Plasma-Therm 790 Reactive Ion Etching System for Semiconductor Microfabrication

The Plasma-Therm 790 Reactive Ion Etching (RIE) System is a specialized plasma etcher designed for semiconductor microfabrication and surface processing applications. Key features and specifications include:

• Equipment Type: Reactive Ion Etcher utilized for anisotropic etching of thin films and substrates in cleanroom environments.
• Dimensions: Approximately 110 x 110 x 180 cm, suitable for benchtop or dedicated process area installation.
• Functionality: Employs reactive ion plasma to achieve precise etching profiles critical for microelectronics, MEMS fabrication, and biotechnology device manufacturing.
• Process Capability: Supports controlled plasma chemistries for etching materials like silicon, oxides, nitrides, and photoresists—essential in molecular diagnostics and bioprocessing device fabrication.
• Status: The system is second-hand, designated for spares or repair. It operates intermittently and has been out of service, reflecting typical end-of-life usage in research or production settings.
• Additional Components: Presence of a chiller unit possibly linked to PECVD processes, often complementary in thin-film deposition and etching workflows within synthetic biology and biomanufacturing environments.

This RIE system is widely adopted in biotechnology-driven semiconductor research labs for applications such as biosensor fabrication and neural interface development. It plays a critical role in molecular cloning workflows requiring precise microstructuring and is popular among researchers engaged in advanced biomedical engineering and synthetic biology.

Due to its status and intermittent operation, the system primarily suits users seeking a repair project or spare parts for plasma etching equipment maintenance in biotechnology and microfabrication facilities.