Reactive Ion Etch (RIE)
with Inductive Coupled Plasma (ICP)

Using the RIE system, short user guide

• Normal step-by-step use
• Startup from complete stand-still
• If you accidentally hit the red "Panic-button"

Hardware error: Backing pump cannot be shut off, it is always running.

1. Check that the pressure in the closed loop cooling system is between 1.5 and 2.5 bars.
   The system is located in the service corridor behind the RIE system.
   The pressure meter is located at the lower right in the image below!
   The pressure MUST be between 1.5 bars and 2.5 bars. If it is not; do not start the system, call the lab-manager.
   

2. Go into clean room
3. Activate computer and screen, the screen should be turned on with the power switch at the front.
   

4. The controlling software should always be active.

   If it is NOT, start PC2000 software and log on as a valid user. All users are using the same login account (username and password) provided earlier by the system manager.

5. Switch to pump page (usually default)
   

6. The buttons Stop and Vent should be inactive (grey) and the button Evacuate should be active (yellow dot). The turbo pump should be active (at speed).
      

7. Backing pump always running, no need to click pump icon.

8. Press Stop button

9. New feature, manual turbo purge valve! See detailed explanation of this feature.
   Check that the manual turbo purge valve is closed. Click picture for enlargement.
   The manual valve is located at the back of the RIE system, at the back-end of the turbo, with a yellow plastic tube attached to it. Check that the handle is at 90 degrees relative to the tubing, that is the closed position.

10. If the manual valve is NOT closed, close it and wait until the purge gas flow meter on the backside of the system has gone down to zero.

    	The flow meter is located at the left back-side of the cabinet. Click picture for enlargement.
    	The flow meter looks like this. Wait until the little ball has reached the bottom of the vertical tube. Click picture for enlargement.

    
    The manual purge valve should always be closed except when running a process, i.e. when a plasma is active in the chamber. Here is a condensed list of how to use the manual valve, these steps are also included in this manual further down.
    • Leave it closed until just before you start a recipe (etch-process).
    • Open it before starting your recipe.
    • After recipe stops, wait until base pressure is reached.
    • Close the manual purge valve.
    • Wait until flow-meter at the back has reached zero, it takes about one minute.
    • Then proceed with unloading.

    If the chamber is not pumped, you need to evacuate chamber first by:

    1. Click Stop button
    2. Click Evacuate button
    3. Wait for "at speed" text at turbo pump icon.
    4. Wait for "Penning" to show similar vacuum as in picture above.

    Note! You cannot vent to load sample unless you FIRST evacuate so the turbo pump is at speed!

11. Press Vent button. Venting will take about 2-3 minutes. There are several automatic steps to ensure that no hazardous gases are left in the chamber when opening it.

12. Load sample, note warning instructions.

13. Press Stop button

14. Press Evacuate button. Pump-down to base pressure will take about one minute.

15. Select recipe

16. New feature, manual turbo purge valve!
    Open manual turbo purge valve!

17. Remember to turn on the noisy RF generators before trying to strike a plasma. The buttons are placed at the lower right of the front panel of the RIE system.
    

18. Start etching, run recipes
19. When you are done etching, please turn off the RF-generators. By this time you have already noticed that they are quite noisy.
20. New feature, manual turbo purge valve!
    Close the manual turbo purge valve
21. Check that purge gas flow has reached zero.

    	The flow meter is located at the left back-side of the cabinet. Click picture for enlargement.
    	The flow meter looks like this. Wait until the little ball has reached the bottom of the vertical tube. Click picture for enlargement.

Unload your sample after etching

1. Press Stop button
2. Press Vent button. Venting will take about 2-3 minutes. There are several automatic steps to ensure that no hazardous gases are left in the chamber when opening it.
3. Open chamber and unload your sample, note warning instructions.
4. You can load new samples and start other recipes if you like. Then you start over from Load sample in the above description. Or you can end your session with the RIE as described in the next section.
5. Close chamber.

End session of RIE system

1. Click Stop button on Pumping page.
2. Click Evacuate button.
3. Leave the turbo pump running, keeping a good vacuum in the chamber.

1. Twist the Panic-button so it comes out in its reset position.

2. Press the green ON button

3. Check that both System and Power lights are on.

4. Exit the PC2000 program and restart the computer (Win-95).

5. After complete restart, logon to the PC2000 program

6. Press Stop

7. Backing pump is always running,
   but click on icon to make sure it is running

8. Check that the manual purge valve is closed.

9. Check that the pruge flow meter is at zero, located at the back left side of the system, see above.

10. Press Evacuate

11. Wait for green dot and text "at speed" under the turbo pump icon.

12. If you are not going to do any further processing, leave the system like this.
    Otherwise proceed with loading and your recipes.