Somehow my e-mail service is goofed and technet disconnected me from
responding:

No pole here.  In engineering practice, plasma etch and ablation are used as
I described.  Historically, ablation was not used too much scientifically
until the
Sputnik era.  In that case, the heat that peeled off layers was called
ablation.  Etching is a completely different thing.

I have met the people of Dyconex and personally found them good and honest
in intention.  However, they are wrong in using the term plasma ablation.
This speaks more to their competition using laser ablation (which has been
quite successful) and wanting to have their plasma etch process accepted.
My guess is that Dyconex paid a Web designer to put a page together and let
him edit it.

Dyconex's use of O2 and PFC (is that a
poly-fluoro-carbon?) in plasma etching is a common approach for etch.  You
won't find the semiconductor folks calling it plasma ablation- and they have
been doing it since the 70's.  I can tell you all about the physics of it.
But it ain't
ablation!!!!  Enough of the topic!

Carey

-----Original Message-----
From: Brian Ellis <[log in to unmask]>
To: Carey Pico <[log in to unmask]>
Date: Wednesday, November 03, 1999 2:39 AM
Subject: Re: [TN] Plasma Ablation


Carey

No! I'm sorry, you are up the pole here. The process is ablation. The
copper is etched (or laser ablated) to the diameter of the microvias and
the panel is then subjected to a plasma which ablates down to the next
copper. I forget who promotes this or the gas used (maybe a mixture of
O2 and a PFC), but I do remember seeing a purpose made plasma ablating
machine at the IPC exhibition in Long Beach in 98. Also, as I mentioned,
I know of a company in Switzerland, as you mention Dyconex, using the
technique. The diagram on

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