Comparision of Deep Etched Borosilicate Glasses in a Fluorine Based Plasma

The deep etching of glass is still much more challenging than for silicon. In contrast to pure silica, most glasses are complex blends of different oxides including aluminum oxide. In this paper, different borosilicate and aluminosilicate glasses are compared with respect to their etching behavior. It has been found that a process with a high physical power allows the etching of smooth surfaces. Furthermore, the chemical composition as a reason for the taper structure profile is considered.