Plasma-Therm and UC Berkeley host dry etching workshop

ST. PETERSBURG, USA: The Marvell Nanofabrication Laboratory at the University of California, Berkeley and Plasma-Therm LLC sponsored a full day technical workshop on plasma dry etching. The workshop provided the fundamentals of plasma etching technology and included sessions on advanced plasma processing technology.

Plasma processing, a critical technology for defining patterns through etching for the electronics industry, has also found important applications in a wide range of sciences and technologies. Attendees with backgrounds in chemistry, physics, materials, biosciences, and other disciplines were able to learn about applying plasma etching to the fabrication of electronic, photonic, medical, and nanoscale devices.

Presentations on the basics of plasma etching, plasma reactor systems, and understanding etching mechanisms, were followed by lectures describing leading edge etch processes for deep silicon, III-V compound semiconductors, dielectric materials, and metals. The audience consisted of students, engineering staff, professors and professionals in the semiconductor industry from local companies.

The Marvell Nanofabrication Laboratory is a new state-of-the-art facility providing critical research and development facilities for academia and local industry. “The broad mission and dynamic nature of the facility with several hundred facility users, makes education programs of this type very valuable,” said Dr. Bill Flounders, executive director of the lab. “Attendees provided multiple positive reviews describing the presentations as engaging and constructive. Having a leading equipment vendor provide this type of long term investment in education is uncommon and will result in a return for all.”

“Our commitment to our customers extends beyond providing service and leading technology. Being able to contribute to the education of developing researchers is rewarding in its own right,” explained Dr. David Lishan, Plasma-Therm principal scientist and one of the instructors for the Workshop.

“Providing our advanced technology in a workshop format promotes another level of interaction allows both groups to benefit. We strengthen our ties to present and future leading researchers and their projects and they gain insight into our technology that will help them achieve their research goals.”