ProTEK^® thin films are spin-applied polymeric coating systems that provide temporary etch protection for acid, alkaline and DRIE processing.

Typical applications for the use of ProTEK^® coatings are front-side substrate protection during:

• Creation of SiN membranes
• Through-silicon vias (TSVs)
• Backside hardmask removal
• Wafer thinning

A combination of these ProTEK^® films can be stacked in sequences to provide protection for multiple baths of alkaline and acidic solutions.

ProTEK^® B3 coating is a blanket material that offers protection from alkaline solutions such as KOH and TMAH for extended bath etches.

ProTEK^® PSB coating is a negative working masking material.

ProTEK^® A2 coating is designed for use as a blanket wet etch protectant only and provides protection for the substrate from either hydrofluoric acid (49% HF) or buffered oxide etchant (BOE) etch solutions.

Depending upon your current bulk micrmachining method, ProTEK^® coating systems can provide:

• Lower capital investment
• Lower cost
• Lower risk
• Higher throughput

Advantages of ProTEK^® coating systems are:

• Standard CMOS processing equipment is used to spin apply protection system.
• Mechanical clamps are not required.
• Application temperature is lower than that for SiN.
• The material can be applied after metals and organics have been applied to the wafer.
• Etching after metal deposition is possible.
• A higher process throughput is attainable.
• DRIE can etch through 300-µm wafers at a rate of 3 wafers per hour.
• KOH batch etching of fifty 300-µm wafers provides a throughput of 10 wafers per hour.