Abstract: An apparatus for thinning and reducing the surface roughness of a substrate, a method for thinning and reducing the surface roughness of a substrate and a method of reducing the thickness of a substrate are provided herein. The generated etch routine that will provide the target variation in thickness of the substrate and a target average substrate thickness is based on the measured variation in thickness and the measured average substrate thickness of the substrate.

Abstract: Surface roughness on a non-planar surface of a silicon substrate with upstanding and/or recessed features can be reduced. A first sequence of plasma processing steps and a second sequence of plasma processing steps can be performed on the silicon substrate to reduce the surface roughness of the upstanding and/or recessed features while retaining these features. The first sequence of plasma processing steps includes i) a plasma deposition step using oxygen and at least one fluorocarbon gas followed by ii) a plasma etch step using oxygen, at least one fluorocarbon etchant gas, and SF6. The second sequence of plasma processing steps includes i) an isotropic plasma etch step using oxygen and at least one fluorine containing etchant gas followed by ii) a plasma etch step using at least one fluorine containing or chlorine containing etchant gas.

Abstract: A method and system are for monitoring and controlling deformation of a wafer substrate during a plasma etching of the wafer substrate. The method includes disposing a wafer substrate on a platen assembly within a process chamber so that an entire upper surface of the wafer is exposed, passing a process gas into the process chamber, applying a radio frequency bias voltage to the platen assembly, generating a plasma within the process chamber, monitoring a voltage difference between the platen assembly and the process chamber, during the etch process, and attenuating or extinguishing the plasma to prevent further etching once a threshold monitored voltage is reached.

Abstract: According to the invention there is provided a method of smoothing a surface of a silicon substrate comprising the steps of: providing a silicon substrate having a backside surface, wherein the silicon substrate has been ground to leave the backside surface with an associated roughness; and smoothing the backside surface of the silicon substrate using a plasma etch process; in which the plasma etch process comprises the steps of performing a first plasma etch step which forms a plurality of protrusions that upstand from the backside surface; and performing a second plasma etch step which at least partially etches the protrusions to provide a smoothed backside surface which exhibits specular reflection.

Abstract: A method and system are for monitoring and controlling deformation of a wafer substrate during a plasma etching of the wafer substrate. The method includes disposing a wafer substrate on a platen assembly within a process chamber so that an entire upper surface of the wafer is exposed, passing a process gas into the process chamber, applying a radio frequency bias voltage to the platen assembly, generating a plasma within the process chamber, monitoring a voltage difference between the platen assembly and the process chamber, during the etch process, and attenuating or extinguishing the plasma to prevent further etching once a threshold monitored voltage is reached.