TCP 9600 SE

The Lam Research TCP 9600 SE is a plasma etch system designed for etching metal layers in semiconductor manufacturing. The system uses a transformer-coupled plasma (TCP) source. The TCP 9600 SE is available in configurations that process 6-inch and 8-inch wafers.^[3][1][2]

The TCP 9600 SE allows separate control of coil (top electrode) power and platen (lower electrode) power. The system uses chlorine-based chemistry (Cl2 and BCl3) for aluminum etching and SF6 for TiW layers. Process pressure is 0 to 100 mTorr, top electrode power is 0 to 1250 W, and lower electrode power is 0 to 1200 W. Process temperature is 55 °C. Wafers are mechanically clamped to a water-cooled platen with backside helium cooling. An electrostatic chuck (ESC) is used for wafer clamping. An adjustable monochromator serves as the endpoint detection system. The system includes a decoupled source quartz (DSQ) strip module for photoresist removal.^[1][2][4]

The primary application of the TCP 9600 SE is etching aluminum and TiW layers in back-end-of-line interconnect structures. The system is intended for 0.35 µm linewidth features. Allowed materials include aluminum, aluminum oxide, titanium dioxide, polycrystalline silicon, niobium, and various nitrides that can be etched using chlorine chemistry. Standard recipes achieve an aluminum etch rate of 800 nm/min and a photoresist etch rate of 400 nm/min; for aluminum oxide the etch rate is 100 to 120 nm/min.^[1][2][4]