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The Tailored Material Removal Distribution on Polyimide Membrane Can Be Obtained by Introducing Additional Electrodes
Xiang Wu1,2,3, Bin Fan1,2,3, Qiang Xin1,2,3
1National Key Laboratory of Optical Field Manipulation Science and Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu 610209, China.
Polymers
|May 27, 2023
Summary
Researchers introduced additional electrodes to Reactive Ion Etching (RIE) to improve uniformity in polyimide (PI) membrane processing. This novel method modulates plasma sheath properties, enabling precise control over etch rate distribution for enhanced optical element fabrication.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Plasma Physics
- Optical Engineering
Background:
- Reactive Ion Etching (RIE) is crucial for fabricating optical elements but suffers from non-uniform etch rates.
- This non-uniformity limits machining accuracy, diffraction efficiency, and surface convergence rates.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate a novel method for modulating etch rate distribution in RIE.
- To improve machining accuracy and uniformity in processing polyimide (PI) membranes for optical applications.
Main Methods:
- Introduction of additional electrodes into the RIE process to modulate plasma sheath properties.
- Fabrication of periodic profile structures on 200-mm PI membrane substrates.
- Combination of experimental etching with plasma discharge simulations.
Main Results:
- Successfully processed a periodic profile structure on a PI membrane using a single etching iteration.
- Demonstrated that additional electrodes effectively alter material removal distribution.
- Analyzed and discussed the underlying mechanisms of etch rate modulation.
Conclusions:
- The feasibility of modulating etching rate distribution using additional electrodes is confirmed.
- This approach provides a foundation for achieving tailored material removal and enhanced etching uniformity.
- Significant implications for the precise fabrication of optical components.
