9600 BRME Metal

The 9600 BRME is designed for processing 200-millimeter (8-inch) wafers. The system utilizes Lam's Transformer Coupled Plasma (TCP) technology to generate a high-density plasma.^[1][3][4]

TCP technology creates an inductively coupled, high-density plasma directly above the wafer while operating at low pressure. The system provides independent control of ion generation and ion energy, allowing etch processes to be optimized for etch rate, profile control, and critical dimension control while minimizing damage.^[4]

The Lam 9600 BRME operates at low pressures between 1 and 20 millitorr. Corrosion prevention is achieved through a passivation process that uses a photoresist strip and rinse module. Lam's proprietary downstream quartz (DSQ) strip or microwave module removes photoresist and chlorine trapped in the sidewall matrix. An atmospheric passivation module (APM) then rinses the wafer with hot and cold deionized water to remove residual chlorine adsorbed on the metal and oxide surfaces.^[4]

The Lam 9600 BRME is used for etching metal layers such as aluminum, aluminum alloys, titanium tungsten, and copper. The system also supports dielectric etching for silicon dioxide and silicon nitride, as well as polycrystalline silicon etching for gate structures in legacy nodes.^[5][4]