This note is for Peng Yao, about etching microscope slides.

Microscope slides are generally not pure quartz (SiO2).  They are
non-crystalline (glass) containing other oxides such as sodium and calcium.
These can make up a significant amount of the material, and are not easily
removed by fluorine chemistry.  The only way to get rid of them is to use a
mixed fluorine/chlorine chemistry.  We did have a nice process (developed
with an optics company in Liechtenstein) that used CHClF2 (Halocarbon 22)
but this is getting rather hard to find (being a CFC on the Montreal
Protocol).  If you can, you are better sticking to something that is pure
SiO2.  You can do RIE with mixed halide chemistries, but once you start
using chlorine containing gases, it should be load-locked (or in a glove
box), otherwise you may get a whiff of something rather nasty when you open
the chamber.

Regards

Martin Walker BSc(Tech) MSc
Tactical Marketing Engineer
Oxford Instruments Plasma Technology
North End, Yatton,
Bristol BS49 4AP  UK
T. +44 (0) 1934 837031
F. +44 (0) 1934 837001
E. 
W. 


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