Tegal Corporation today announced that Crocus Technology SA, a startup company specializing in magnetic random access memory (MRAM), has placed an order for a Tegal 6500series critical plasma etch system outfitted with Spectra(TM) process modules. Crocus Technology SA of Grenoble, France recently received $17M in funding to commercialize MRAM technology and is in the process of starting a prototype and pilot plant for MRAM production.
The Tegal 6500 series tool features the Spectra ICP plasma source optimized for the etching of magnetic thin films for GMR/TMR magnetic head and MRAM memory device technology. The Spectra reactor is an extension of Tegal's patented dual frequency technology for the patterning of difficult-to-etch metal and metal oxide films based on inductively coupled plasma (ICP) technology. The Tegal 6550 als oincorporates a dual-chamber platform with patented rinse-strip-rinse process capability that is proven to eliminate corrosion in thin magnetic materials. Tegal's approach to magnetic thin film etching includes its proprietary "Stop-on-Dielectric" process capability.