Pieces, 50 mm (2 in), 100 mm (4 in), 150 mm (6 in), 200 mm (8 in) · 1990s–2010s
The Plasmalab 80 Plus is a compact open-load RIE that many teaching labs use for dielectrics, polymers and descum. We supply used and refurbished units and service yours.
Price on request
The Oxford Instruments Plasmalab 80 Plus is a parallel-plate reactive ion etcher with an open-load chamber: you lift the lid, place wafers or pieces on the 240 mm electrode and pump down. There is no load lock and no wafer handling, which keeps the tool compact and easy to maintain. Labs buy a used Plasmalab 80 Plus for etching silicon oxide and nitride, patterning polymers, removing resist residue and running short silicon etches, often as the first plasma tool in a new cleanroom.
The 80 Plus was also sold as a PECVD system, and the platform was later succeeded by the PlasmaPro 80. When you look at listings, check that you are buying the etch version. Where you need deep or vertical silicon features, a Plasmalab System 100 ICP or a DRIE tool is the better fit.
An open-load RIE sees air at every run and many hands on the lid, so wear concentrates in a few places:
We record base pressure, leak-up rate and, where the tool runs, a reference etch rate.
Refurbishment strips and cleans the chamber, replaces seals, cover plates and worn consumables, services the turbo and checks the RF generator and match. Mass flow controllers are calibrated or replaced. If you have one already, a preventive maintenance plan covers lid seals, electrode cleaning and pump service on a schedule that suits a busy teaching tool.
Oil-sealed backing pumps on older units are worth replacing with dry pumps, especially if the tool runs oxygen-rich or corrosive processes; our dry pump conversion covers the work. Endpoint detection by laser interferometry or optical emission helps when you etch through a thin film onto something you must not damage. Extra gas lines and a refreshed control PC complete most upgrade lists.
Check the generator power and the gas lines fitted, because they define which processes you can run. Ask for the pump type and hours, and whether the chamber has been used with metals or chlorine. If many users will share the tool, agree how pieces are mounted: oil or paste used to fix pieces to carrier wafers leaves residue on the electrode, and a lab rule on mounting keeps etch rates repeatable. Our post on ICP versus RIE helps if you are unsure which class of etcher you need, and the etch category lists the alternatives.
Typical values for the platform. Each tool’s inspection report lists its actual configuration.
Rebuild used tools to their original specification, with a written scope and a test report.
Learn moreRetrofit older tools with new controls, light sources, pumps, wafer sizes or endpoint detection.
Learn moreKeep older process tools running with planned maintenance, repair, calibration and parts.
Learn moreMoving a process tool from one cleanroom to another, and getting it running at the new site.
Learn moreNeed a spare part for the Plasmalab 80 Plus? Send us the part number and we will check what we can supply.
For thin dielectrics, polymers, descum and shallow silicon features, an RIE like the 80 Plus is usually enough and cheaper to run. For deep or high-rate anisotropic etching, you need an ICP.
The same frame was also sold as a PECVD system with a heated electrode and showerhead. An etch unit is not simply switched to deposition; we tell you which version a used tool is.
You vent the chamber and place samples on the electrode by hand. It is quick for small batches, but each run exposes the chamber to room air, so pump-down time and chamber cleanliness matter.
200 mm (8 in) · Late 1990s–2010s
150 mm (6 in) · Mid-1990s–2000s
Daily, weekly, monthly and yearly checks that keep an RIE or ICP etcher stable, and the log entries that warn you before a run goes wrong.
A parallel-plate RIE covers most teaching and dielectric work. An ICP-RIE opens up deep, anisotropic and III-V etching. How to decide which to buy used.
Old controllers, discontinued boards and lost manuals retire most legacy tools. How to plan spares, backups and retrofits before a failure forces it.
Tell us the process, wafer size and facilities. We reply with availability, an inspection report and a refurbishment scope.