The objective of this is to develop a multi-chamber and multi-function plasma system to allow for etching and surface modification of a wide range of materials for nanotechnology, MEMS and photonics. Although conventional silicon processing uses standard 4 and 6-inch silicon wafers, many specialty materials come in different forms, such as smaller wafers, squares, or wafer fragments. Thus, special attention will be paid to developing a methodology for processing many different form factors of samples, while minimizing cross-contamination issues between incompatible sets of materials.
The intellectual merit of this proposed effort is the development of an advanced research and fabrication processes that will be used by a group of investigators in several academic and industrial institutions. This leads to fundamental understanding of fabrication processes that are critical for the microsystems and photonics devices. The outcome of the research performed using this instrument is far reaching in the fields of photonics, MEMS, compound semiconductor electronics, magnetics and ceramics. The broader impact of the developed instrument will result in an advanced etching facility capable of etching a wide range of material with greater control. This will impact the way etchers are designed in the future. The developed instrument will enable and attract a group of researcher and their students in four universities to investigate and fabricate innovative micro- and nano-scale devices. The instrument will be used for the education and training of undergraduate and graduate student
