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The Flex Wide Ring, OEM part number 136-951-1, is a wide-profile annular consumable that sits at the wafer edge inside Tokyo Electron (TEL) 300 mm plasma etch process chambers. The “wide” designation refers to its broader-than-standard radial face, which extends the controlled plasma boundary further beyond the 300 mm wafer perimeter, while the “flex” designation reflects the ring’s role in a compliant, segmented edge assembly that accommodates thermal growth and maintains intimate seating against the electrode stack as the chamber cycles between idle and process temperatures.
In a TEL etch chamber the wafer is clamped to a temperature-controlled lower electrode, and the region immediately surrounding it is occupied by a family of rings, focus, edge, cover and insulator rings, that together shape the sheath, define the RF return path and protect the underlying hardware. The Flex Wide Ring belongs to this edge family. Because it occupies the transition zone between the powered electrode area and the grounded chamber liner, it directly influences how the plasma sheath bends across the last few millimetres of the wafer, which is precisely where edge-of-wafer yield is won or lost.
As a sacrificial part exposed to continuous ion bombardment and aggressive fluorine- or chlorine-based chemistries, the Flex Wide Ring is consumed over time and must be replaced on a defined preventive-maintenance cadence. The replacement has to be dimensionally faithful: even small departures from the original profile shift the edge electric field and degrade the uniformity the ring exists to protect.
The Flex Wide Ring performs several interdependent functions at the wafer edge, where the plasma, the RF field and the hardware geometry all converge within a span of a few millimetres.
Edge rings of this class are manufactured from plasma-resistant materials selected for the chemistry and power regime of the chamber. The exact grade is matched to the original specification so that erosion rate, electrical behaviour and particle performance track the OEM part it replaces.
The ring face endures sustained ion bombardment and reactive fluorine or chlorine species. Materials such as high-purity silicon, quartz or fine-grain ceramics are chosen for low, predictable erosion rates and for sputtering by-products that are compatible with the process rather than a source of metallic or particulate contamination.
Because the ring participates in the edge electric field, its dielectric constant, flatness and radial dimensions must replicate the original. The wide profile and seating surfaces are held to tight tolerance so that the sheath geometry and RF return path are reproduced exactly chamber to chamber.
Because it governs the last few millimetres of the etch, the condition of the Flex Wide Ring is felt directly in edge-of-wafer results and in chamber stability over a maintenance cycle.
The Flex Wide Ring is a consumable, so its failure modes are dominated by gradual erosion punctuated by occasional handling or thermal events.
Continuous ion bombardment slowly removes material from the ring face, lowering its height and altering the sheath geometry. As the profile thins the edge field weakens, and edge etch rate, CD and uniformity drift away from the qualified baseline until the ring reaches its replacement limit.
Erosion is rarely perfectly smooth. Micro-pitting, faceting and deposit build-up roughen the surface, and at a point the ring begins to flake or shed particles onto the wafer, driving defectivity upward and forcing an unscheduled clean or swap.
Thermal shock from rapid temperature cycling, or mishandling during preventive maintenance, can chip or crack a thin ceramic or silicon ring. Loss of flat, compliant seating creates a non-uniform contact and local gap that can provoke arcing, hot spots and azimuthal non-uniformity.
Replacement should be performed by a trained technician following the relevant TEL maintenance procedure for the specific chamber. The sequence below is a general guide and does not replace the OEM documentation.
Edge rings are high-turnover consumables, so a reliable second-source supply protects both uptime and budget. ESCT Fab Support offers the Flex Wide Ring as a dimensionally matched alternative with practical advantages for fab maintenance planning.
It is a wide-profile edge confinement ring that shapes the plasma sheath at the wafer perimeter, supports a controlled RF return and dielectric environment, and shields the electrode hardware, thereby governing edge etch uniformity and particle performance.
No. This is supplied as a brand-new, second-source, OEM-compatible part verified to the form, fit and function of OEM P/N 136-951-1. It is not an original Tokyo Electron OEM part and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the OEM.
Replacement interval depends on chemistry, RF power, duty cycle and the fab’s uniformity and particle limits. As a consumable it is changed on a preventive-maintenance schedule once erosion shifts edge performance toward the action limit, so trending wafer data is the best guide to cadence.
An over-eroded ring lets edge etch rate, critical dimension and profile drift, raises particle counts as it roughens or sheds, and can expose underlying electrode and insulator hardware to arcing or erosion damage that is far more costly than the ring itself.
The current lead time is 4–5 weeks. We recommend holding appropriate safety stock and aligning orders with your preventive-maintenance calendar so a qualified spare is always on the shelf.
Yes. After installation the chamber should be pumped down, seasoned or burned in per procedure, and re-qualified for edge uniformity and particle performance before returning to production, exactly as with an OEM ring replacement.
The Flex Wide Ring (OEM P/N 136-951-1) is a wide-profile edge confinement consumable for Tokyo Electron 300 mm plasma etch chambers. Seated at the wafer edge, it shapes the plasma sheath, supports the RF return path and protects the electrode stack, making it a decisive contributor to edge-of-wafer uniformity, profile control and particle performance. As a sacrificial part it erodes predictably and is replaced on a preventive-maintenance cadence. ESCT Fab Support supplies it as a brand-new, second-source, dimensionally matched alternative with a 4–5 week lead time, giving fabs a cost-effective and reliable way to keep TEL etch chambers running within specification.
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 the original equipment manufacturer part number 136-951-1. It is not an original OEM part and is not sold as one. It is not manufactured by, endorsed by, or affiliated with the original equipment manufacturer, and all manufacturer names and part numbers are quoted for identification and compatibility purposes only.
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