Used RIE, ICP and deep silicon etchers, production etch platforms and plasma ashers, refurbished and serviced for cleanrooms that run many materials on few tools.
Parallel-plate reactive ion etch for dielectrics, polymers and thin metals; simple, robust and easy to teach.
Separate plasma density and ion energy control for anisotropic etching of III-V, silicon, oxides and nitrides.
Bosch-process silicon etching for MEMS, through-wafer vias and microfluidics.
Cassette-fed single- or multi-chamber tools for 150 and 200 mm lines that need repeatability more than flexibility.
Oxygen plasma resist stripping, descum and surface activation, usually in batch.
200 mm (8 in) · Late 1990s–2010s
200 mm (8 in) · 1990s–2010s
150 mm (6 in) · Mid-1990s–2000s
200 mm (8 in) · 1990s
200 mm (8 in) · Late 1980s–2000s
150 mm (6 in) · 1990s–2010s
A research cleanroom rarely has the luxury of one etcher per process. The same tool may etch silicon nitride in the morning, a polymer at lunch and a III-V stack at night. That makes chamber condition, gas configuration and cleaning discipline more important than headline specifications when you choose a used etch system.
We sell refurbished etch tools and service installed ones. Most of our work in this category is on single-wafer RIE and ICP systems, deep silicon etchers and older production platforms that still run 150 and 200 mm pilot lines.
RIE systems like the Oxford Instruments Plasmalab 80 Plus drive the plasma and the ion energy from one RF electrode, typically at 13.56 MHz. They are compact, open-load and easy to teach, and they cover oxide, nitride and polymer etching well.
ICP-RIE adds an inductively coupled source above the wafer, so plasma density and ion energy can be set independently. The Plasmalab System 100 in ICP configuration is a common choice for research groups etching compound semiconductors or needing smooth, vertical sidewalls.
Deep reactive ion etch tools such as the STS Multiplex ASE alternate etch and passivation steps to cut deep, near-vertical features in silicon. They suit MEMS and through-silicon work. Our explainer on the Bosch process covers what drives scallops, rates and selectivity.
Production platforms such as the Lam Rainbow 4420 and the Applied Materials Precision 5000 were built for cassette-to-cassette volume. They reward a pilot line with stable recipes and qualified spares, and they can frustrate a lab that changes processes every week.
Plasma ashers like the PVA TePla 300 series strip resist and clean surfaces in oxygen plasma. They are cheap to run and take load off the etchers.
Plasma etchers wear in predictable places, and the inspection report covers each of them:
Most etch refurbishment starts in the chamber. Chamber refurbishment typically means stripping and cleaning, replacing eroded electrodes or liners, new O-rings and a fresh leak check, followed by an etch test on a reference film.
Common upgrades on these platforms include optical emission or laser endpoint detection, replacement of obsolete controllers, extra gas lines and conversion from oil-sealed to dry pumps. Dry pumps are worth considering whenever the process uses corrosive or polymerising gases, because oil degrades quickly and back-streaming affects the chamber.
Send us your materials, target depths and gas infrastructure, and we will propose the tools and configurations that fit.
An RIE covers most teaching and dielectric work at lower cost. An ICP is worth the extra when you need deep, vertical or low-damage etches, especially in silicon and III-V materials.
Some can, but mixing them in one chamber raises cleaning, corrosion and cross-contamination issues. Many labs dedicate one chamber to each chemistry.
Toxic or corrosive gases such as chlorine and boron trichloride need gas cabinets, detection and suitable exhaust or abatement. We review this with you before the tool ships.
In most cases, yes. Optical emission or laser interferometry can be retrofitted if the chamber has a suitable viewport.
It depends on the condition of the electrodes, liners and RF parts and on parts availability. Once we have inspected the chamber, the quote states the expected duration.
Old controllers, discontinued boards and lost manuals retire most legacy tools. How to plan spares, backups and retrofits before a failure forces it.
Why a second-hand etcher or furnace can need an export licence, which rules usually apply in the EU, and what buyers and sellers should prepare before shipping.
How the Bosch process alternates etch and passivation to cut deep, vertical features in silicon, what limits it, and what to check on a used DRIE tool.
Tell us the process, wafer size and facilities. We shortlist tools that fit and send an inspection report with every offer.