According to my LAM service manuals,

Lam 490 = polysilicon/nitride etch
Lam 590 = oxide etch

I have heard about the existence of the Lam 690 aluminum etcher, but I
have never seen one or know anyone who has one.

There are windows-based PC upgrades for all the autoetch models. The
model number of the tool refers to the intended process. The 490 has
anodized aluminum components in the process kit (shower head, focus
ring, etc. while the 590 has graphite components.) Each could be
equipped with different RF generators (ENI OEM-6 or OEM-12), with a
change to the master module ROM and RF interface card. There are a
couple of different revision levels in the card cage controller, with
different power supplies and such, depending on the vintage (but not
necessarily the model number) of the tool.

Lam doesn't really support these systems anymore, but call Aspect
Systems in Phoenix (http://www.aspectsys.com/) for all things Autoetch
(and Rainbow).

Al

-----Original Message-----
From: [email protected]
[mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of
Luckett, James T
Sent: Thursday, July 31, 2003 8:00 PM
To: [email protected]
Subject: [mems-talk] LAM etcher troubles

Hi,

Do you know the actual difference between the LAM 490 Autoetch, and the
LAM 590 Autoetch?  I went to the LAM vendor school in CA, and they had a
model of each.  The one they said was the 590 had a Windows based touch
screen CRT instead of the traditional CRT.  Other than that, they were
identical.

Other differences were upper electrodes, graphite vs. aluminum;
different rated RF generators; different power supplies in the card
cage; different number of TTL boards.

I'm interested in LAM's actual definition.

Thanks,
Jim Luckett

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