Tokyo Electron using HF gas instead of CF for cryo etching equipment – 디일렉(THE ELEC 영문판)
Fab equipment maker Tokyo Electron’s cryo etching equipment is using hydrogen fluoride (HF).
Etching is done to NAND to form the channel holes previously used carbon fluoride (CF).
But with ultra-low temperature etching required for advanced NANDs (Gen 10 and up), the use of CF is expected to dramatically drop.
Tokyo Electron’s kit allows the formation of passivation layers without carbon. This layer prevents chemical reactions on the sides of the channel hole, allowing form uniform etching.
The Japanese equipment giant is also expected to change the momentum gas used in the process to argon (Ar) from the previous xenon (Xe) and krypton (Kr).
Its cryo equipment performs etching at minus 70 Celsius, unlike the previous zero to 30 Celsius, which allows the etching of channel holes to be done three times faster. Tokyo Electron published a paper detailing these in June last year.
Another advantage is that the use of Hf means carbon emission is reduced, by 84% according to the company.
Sources said Samsung, which is testing the equipment, gave it high points and is expected to buy them in bulk for the production of Gen 10 NAND as demand for NAND is currently low and the new equipment is highly-priced.
Meanwhile, Tokyo Electron said it plans to hire 2,000 new staff annually from 2025 to 2029.