1511e

The Tegal 1511e is a tri-electrode dual-frequency plasma etch system. The Tegal 1511e processes three- to six-inch wafers. The Tegal 1511e was first sold in 1984. The Tegal 1511e was Tegal's first vacuum-loadlocked dual-frequency tri-electrode etch system.^[1][2]

Plasma etch systems remove material from patterned wafers by generating a reactive plasma and exposing selected surface regions to ion-assisted chemical reactions. Tri-electrode plasma etchers generally use an electrode arrangement intended to shape plasma conditions and wafer bombardment independently enough to support controlled film removal. Dual-frequency plasma etchers generally apply more than one radio-frequency condition so process engineers can balance etch rate, profile control, and selectivity. Vacuum-loadlocked etch systems generally transfer wafers through an isolated loading chamber so the process chamber can remain under controlled vacuum conditions between wafer exchanges.

Plasma etch tools are used after a masking step has defined regions to be opened in a film stack. Plasma etch tools transfer the mask pattern into underlying layers by removing exposed material while protected regions remain in place. Plasma etch tools therefore sit between lithographic pattern definition and later steps such as mask removal, cleaning, deposition, implant, or metallization, depending on the device flow.

The Tegal 1511e delivers etching for a variety of films used to manufacture semiconductors, telecommunications devices, and optoelectronic devices. The Tegal 1511e was used for high-performance wireless and data applications carried over LANs, WANs, copper networks, and fiber networks.^[1]