for specifications and pricing.
SOI wafers are widely used in MEMS fabrication, integrated photonics, RF devices, silicon photonics, and advanced CMOS technology because they enable highly precise plasma etching while providing excellent electrical isolation. UniversityWafer, Inc. offers research-grade SOI wafers in a variety of device-layer thicknesses, buried oxide (BOX) thicknesses, dopant types, orientations, and diameters to support RIE and DRIE process development.
What is Reactive Ion Etching (RIE)?
Researcher Request:
I need two silicon carbide (SiC) substrates, double-side polished, 25.4 mm in diameter and as thick as possible for my Reactive Ion Etching (RIE) research. Please include shipping costs with the quotation.
Reference #214215 for specifications and pricing.
Reactive Ion Etching (RIE) is a highly controlled plasma etching process used in semiconductor manufacturing, MEMS fabrication, photonics, and microelectronics. Unlike wet chemical etching, RIE combines chemical reactions with physical ion bombardment to produce precise, anisotropic etch profiles while maintaining excellent dimensional control.
During the process, reactive gases such as SF6, CF4, CHF3, O2, Cl2, BCl3, and other fluorine- or chlorine-based chemistries are ionized inside a vacuum chamber using radio-frequency (RF) power. The resulting plasma removes material from the substrate with exceptional accuracy, making RIE an essential fabrication technique for advanced semiconductor devices.
Advantages of Reactive Ion Etching
Reactive Ion Etching offers several advantages over conventional wet etching processes:
- Highly anisotropic etching for vertical sidewalls
- Excellent dimensional accuracy and repeatability
- High selectivity between different materials
- Suitable for complex MEMS and microelectronic structures
- Compatible with nanoscale device fabrication
- Excellent process control for semiconductor manufacturing
These capabilities make RIE one of the most widely used dry etching technologies for integrated circuits, photonic devices, sensors, and advanced semiconductor packaging.
Common Substrates Used for Reactive Ion Etching
Reactive Ion Etching can process a wide variety of semiconductor, dielectric, and compound semiconductor materials used in research and manufacturing.
- Silicon Wafers — the most common substrate for integrated circuits, MEMS, and microelectromechanical systems.
- Silicon-on-Insulator (SOI) — frequently used for MEMS devices, photonic integrated circuits, and advanced CMOS fabrication.
- Silicon Dioxide (SiO₂) — commonly etched for dielectric isolation, MEMS structures, and integrated circuit fabrication.
- Silicon Nitride (Si₃N₄) — valued for its chemical resistance, dielectric properties, and use as an etch mask or passivation layer.
- Sapphire (Al₂O₃) — commonly used as carrier wafers and substrates for GaN-based optoelectronic devices.
- Silicon Carbide (SiC) — ideal for high-power electronics, RF devices, harsh-environment sensors, and plasma processing research.
- Gallium Arsenide (GaAs) — used for high-speed electronics, RF components, and microwave devices.
- Gallium Nitride (GaN) — widely used for LEDs, laser diodes, RF amplifiers, and power electronics.
- Metal Films — including aluminum, titanium, chromium, nickel, and copper used for contacts and interconnects.
Applications of Reactive Ion Etching
Reactive Ion Etching plays an essential role in advanced semiconductor manufacturing and research laboratories around the world. Typical applications include:
- MEMS fabrication
- Deep Reactive Ion Etching (DRIE)
- Microelectronic device fabrication
- CMOS process development
- Integrated photonics
- Microfluidic device fabrication
- Power semiconductor manufacturing
- Optoelectronic devices
- Sensors and biosensors
- Nanotechnology research
UniversityWafer, Inc. supplies research-grade silicon wafers, SOI wafers, sapphire, silicon carbide, gallium arsenide, gallium nitride, thermal oxide, silicon nitride, and other specialty substrates used in Reactive Ion Etching, Deep Reactive Ion Etching (DRIE), plasma processing, and semiconductor process development.