Waferpedia

Tegal

6550

Etch100mmIntroduced Tegal 6550 family
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Tegal6550
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Wafer size

100mm

Introduced

2000

What is it?

The Tegal 6550 is described as an etch reactor/system developed for volume production of MRAM and related magnetic-memory devices, using patented dual-frequency plasma source technology and, in later product material, Spectra plasma source technology. Sources state that it was offered in a 6550 Series system, with options including a deposition shield and full cluster-tool features, and that it was configured for wafer sizes from 100mm to 200mm.

What can it run?

Process applications and technology nodes documented for this tool.

  • MRAM
  • GMR devices
  • FeRAM
  • data storage
  • next-generation system-on-a-chip applications
  • telecommunications
  • magnetic storage
  • magnetic head and MRAM memory device technology

Why won't it start?

Documented failure modes, common issues, and field considerations.

  • The deposition shield was stated to address redeposition of wafer processing materials on reactor interior surfaces that can degrade power transfer, etch rate, uniformity, uptime, and throughput.
  • The rinse-strip-rinse feature was stated to eliminate corrosion in MRAM, GMR, and thin magnetic-material fabrication.

What do the numbers mean?

Wafer handling1

Wafer size
100mm–200mm[3]
Accurate?

Configuration & options9

Product type
etch reactor / plasma etch system[1]
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Process target
non-volatile metal and metal oxide films[1]
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Primary application
volume production of magnetic memory components such as MRAM and GMR devices[1]
Accurate?
Platform
full cluster tool technology[1]
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Process capability
patented rinse-strip-rinse feature / process capability[1]
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Chamber configuration
dual-chamber platform[2]
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Plasma source
patented next-generation dual-frequency plasma source technology[1]
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Plasma source (later material)
Spectra plasma source[2]
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Available option
deposition shield[1]
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Vintage & configurations

  1. 2000-02-02Patent announcement[1]

    Tegal announced a United States patent for a plasma reactor with deposition shield, offered as an option on the recently announced 6550 Series system.

  2. 2001-03-01Order announced[2]

    A source states an order was placed for a Tegal 6550 critical plasma etch system.

Documented models & variants

DesignationGenerationVintageChangesSource
6550 Spectra2000Described as the 6550 Spectra etch reactor/system with Spectra plasma source, dual-chamber platform, and rinse-strip-rinse capability.web.archive.org[3]
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What replaced it?

  • siblingTegal 981Described alongside the 981 as another Tegal plasma etch system for thin film head fabrication applications.source[4]

Where are the manuals?

Generated from public-source data on file. Enter your email to access — nothing is published; details are routed privately.

Not publicly documented

Field notes

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Not publicly documented

The following facts about the 6550 are absent from this record as of this revision. First-hand knowledge or a citation closes a gap; every submission is reviewed before publication.

  • The control-system platform and OS era of the 6550 are not on record.

    Answerable by: an engineer who operated it or OEM installation records

  • The process node or technology generation of the 6550 is not on record.

    Answerable by: an OEM datasheet or a fab qualification report

  • No publicly documented compatible parts, consumables, or accessories for the 6550 are on record.

    Answerable by: an OEM parts catalog or a service engineer

  • No publicly hosted manuals, SOPs, or datasheets for the 6550 are on record.

    Answerable by: university cleanroom staff or an OEM application specialist

  • The operating principle of the 6550 is not documented in this record.

    Answerable by: an equipment physicist or OEM application engineer

Sources & citations

Sources (4)Every fact above is drawn from these public sources
  1. [1]web.archive.orgweb.archive.orgweb.archive.org
  2. [2]web.archive.orgweb.archive.orgweb.archive.org
  3. [3]web.archive.orgweb.archive.orgweb.archive.org
  4. [4]web.archive.orgweb.archive.org
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Last updated Jul 29, 2026.

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