Supply of a reactive ion etching system with inductively coupled plasma (RIE ICP), Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München

The award procedure described here concerns the procurement of a reactive ion etching plant (RIE) with inductively coupled plasma (ICP) for dry etching of various materials, such as polymers, silicon, silicon nitride or silicon dioxide. In particular, however, two-dimensional materials such as graphene or hexagonal boron nitride are to be etched.

Reactive ion etching systems are indispensable devices for nanofabrication. Precisely, after structuring a polymer film applied to the layer by means of electron beam litography, this structure is transferred into the desired material by means of a dry etching process. Alternatively, a metallic masking can also be used. As part of the Munich Quantum Valley Initiative, the Chair of Efetov, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Faculty of Physics, will produce a variety of novel two-dimensional materials and examine them for their electrical, magnetic and optical properties at cryogenic temperatures.

In order to be able to reproducibly realize an exact etching depth for the two-dimensional materials to be etched with a thickness between 1 and 30 Na-nometers, it is absolutely necessary that the etching system can work extremely low in damage with low etching rates. Since different materials are to be etched, it is also necessary that different process gases can be used. In addition to low-damage etching, the system should also be designed for high etching rates, especially with regard to the potentially large number of users with broadly diversified research areas within the framework of the Munich Quantum Valley Initiative.

The detailed specifications are set out in the service description.