Applied Materials Centura 5200 CVD and etch cluster platform

Where the Centura 5200 fits

Applied Materials announced the Centura single-wafer, multi-chamber platform in 1992, and the 5200 mainframe went on to carry a wide family of chambers: dielectric CVD, tungsten CVD, plasma etch, epitaxy and rapid thermal processing. A used Centura 5200 is most useful to a 150 or 200 mm pilot line that wants production-proven single-wafer chemistry with cassette-to-cassette handling.

In a research setting the platform is a larger commitment than a stand-alone reactor. It earns its place where a process needs repeatability from wafer to wafer, for example oxide and nitride passivation, interlayer dielectrics or a specific etch step that must match a production recipe. For the wider range of deposition options, see our deposition equipment page.

Chambers decide the purchase

The mainframe is the common part; the chambers are what you buy for. Each chamber brings its own RF generator, matching network, gas lines, heater or chuck and pumping. When we quote a used Centura, we list every chamber by type and state, the gas panel layout and which recipes the controller still holds.

Dielectric CVD chambers such as the DxZ use a resistive heater and are often fitted with a remote plasma source for chamber cleaning. Etch configurations are built around the chamber generation fitted, each with different wear items. If your process is silicon nitride or oxide, our post on PECVD vs LPCVD silicon nitride helps decide whether a single-wafer chamber or a furnace suits you better.

What we inspect

• Transfer robot calibration, wafer centring and slit valve operation
• Load lock pump-down and vent cycles
• Per-chamber base pressure, leak rate and heater or chuck function
• RF generators and matching networks run into a load, then on plasma
• Mass flow controllers checked for zero drift and flow response
• Interlocks, gas detection hook-ups and controller logs

Typical wear points are robot drives, slit valve bellows and seals, heater assemblies, RF match components and mass flow controllers that have drifted out of range.

Refurbishment and upgrades

Refurbishment covers chamber cleaning or part replacement, new seals, gas panel leak testing, robot recalibration and a controlled run on test wafers for Certified tools. On older controllers we replace storage media and can plan a control system retrofit where failing boards would otherwise limit the tool's life.

Other common work includes fitting dry backing pumps, replacing mass flow controllers and adding or servicing remote plasma clean units.

Facilities you will need

• Three-phase power for the mainframe, chambers and pumps, rating depending on configuration
• Cooling water for chambers, RF generators and heat exchangers
• Clean dry air and nitrogen
• Process gases matched to the chamber set, with toxic gas monitoring where required
• Exhaust to a scrubber or abatement system for CVD and etch by-products
• Space for remote pumps and the RF and power racks

Buying advice

Write down the films or etch steps you need, the wafer size and your gas and abatement limits before looking at listings. Ask for chamber-level service history and the controller software state. A smaller mainframe with the right two chambers is often better value than a full system you cannot supply.