Samco RIE-800iPBC Cassette-to-Cassette DRIE System Selected by DTU Nanolab for Silicon Bosch-Process Etching
By NineScrolls Team · 2026-07-02 · 3 min read · Industry
1. What Was Announced
Samco Inc. announced that DTU Nanolab — the national nanofabrication facility at the Technical University of Denmark — will expand its silicon deep reactive ion etching (DRIE) capability with the installation of a Samco RIE-800iPBC cassette-loading etch system. The system is scheduled for shipment in mid-2026.
The RIE-800iPBC is a dedicated silicon DRIE platform built around inductively coupled plasma (ICP) generation and the Bosch process. Samco reports that during the evaluation phase the tool demonstrated strong across-wafer uniformity, run-to-run repeatability, and precise sidewall profile control — the three metrics that determine whether a deep-etch process is production-worthy.
2. Why Cassette-to-Cassette Handling Matters
The distinguishing feature of the RIE-800iPBC over load-lock-only configurations is cassette-to-cassette wafer handling. Rather than loading and unloading wafers one at a time, the system moves an entire cassette through the process, which raises throughput and keeps process conditions stable across a batch.
For a shared, high-utilization academic cleanroom like DTU Nanolab, that automation directly translates into more wafers processed per shift and tighter wafer-to-wafer consistency — a recurring pain point when many research groups share a single deep-etch tool.
3. The Bosch Process and High-Aspect-Ratio Silicon Etching
Deep reactive ion etching relies on high-density ICP to supply the ion current needed to etch deep, vertical silicon features — something a standard capacitively coupled RIE reactor cannot achieve. The Bosch process alternates rapid etch and passivation cycles (typically SF6 etch and C4F8 sidewall passivation) to reach very high aspect ratios with near-vertical sidewalls.
The trade-offs an engineer manages on these tools — etch rate, sidewall scalloping, profile angle, and mask selectivity — are exactly the parameters covered in our deep reactive ion etching (Bosch process) guide. The RIE-800iPBC's emphasis on sidewall control and uniformity reflects how central those metrics remain to real silicon DRIE work.
4. MEMS, Photonics, and Quantum Research Demand
DTU Nanolab supports MEMS, photonics, and broader microfabrication research, and DTU has previously selected Samco plasma systems for quantum research applications. Each of these fields depends on repeatable deep silicon etching: MEMS devices need through-wafer and cavity structures, while integrated photonics and quantum devices need low-loss, smooth-sidewall waveguides and vias.
The common thread is that device performance is set at the etch step. A rougher sidewall or a drifting profile shows up later as optical loss, mechanical variation, or yield loss — which is why a national facility invests in a dedicated, automated DRIE platform rather than time-sharing a general-purpose etcher.
5. NineScrolls Niche Angle
This installation is a clean signal of where research-scale plasma etching is heading: automated, batch-capable ICP-DRIE tools purpose-built for silicon, with process control (uniformity, repeatability, sidewall angle) as the deciding purchase criterion rather than raw etch rate alone.
For labs weighing the same decision, the underlying technology choices are worth understanding first. Our reactive ion etching guide covers RIE fundamentals, and the differences between PE-RIE and ICP-RIE plasma etching explains why ICP is the enabling source for deep, high-aspect-ratio silicon work like the Bosch process. On the equipment supply-chain side, DRIE tools of this class hinge on efficient RF power coupling for substrate bias, high ion-current density, and effective backside wafer cooling — the same plasma-source, gas-delivery, and vacuum subsystems that define competitive etch platforms across the market.