I've been using Al as DRIE etching mask for a while. So far we've not
run into any problem. O2 plasma with a reasonable intensity would not
do anything to the metal. Just watch out and avoid high bias to
prevent ion milling.

Jie

On Mon, Jul 6, 2009 at 12:03 AM, ashwini
jambhalikar wrote:
> Dear Friends,
>
> I had some questions related to  PhotoResist ashing using DRIE chamber.
>
> We have STS ASE DRIE.
>
> 1. If metal pads are beneath PhotoResist and metal gets exposed for
> one or two minutes to Oxygen plasma, what can be the side effects.
>
> STS has strictly told that metal should not be exposed in Chamber to
> avoid micro masking related issues/ chamber contamination.
>
>
> I will like to know if any body is using DRIE chamber for photoresist
> ashing, and if so, have they faced any problems related to chamber
> contamination.
>
> Metals likely to get exposed are: Aluminium , Gold

*  Zou Jie (Jay)
*  Department of Physics
*  University of Florida
*  Tel: +1-352-846-8018
*  Email: zoujiepku@gmail.com
*  Homepage: http://plaza.ufl.edu/zoujie/