The STS ASE is an ICP etcher for deep silicon etching of 100 mm and 150 mm wafers. It is equipped with a carousel load-lock which can load three 100 mm wafer or two 150 mm wafers at a time. It has an electrostatic clamping chuck and the chuck temperature is controlled in the range of 0-40°C.

Typical silicon etch rate: 2-3 µm/min up to 10 µm/min, Oxide etch rate: <10 nm/min, Photoreisist etch rate: 20-30 nm/min. Wide range of different etch processes are available, depending on which parameter must be optimized. Standard process pressure is in the range of 10-60 mT.

Almost all semiconductor processing materials are allowed. Typical substrates: silicon, SOI, quartz (need to be covered with non-transparent layer), with a thickness of 250 to 1000 µm. Small chips can be glued on a dummy wafer for etching. Standard mask material is photoresist, silicon oxides and aluminium oxide. Silicon nitride may be used but its performance is poor.