Win a share of 3D NAND channel-hole etch, a step Lam Research has supplied alone, as stacks pass 400 layers and holes get deeper.
To be introduced from 2026 after reports had pointed to 2025; Samsung has evaluated it since 2023.
Checked 11 Oct0 updates this week
A plasma sends charged gas ions straight down into the layer stack, eroding a narrow hole through the alternating oxide and nitride films.
Chilling the wafer far below zero makes etching gases stick to the hole's walls, protecting them while the bottom keeps etching fast.
TEL swapped the usual carbon-fluorine gases for a hydrogen fluoride-based mix that works near -60 to -70°C, cutting the gases' climate impact by 84%.
| Spec | Cryogenic channel-hole etch |
|---|---|
| Etch time, 10 µm deep hole | 33 minR (reported) |
| Target stack | 400+ layersR (reported) |
| Etch rate vs conventional | 2.5xR (reported) |
| Global warming potential cut | 84%R (reported) |
R reported by the company
Tokyo Electron
Coater/developers, etch, deposition, cleaning
Tokyo Electron (TEL) is a Japanese chipmaking-equipment maker. Its tracks coat wafers with light-sensitive resist and develop them after exposure in lithography scanners, and it also sells etch, deposition, cleaning and wafer-test tools.
