APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR FORMING AN APERTURE IN A SUBSTRATE

• US 20120168412A1
• Filed: 01/04/2012
• Published: 07/05/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/05/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Electro Scientific Industries Incorporated (MKS Instruments Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Electro Scientific Industries Incorporated (MKS Instruments Incorporated)
• Inventors: HOOPER, Andy
• Application Number:
  US13/343,640
• Publication Number:
  US 20120168412A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 219/121.69
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 2101/35 Surface treated articles
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 2103/50 Inorganic material, e.g. metals, not provided for in B23K2103/02 – B23K2103/26
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/382 by boring
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/384 of specially shaped holes
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/40 taking account of the properties of the material involved
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/70 Auxiliary operations or equipment

Abstract

A method of forming an aperture in a substrate having a first side and a second side opposite the first side includes irradiating the substrate with a laser beam to form a laser-machined feature within the substrate and having a sidewall. The sidewall is etched with an etchant to change at least one characteristic of the laser-machined feature. The etching can include introducing the etchant into the laser-machined feature from the first side and the second side of the substrate. An apparatus and system for forming an aperture are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A method of forming an aperture within a substrate, the method comprising:

providing the substrate having a first side and a second side opposite the first side;

irradiating the substrate with a laser beam to form a laser-machined feature within the substrate, the laser-machined feature having a sidewall; and

etching the sidewall with an etchant to change at least one characteristic of the laser-machined feature, wherein the etching comprises introducing the etchant into the laser-machined feature from the first side and the second side of the substrate.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the etchant includes a dry etchant.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the dry etchant is one of a fluorocarbon, oxygen, chlorine, or boron tetrachloride compound.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein the dry etchant includes xenon difluoride.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the etching comprises:

performing a first etch process including introducing the etchant into the laser-machined feature from the first side of the substrate; and

performing a second etch process including introducing the etchant into the laser-machined feature from the second side of the substrate.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the etching comprises performing at least a portion of the first etch process and at least a portion of the second etch process simultaneously.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the etching comprises performing at least a portion of the first etch process and performing at least a portion of the second etch process at different times.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein the etching comprises moving the substrate between the first etch process and the second etch process.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein moving the substrate comprises flipping the substrate.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one characteristic comprises a surface roughness of the sidewall.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one characteristic comprises a taper of the laser-machined feature.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one characteristic comprises a cross-sectional profile of the laser-machined feature

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one characteristic comprises an aspect ratio of the laser-machined feature.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the substrate is a semiconductor substrate.

15. A system for forming an aperture within a substrate having a first side and a second side, the system comprising:

a laser configured to irradiate the substrate with a laser beam to form a laser-machined feature within the substrate; and

an etch processing system having an etch chamber configured to receive the substrate, the etch processing system configured to introduce an etchant into the laser-machined feature from the first side and the second side to the substrate, the etchant configured to remove at least a portion substrate adjacent to the laser-machined feature.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the etchant includes a dry etchant.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the etch processing system is configured to:

perform a first etch process including introducing the etchant into the laser-machined feature from the first side of the substrate; and

perform a second etch process including introducing the etchant into the laser-machined feature from the second side of the substrate.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the etch processing system is further configured to perform at least a portion of the first etch process and at least a portion of the second etch process simultaneously.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the etch processing system is further configured to perform at least a portion of the first etch process and at least a portion of the second etch process at different times.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein the etch processing system is configured to flip the substrate within the etch chamber between the first etch process and the second etch process.