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A just announced angstrom-level etch system, dubbed Applied Centura ‘AdvantEdge Mesa’ from Applied Materials has seen strong demand from customers, according to the company. Applied said that more than 60 chambers have shipped to customers in the last three months – where they are tool-of-record for 32nm IC fabrication and 22nm process development.

“Our customers’ enthusiastic adoption of the AdvantEdge Mesa system illustrates the industry’s strong unmet need for etch technology capable of fabricating high-density memory devices and energy-efficient microprocessors,” said Ellie Yieh, Corporate Vice President and General Manager of Applied’s Etch business division. “By freeing chipmakers from the need to compensate for systematic non-uniformity limitations, the Mesa system can be a critical tool for helping customers shrink circuit features, control leakage current and achieve the high production yields necessary to build the smart mobile devices of the future.”

Applied said that the key to the Mesa system’s rapid adoption is its new inductively-coupled plasma (ICP) source design, which it claims eliminates the characteristic “etch signature” of typical ICP-based systems. Applied also noted that due to the large installed base of existing AdvantEdge systems, customers could upgrade to the Mesa chamber and technology.