Centura eMax CT 3 CH

The Applied Materials Centura eMax CT 3 CH is an etch system used in semiconductor manufacturing. The tool is built by Applied Materials and carries the model designation Centura eMax CT 3 CH. The Centura eMax CT 3 CH is configured for 12 inch wafers.^[1]

Centura systems mount process chambers on a central vacuum transfer chamber. A wafer-handling robot inside the transfer chamber moves wafers between load locks and process chambers under vacuum. The cluster layout allows several process passes to be completed without exposing the wafer to atmospheric pressure.

Etching in the eMax chamber family uses a radio-frequency plasma sustained in a low-pressure process gas. The plasma generates reactive species that etch thin films on the wafer surface. Fluorine-based chemistries are typical for dielectric film etching.

An etch system of this class performs pattern transfer after lithographic patterning. The photoresist pattern defines which areas of an underlying dielectric layer are removed. The etch step is typically followed by resist strip and wafer cleaning operations.

Dielectric etch tools are used to open contact holes, form interlayer vias, and shape spacer films around device structures. Such steps occur in both front-end transistor fabrication and back-end interconnect processing.

The Centura eMax CT 3 CH is applied to the etching of dielectric materials. Silicon dioxide and silicon nitride are common etch films. Contact openings, via holes, and other insulating-layer features are typical etch results.

Dielectric etch processes of this type are used in integrated circuit fabrication. The same class of equipment also supports passivation opening and hard-mask patterning steps.