Waferpedia

Oxford Instruments

PRS900

The Oxford Instruments PRS900 is a barrel reactor plasma stripper dedicated to dry resist stripping. The PRS900 uses oxygen plasma (RF capacitive or microwave) for purely chemical and isotropic etching. The PRS900 accepts up to 25 wafers of 4 or 6 inches on a quartz carrier.[1]

PRS900 — epfl.ch
Fig. 01PRS900epfl.ch[1]

Wafer size

6"

Power

RF capacitive or micro-wave oxygen plasma[1]

Performance

0.035 um/min[1]

Gas delivery

dedicated to dry resist stripping[1]

What it is

The Oxford PRS900 is a plasma stripper used in semiconductor cleanroom facilities.[1]

How it works

The Oxford PRS900 operates as a barrel reactor where etching is purely chemical and isotropic.[1]

The reactive gas is driven to a barrel that acts as a Faraday cage, preventing RF waves from entering the treatment chamber.[1]

The equipment is fully computer driven, with manual handling limited to loading and unloading the quartz sample carrier.[1]

Where it fits in the process flow

The Oxford PRS900 is used in the photolithography process flow to strip photoresist residues after patterning.[1]

The tool supports batch processing of up to 25 wafers on a quartz carrier for 4-inch or 6-inch substrates.[1]

What can it run?

Process applications and technology nodes documented for this tool.

  • dry resist stripping
  • stripping of PR residuals after photolithography
  • stripping of about 1 µm of PR
  • stripping of about 2 µm of PR

Why won't it start?

Documented failure modes, common issues, and field considerations.

  • Microelectronic compatibility is required; Cu, Ag, Au, and Cr are forbidden materials

What do the numbers mean?

Power & electrical5

Plasma source
oxygen plasma (RF capacitive or micro-wave)[1]
Accurate?
Chamber configuration
Barrel acts as Faraday cage, RF waves do not enter chamber; plasma UV radiations not filtered[1]
Accurate?
Plasma source
RF capacitive or micro-wave oxygen plasma[1]
Accurate?
Plasma source
Oxygen plasma (RF capacitive or micro-wave), giving rise to oxygen atoms creation[1]
Accurate?
Reactor shielding
The barrel acts as a Faraday cage so RF waves do not enter the treatment chamber[1]
Accurate?

Wafer handling10

Carrier
quartz samples carrier[1]
Accurate?
Carrier wafer size
4 or 6 inches[1]
Accurate?
Batch capacity
up to 25 wafers[1]
Accurate?
Maximum wafers per batch
25[1]
Accurate?
Wafer carrier
Quartz samples carrier (4 or 6 inches)[1]
Accurate?
Wafer carrier sizes
4 or 6 inches[1]
Accurate?
Control
Completely computer driven; the only manual handling is the loading/unloading step of the quartz samples carrier[1]
Accurate?
Wafer carrier
Quartz samples carrier (4 or 6 inches) which can accept up to 25 wafers[1]
Accurate?
Carrier type
quartz samples carrier[1]
Accurate?
Carrier capacity
up to 25 wafers[1]
Accurate?

Gas & chemistry7

Process
dedicated to dry resist stripping[1]
Accurate?
Etching character
purely chemical and isotropic[1]
Accurate?
Process
Dry resist stripping, purely chemical and isotropic etching[1]
Accurate?
Mean resist etch rate
0.035 µm/min for PR (for 5, 30, or 60 min recipes)[1]
Accurate?
Etch type
Purely chemical, isotropic[1]
Accurate?
Process type
Dry resist stripping; etching processes are purely chemical and isotropic[1]
Accurate?
Primary use
dry resist stripping[1]
Accurate?

Performance5

Resistance etch rate used at CMi
0.035 um/min[1]
Accurate?
Mean PR etch rate
0.035 µm/min[1]
Accurate?
Recipe PR Ox5 (5 min)
Mean etch rate 0.035 µm/min; stripping of PR residuals after photolithography[1]
Accurate?
Recipe PR Ox30 (30 min)
Mean etch rate 0.035 µm/min; stripping of ~1 µm of PR[1]
Accurate?
Recipe PR Ox60 (60 min)
Mean etch rate 0.035 µm/min; stripping of ~2 µm of PR[1]
Accurate?

Control & software3

Automation
completely computer driven[1]
Accurate?
Computer control
Completely computer driven[1]
Accurate?
Standard process recipes
PR Ox5 (5 min), PR Ox30 (30 min), PR Ox60 (60 min)[1]
Accurate?

Configuration & options7

Tool type
plasma stripper; barrel reactor[1]
Accurate?
Type
Barrel reactor[1]
Accurate?
Type
Barrel reactor plasma stripper[1]
Accurate?
Reactor type
Barrel reactor[1]
Accurate?
UV behavior
Plasma UV radiations are not filtered and thermally activate the oxidation[1]
Accurate?
Forbidden materials
Cu, Ag, Au, Cr — equipment must remain microelectronic compatible[1]
Accurate?
Tool type
plasma stripper[1]
Accurate?
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What does it need to run?

Site utility requirements, footprint, and infrastructure needed to install and operate this tool. Sourced from public records.

  • Processdedicated to dry resist stripping[1]
  • Etching characterpurely chemical and isotropic[1]
  • Plasma sourceoxygen plasma (RF capacitive or micro-wave)[1]
  • ProcessDry resist stripping, purely chemical and isotropic etching[1]
  • Chamber configurationBarrel acts as Faraday cage, RF waves do not enter chamber; plasma UV radiations not filtered[1]
  • Mean resist etch rate0.035 µm/min for PR (for 5, 30, or 60 min recipes)[1]
  • Plasma sourceRF capacitive or micro-wave oxygen plasma[1]
  • Etch typePurely chemical, isotropic[1]
  • Process typeDry resist stripping; etching processes are purely chemical and isotropic[1]
  • Plasma sourceOxygen plasma (RF capacitive or micro-wave), giving rise to oxygen atoms creation[1]
  • Reactor shieldingThe barrel acts as a Faraday cage so RF waves do not enter the treatment chamber[1]
  • Primary usedry resist stripping[1]

Where are the manuals?

Generated from public-source data on file. Enter your email to access — nothing is published; details are routed privately.

Not publicly documented

Field notes

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Frequently asked questions

What is the Oxford PRS900 used for?

The Oxford PRS900 is a plasma stripper dedicated to dry resist stripping.[1]

What wafer sizes can the Oxford PRS900 handle?

The quartz carrier can accept 4-inch or 6-inch wafers.[1]

What is the maximum batch size for the Oxford PRS900?

The carrier can accept up to 25 wafers per batch.[1]

Is the Oxford PRS900 automated?

The system is completely computer driven, with manual handling only for loading and unloading the quartz carrier.[1]

Not publicly documented

The following facts about the PRS900 are absent from this record as of this revision. First-hand knowledge or a citation closes a gap; every submission is reviewed before publication.

  • No publicly documented production dates or lifecycle milestones (introduction, end of production, EOL) for the PRS900 are on record.

    Answerable by: OEM historical records or a trade-press announcement

  • No publicly documented variants, configuration options, or revision breakpoints of the PRS900 are on record.

    Answerable by: an OEM product catalog or an engineer who ordered or specified the tool

  • The control-system platform and OS era of the PRS900 are not on record.

    Answerable by: an engineer who operated it or OEM installation records

  • The process node or technology generation of the PRS900 is not on record.

    Answerable by: an OEM datasheet or a fab qualification report

  • No publicly documented compatible parts, consumables, or accessories for the PRS900 are on record.

    Answerable by: an OEM parts catalog or a service engineer

Sources & citations

Sources (1)Every fact above is drawn from these public sources
  1. [1]epfl.ch — epfl.chepfl.ch
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Last updated Oct 8, 2026.

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