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The Upper Electrode (LD-777) is the top-mounted cathode that forms the powered or grounded ceiling of a Tokyo Electron 300 mm plasma etch process chamber. Positioned directly above the wafer and the lower electrode, it defines the upper boundary of the plasma sheath and acts as one of the two primary surfaces between which the RF discharge is sustained. In a parallel-plate (capacitively coupled) etch architecture, the geometry, surface condition and electrical behaviour of this upper electrode govern how energy is coupled into the gas, how reactive species are generated, and how uniformly the resulting plasma is presented to the wafer below.
Beyond its electrical function, this component frequently doubles as the gas distribution face for the chamber. The “[SCCM]” designation in the part name points to its role in metering process gas, expressed in standard cubic centimetres per minute, through a pattern of perforations or a showerhead arrangement so that etchant chemistry is delivered evenly across the full 300 mm field. The electrode therefore sits at the intersection of three critical chamber functions: power delivery, gas delivery and plasma confinement.
Because it is in continuous contact with an energetic, chemically aggressive plasma, the upper electrode is a scheduled consumable. Its condition drifts over its service life, and that drift translates directly into shifts in etch rate, uniformity and particle performance. Treating it as a managed wear item, rather than a fit-and-forget structural part, is central to keeping a TEL etch chamber inside its qualified process window.
Within the chamber stack, the upper electrode performs several interdependent jobs simultaneously. It is not merely a lid; it is an active process surface whose every feature has been engineered to a specific plasma and chemistry recipe.
Upper electrodes for TEL etch chambers are manufactured from carefully selected, high-purity materials because the electrode surface is consumed by the very plasma it helps create. The choice of material, its purity and its surface finish all feed directly into process stability and defect performance.
Cathode electrodes of this class are typically produced from high-resistivity single-crystal silicon or fine-grain graphite, depending on the chemistry, with controlled trace-metal content. Material purity matters because any contaminant liberated from the electrode face becomes a potential wafer defect, and because resistivity influences how RF power couples through the plate into the discharge.
Once installed, the electrode must withstand sustained ion bombardment, reactive fluorine or oxygen species and repeated thermal cycling without distorting its geometry or shedding particles. Dimensional stability across the full 300 mm span has to hold, because even small changes to the gap or the gas-hole geometry alter the etch profile.
Because the upper electrode shapes both the electrical field and the gas supply, its condition is one of the strongest single influences on etch results. As the surface erodes and the gas holes open up, the chamber slowly walks away from its qualified baseline, and the effects appear directly on the wafer.
Continuous ion bombardment gradually sputters material from the wafer-facing surface, thinning the electrode and widening the inter-electrode gap. As the gap changes, ion energy and plasma density shift, slowly moving etch rate and uniformity away from the qualified condition until the part reaches its replacement limit.
The metered gas perforations are subject to two opposing problems: erosion can enlarge or taper the holes, raising local SCCM throughput, while polymer and etch by-products can partially clog them. Either failure redistributes gas flow across the face and produces localised etch non-uniformity that is difficult to correct by recipe tuning alone.
Thermal stress and localised electrical arcing can crack the electrode or pit its surface, especially as the material thins. Cracks and pits become particle sources and can disturb the RF field, producing hot spots, micro-arcing and a sharp rise in defect counts that signals the electrode must be removed from service immediately.
Replacing the upper electrode is a precision task performed during scheduled preventive maintenance. It should be carried out by trained technicians following the relevant TEL maintenance procedure, with strict contamination control because this is a wafer-facing surface.
Upper electrodes are scheduled consumables, which means a dependable supply directly underpins chamber availability. Sourcing this part through ESCT Fab Support gives fabs a cost-effective, qualified alternative to single-channel OEM procurement without compromising on form, fit or function.
It serves as the top cathode in a TEL capacitively coupled etch chamber, forming one plate of the electrode pair that sustains the plasma while also distributing process gas at controlled SCCM flow rates across the wafer. In doing so it influences plasma uniformity, RF coupling and gas delivery all at once.
No. This is supplied as a second-source new part that is OEM-compatible and verified to the form, fit and function of TEL OEM P/N DB-1810-121988-11-H. It is not an original Tokyo Electron branded part, but it is intended as a direct functional equivalent.
SCCM stands for standard cubic centimetres per minute, the unit used for gas flow. Its presence reflects the electrode’s role in metering and distributing process gas through its perforated face, so that etchant chemistry is delivered evenly across the 300 mm wafer.
As a consumable, replacement is driven by accumulated RF hours, process chemistry and measured erosion rather than a fixed calendar date. Most fabs trend etch performance and particle data, then replace the electrode at a defined wear limit before it pushes the recipe out of its qualified window.
The typical lead time is 4-5 weeks. We recommend planning orders around scheduled preventive-maintenance cycles so that a qualified replacement electrode is on the shelf before the installed part reaches its erosion limit.
Excessive wear leads to gap and gas-flow drift, rising particle counts, unstable plasma ignition and eventual cracking or arcing. The practical results are etch non-uniformity, critical-dimension variation and yield loss, all of which are far more costly than a planned electrode change.
The Upper Electrode (LD-777) cathode, OEM P/N DB-1810-121988-11-H and ESCT P/N ES7099-103, is a wafer-facing consumable at the heart of TEL 300 mm plasma etch performance. By forming the top plate of the electrode pair, metering process gas at controlled SCCM flow and confining the discharge, it directly governs etch rate, uniformity and particle results. Managing it as a tracked wear item, and keeping a qualified second-source replacement on hand, is one of the most reliable ways to protect chamber availability and yield.
Disclaimer: This part is supplied by ESCT Fab Support as a new, OEM-compatible second-source component, verified to the form, fit and function of Tokyo Electron part number DB-1810-121988-11-H. It is not an original OEM part and is not sold as one. It is not manufactured by, endorsed by, or affiliated with Tokyo Electron, and all manufacturer names and part numbers are quoted for identification and compatibility purposes only.
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