Lam Research

590

Research Quality: 60% complete

Provisional entry — research in progress

This page was generated automatically from cited public sources and hasn't completed the full research pass yet. Every specification shown carries its source; more detail is added as research completes.

590 — Inventory photo — Fig. 01590Inventory photo^[1]

What it is

The Lam Research 590 is a plasma etcher used in semiconductor manufacturing for dry etching of thin films on wafers. The Lam 590 is a legacy model from Lam Research, also referred to as the Autoetch 590. The machine is designed to handle six-inch wafers and operates at 208 volts.^[1]^[2]^[3]

How it works

General reference — not yet source-verified

In a typical reactive-ion etch (RIE) process, the wafer is placed on a powered electrode. The plasma generates ions that accelerate toward the wafer, providing both chemical etching via reactive species and physical sputtering. The Lam 590, like other RIE tools, allows control over gas composition, pressure, power, and temperature to achieve anisotropic or isotropic etch profiles.

Where it fits in the process flow

General reference — not yet source-verified

The Lam 590 is used in the etch module of a semiconductor fabrication line. After photolithography defines a pattern in photoresist, the etcher transfers that pattern into the underlying film—such as oxide, nitride, or polysilicon—by removing material from unmasked areas. The etched wafer then moves to a resist strip or cleaning step before subsequent processing.

What do the numbers mean?

Power & electrical2

Voltage: 208V^[1]
Voltage: 208 V^[2]

Wafer handling1

Wafer size: 6 inch^[1]

Interested in this tool?

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What does it need to run?

Site utility requirements, footprint, and infrastructure needed to install and operate this tool. Sourced from public records.

Voltage208V^[1]
Voltage208 V^[2]

Where are the manuals?

Publicly hosted documents referencing this tool, linked at their original location. Hosted by the linked institutions — availability may change.

wet_etch_121500.pdfDocumentumd.edu

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Not publicly documented

Field notes

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Not publicly documented

The following facts about the 590 are absent from this record as of this revision. First-hand knowledge or a citation closes a gap; every submission is reviewed before publication.

No publicly documented production dates or lifecycle milestones (introduction, end of production, EOL) for the 590 are on record.
Answerable by: OEM historical records or a trade-press announcement
No publicly documented variants, configuration options, or revision breakpoints of the 590 are on record.
Answerable by: an OEM product catalog or an engineer who ordered or specified the tool
The control-system platform and OS era of the 590 are not on record.
Answerable by: an engineer who operated it or OEM installation records
No publicly documented failure modes or field errata for the 590 are on record.
Answerable by: a field service engineer, process engineer, or maintenance technician
The process node or technology generation of the 590 is not on record.
Answerable by: an OEM datasheet or a fab qualification report

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Sources & citations

Sources (4)Every fact above is drawn from these public sources

[1]Inventory photo
[2]Inventory photo
[3]Lam Research Autoetch 590 - Rebuilt Plasma Etcher — spwindustrial.comspwindustrial.com
[4]wet_etch_121500.pdf — nanocenter.umd.edunanocenter.umd.edu