Tegal
981
What is it?
What can it run?
Process applications and technology nodes documented for this tool.
- thin film head fabrication
- photoresist trim processing for the semiconductor industry
- non-critical silicon nitride processing
- traditional CMOS and Bipolar silicon semiconductor industry
- GaAs compound semiconductors
- InP compound semiconductors
- SiGe compound semiconductors
- MEMS
- advanced packaging
- Bio-Chip nanotechnology
What do the numbers mean?
Wafer handling1
Gas & chemistry2
Configuration & options4
Vintage & configurations
- 1999-09-21Production start[1]
Introduced as the model 6550 press release states Tegal had already established itself in thin film head fabrication with its 981 Series plasma etch tool by Sept. 21, 1999.
Documented models & variants
| Designation | Generation | Vintage | Changes | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 981 ACS | — | — | Marketed as a version for 150mm–200mm wafers; described as the market leader in non-critical silicon nitride and photoresist trim processing, with a wide gap RF diode reactor and no wafer clamps or electrostatics chucks. | web.archive.org[3] |
What replaced it?
Related models
- siblingTegal 6550— Described alongside the 981 as another Tegal plasma etch system for thin film head fabrication applications.source[1]
- siblingTegal 983— The source describes the 981 as a diode plasma etch tool in the same product family.source[4]
What does it need to run?
Site utility requirements, footprint, and infrastructure needed to install and operate this tool. Sourced from public records.
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
No research found yet — worked with this tool? Share what you know.
Not publicly documented
The following facts about the 981 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 981 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 981 are on record.
Answerable by: a field service engineer, process engineer, or maintenance technician
The process node or technology generation of the 981 is not on record.
Answerable by: an OEM datasheet or a fab qualification report
No publicly documented compatible parts, consumables, or accessories for the 981 are on record.
Answerable by: an OEM parts catalog or a service engineer
No publicly hosted manuals, SOPs, or datasheets for the 981 are on record.
Answerable by: university cleanroom staff or an OEM application specialist
No research found yet — worked with this tool? Share what you know.
Sources & citations
Sources (4)Every fact above is drawn from these public sources
- [1]web.archive.org — web.archive.orgweb.archive.org
- [2]web.archive.org — web.archive.orgweb.archive.org
- [3]web.archive.org — web.archive.orgweb.archive.org
- [4]web.archive.orgweb.archive.org
Last updated Jul 29, 2026.
Compare with similar tools
View all →The Tegal 900e Series is a single-wafer cassette-to-cassette plasma etch system for non-critical plasma etch processes on 3 in to 150 mm wafers.
The Tegal 1511e is a tri-electrode dual-frequency plasma etch system for processing three- to six-inch wafers.
General referenceLam Research 2300 is an etch system used for pattern transfer in semiconductor processing. It belongs to the class of plasma-based etch equipment used to remove selected material from a wafer according to a patterned mask.