Dry Plasma Polymer Etching

Scope:

Currently working on a Dry Plasma Etching (ashing) experiment to quickly ash thin layers of polymer acrylate using microwaves in a microwave oven and small vacuum seal jar of only 1 Torr.

Just started experimenting so will provide updates. Meanwhile, here's a video of first attempts which showed promising results.

This is the RF capacitively coupled plasma asher. I can't say much about it because it's a work project but in general, it's an oxygen/argon mix and the chamber/technique is standard for dry etching of photoresist masks in the semiconductor industry.

Figure 1: RF Plasma Etching Chamber

Figure 2: On the left is the ashing with RF ashing chamber. On the right is what I got from Micrwoave plasma.