Major equipment acquisition - ALE

The Quantum-Nano Fabrication and Characterization Facility (QNFCF) is pleased to announce that we have placed an order for an Atomic Layer Etch (ALE) system from SENTECH Instruments GMBH to supplement the facility’s plasma etching toolset.  The SI 500 system will be configured to enable ALE and Inductively Coupled Plasma Reactive Ion Etching (ICP-RIE) processes on a variety of materials, enabling the fabrication of quantum devices with fewer defects and higher device efficiencies.  The tool features:

• Planar ICP Source with 2500 W power supply
• Substrate electrode with 600 W maximum power and precise low power adjustability (0.6 W to 30 W)
• Sample handling for wafers up to 150 mm in diameter
• Flexible sample size handling with He-cooled aluminium carrier pieces
• Substrate temperature control from -20 ºC to 200 ºC
• Fast mass flow controllers (MFCs) enabling precise delivery of:
  • CF₄
  • SF₆
  • C₄F₈
  • CHF₃
  • H₂
  • N₂
  • CH₄
  • O₂
  • Ar
  • Cl₂
  • BCl₃
• In-situ ellipsometry
• Endpoint detection by laser reflectance and optical emission spectroscopy

Delivery of this system is anticipated to take place in the second quarter of 2027, with installation and commissioning activities to take place thereafter.

This purchase was supported by the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) John R. Evans Leaders Fund (JELF) project #46384: “Atomic Layer Etcher for Enhanced Quantum Technology Devices”.  This project was led by Dr. Michal Bajcsy and Dr. Michael Reimer.  The QNFCF is grateful for their significant contribution to the community.