790 Multi-Process

In this class of equipment, a plasma etcher removes selected material from a wafer by exposing it to a reactive plasma in a controlled process chamber. Multi-process systems are used to run more than one etch recipe or process mode on the same platform.

A plasma etch system typically creates a low-pressure plasma from process gases and uses that plasma to generate reactive species that attack the exposed film or substrate surface. Directional ion energy and chemical reactivity are combined to shape the etch profile and control selectivity.

Multi-process etch platforms generally support different chamber conditions, gas chemistries, and power settings so the same machine can handle several etch tasks. The process is usually governed by a recipe that sets the gas flow, pressure, plasma power, and timing for each step.

Plasma etch equipment sits in the pattern transfer portion of semiconductor manufacturing, after a feature has been defined by lithography and before downstream cleaning, inspection, or further thin-film processing. It is used when a patterned mask must be translated into the underlying material.

This class of tool is commonly used after photoresist patterning and before resist removal or later integration steps. It is part of the sequence that turns a printed pattern into physical structures on the wafer.

Plasma etchers are used for dry etching of semiconductor films and patterned layers, including dielectric and conductive materials depending on the process chemistry. They are used where dimensional control and anisotropic material removal are needed.