Opus AdvantEdge Metal Etch

The Applied Opus AdvantEdge Metal Etch system is the industry's fastest, most advanced system for etching sub-70nm aluminum interconnects in leading-edge Flash and DRAM memory devices. The system removes a critical etch bottleneck for customers by employing a process-optimized 5-chamber configuration (3 etch, 2 strip).

Compared to standard 4-chamber metal etchers, the Opus AdvantEdge delivers 50% better critical dimension (CD) uniformity, a 2x faster strip rate with enhanced corrosion resistance, and 50% higher throughput – while still maintaining a standard etch bay footprint.

The system's three elements (AdvantEdge etch chamber, Axiom strip chamber, and Centura components) are all proven in production; thus Opus makes substantially higher output a low-risk proposition. With fewer systems needed for a given output, Opus also lowers the associated capital expenditure. Higher throughput, longer mean time between cleans, and lower cost of consumables (<$0.15/RF minute) combine to lower cost of ownership by 20% over comparable systems. With a mere 10% increase in footprint compared to Centura AP platforms, Opus is designed to fit within a standard etch bay to avoid creating fab layout challenges.

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