Tegal
The Tegal 981 achieves photoresist descum with 4:1 anisotropy at low processing temperatures in oxygen-free plasmas.[2][1]
The 981 ACS uses a wide-gap RF diode reactor and is suited to low-temperature plasma etch for delicate organic materials and damage-sensitive devices without wafer clamps or electrostatic chucks.[3]
The Tegal 981 is used for thin film head and MR/GMR read-write head fabrication.[2][1]
The 981 ACS serves traditional CMOS and bipolar silicon semiconductor manufacturing, GaAs, InP, and SiGe compound semiconductors, MEMS, advanced packaging, thin film head work, and bio-chip nanotechnology.[3]
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.
| 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] |
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The etch must remove the intended material without excessive attack on protected areas, so chamber conditions and process chemistry must be managed carefully.
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
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Last updated Oct 5, 2026.
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 981ACS is a scaled-up version of the 901ACS diode RIE system built for handling 150 mm and 200 mm wafers and large-area etching operations.
The Applied Materials 0010-47763 is an electrostatic chuck (ESC) assembly used in semiconductor etching processes.