24 August 2016

Seoul National University employs Advanced Vacuum plasma systems in nanotechnology research

South Korea's Seoul National University has integrated two Advanced Vacuum plasma processing systems from equipment maker Plasma-Therm LLC of St Petersburg, FL, USA into its nanotechnology fabrication lab, which supports multiple users engaged in wide-ranging nanotechnology research.

Lab researchers recently installed two Apex SLR systems incorporating Plasma-Therm's inductively coupled plasma (ICP) source technology. One system is configured for dry etching, and the second system is configured for high-density plasma chemical vapor deposition (HDPCVD).

Jong-Seung Park, team manager/fab operations at Seoul National University, said the university's cleanroom facility serves many users that are employing the Apex SLR systems' etch and deposition capabilities. "Both systems operate as we expected and deliver reproducible results over the last more than 16 months."

The Apex SLR ICP system utilizes chlorine-based chemistries for etching various materials, with an emphasis on aluminium interconnects, says Park. The Apex SLR HDPCVD system has been employed for a wide range of silicon oxide and silicon nitride deposition processes, such as trench or gap filling for device fabrication.

Apex SLR systems are suitable for both corporate R&D and academic research, notes Dr David Lishan, director, technical marketing for Plasma-Therm. "The Apex SLR, with its very strong and successful processing history, excellent uniformity and reproducibility, has proven highly productive in research environments," Lishan adds. "The ability for facilities like SNU's to task Apex SLR systems and quickly achieve process specs for multiple users are big reasons for selection of Apex SLR."

Advanced Vacuum Apex SLR systems are versatile, small-footprint, field-proven tools for all plasma processing applications. The Apex SLR ICP is capable of etching a wide range of materials for semiconductor devices and other types of nanotechnology. The Apex SLR HDPCVD performs deposition of high-quality thin films at relatively low temperatures for applications such as optical coatings, semiconductor device passivation layers, and other nano-electronic fabrication processes with limited thermal budgets.

Tags: Plasma-Therm

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