Micro Metamaterial Fabrication

Weekly Report -9
1) Overall Goals:

❖ Fabrication of Micro-metamaterial (MM) with periodic array of square holes & periodicity (66µm,
30µm, 15µm and 10µm).
❖ Fabrication using 110 wafer through wet etching process to achieve high aspect ratio features in
met material.
❖ With the new purchased wafers (P-type <110>, 200µm thick), aim is to achieve long trenches of
10µm wide and a depth of 200µm.

2) Week’s Goal:

❖ To achieve precise alignment of the crystal planes during lithography process.

❖ To achieve long trenches with 10µm wide and a depth of 200µm with KOH etching

3) Steps Carried Out to meet the week’s goal:

❖ For a p-Si <110> wafer, the schematic of the etched structure is given below (Image 1) :

70.52˚
Long
trench
Patterns
Alignment
for vertical
35.3˚ sidewall

Image 1: Schematic of <110> etched structure

❖ To achieve straight side walls and deep trenches, it is imperative to accurately align the
̅̅̅̅) plane as shown in the
sidewalls of the long trenches (shown in yellow stripes) to the (111
above Image1.
❖ We have received new wafers (p-Si, <110>, 200µm thick, Single Side Polished) wafers.
❖ We have used 1 wafer for fabrication and it was diced as per crystal plane orientation (35.3˚
with respect to wafer flat).
❖ The diced wafer was thoroughly cleaned for fabrication process.
❖ A thick masking layer of thermal oxide (1.4µm) was grown on the wafer. This is used to protect
the Silicon surface where the etching is not required.
❖ We have a used mask for microfluidics with 10µm wide 850µm long trench patterns.
❖ Patterning was carried out in MA6/BA6 Mask aligner tool where patterns are transferred into
the wafer.
 ❖ To etch out the exposed oxide layer after the lithography process, Dry plasma etching (ICPRIE)
was carried out.

4) Results:

❖ The oxide measurement was carried out on the full wafer using a Spectroscopic Ellipsometer.
The Oxide chart thickness chart is given below in Image (2). The average measured thickness
was1370nm-1400nm (1.37µm-1.4µm).
Oxide thickness

Image (2)
❖ Patterning was carried out in MA6/BA6 Mask aligner tool where the long trench patterns are
transferred into the wafer.
❖ Upon observation, the 10µm wide trench patterns were developed perfectly for further process.
❖ The transferred patterns were imaged using Confocal Microscope and the images are given
below Image (3) & Image (4) with dimensions.

850µm long trench

Image (3)
10µm

Image (4)

5) Future Work:

❖ Dry plasma etching (ICPRIE) to etch out the exposed oxide layer after the lithography.
❖ Wet KOH etching of the trenches and etch profile study.
❖ Design new mask as per the new received wafer dimensions.