Applied Materials Precision 5000 multi-chamber etch and CVD platform

Where a used P5000 fits

The Applied Materials Precision 5000, introduced in the late 1980s, was one of the first widely adopted single-wafer, multi-chamber cluster platforms. A central robot moves wafers from a load lock to up to four process chambers, and those chambers can be etch, CVD or a mix. Because so many were built, a used P5000 remains one of the most practical ways for a 150 or 200 mm pilot line to add dielectric deposition or oxide, nitride and silicon etch with production-proven hardware.

It is not a lab bench tool. Each chamber has its own RF, gas and pump needs, and the mainframe takes floor space and service access. Labs that only need one etch process on pieces will be better served by an Oxford Plasmalab System 100 or similar.

Configuring the platform

The first conversation about a P5000 is about chambers, not condition. Common configurations combine magnetically enhanced RIE etch chambers (the MxP family) for oxide, nitride or poly with CVD chambers for oxide and nitride films. We work from your process list to decide:

• which chamber types and how many,
• which wafer size, since the robot blades, chambers and load lock must all match,
• which gases each chamber needs and how they will be delivered,
• whether existing pumps suit the chemistries or should be replaced.

Chamber type follows the process. Oxide and nitride etch run in magnetically enhanced RIE chambers with fluorocarbon chemistry. Polysilicon and aluminium etch need chambers, gas panels and pumps built for chlorine or bromine chemistry, with corrosion-resistant parts. PECVD chambers deposit TEOS-based or silane-based oxide and silane-ammonia nitride, typically at around 400 °C, and TEOS needs a liquid delivery system as well as gas lines. Thermal CVD chambers were also built for the platform, depending on configuration.

Our post on 150 mm versus 200 mm tools for pilot lines helps with the wafer size decision.

What we inspect

• Mainframe: robot calibration, transfer chamber vacuum, slit valves and load lock elevator.
• Each chamber: chamber parts, RF generators and matches, magnets on etch chambers, heater and showerhead on CVD chambers.
• Gas panels: mass flow controllers, valves and leak integrity per chamber.
• Vacuum: base pressures, leak-up rates and pump condition for every chamber.
• Controller: boards, storage media, software revision and recipes.

Refurbishment and service

We refurbish per chamber: chamber refurbishment of parts and seals, RF checks, pump service and mass flow controller calibration, followed by robot calibration across all positions. Certified systems run a test process on each chamber, with rate and uniformity data in the report. For installed systems we offer maintenance visits and spare parts sourcing.

Facilities

• Three-phase power for the mainframe, generators and pumps
• Process cooling water for chambers, generators and heat exchangers
• Clean dry air and nitrogen
• Process gases per chamber, with gas cabinets and detection where needed
• Exhaust and abatement suited to the etch and CVD by-products
• Floor space with service access around each chamber; pumps often in a sub-fab

Buying advice

Write down the exact process list before comparing systems. A cheaper P5000 with the wrong chambers costs more in the end than one already fitted for your films. Ask for the chamber types, wafer size and software revision in writing, and visit if the tool is running. See the etch category for single-chamber alternatives.