Fab equipment maker Tokyo Electron said it will begin shipping its new etching equipment under development next year.
The new etcher is being developed to etch the channel holes on NAND chips with over 400 layers.
It is a big move by Tokyo Electron as NAND channel hole etchers are currently only being made by Lam Research.
The Japanese company’s new etcher can etch ultra-fast at extremely low temperatures, according to a paper it published on the machine in June of last year. It said the etcher can etch 10 micrometers within 33 minutes.
Tokyo Electron will also use gas made from new lasps along with argon and carbon fluoride gas, industry sources said.
Sources said the etcher was being received well by chipmakers that will likely buy the machines in bulk.
The new etcher has been tested by Samsung since last year; the South Korean chip giant is considering using them starting with NAND chips beyond the tenth generation.
Lam Research believes it could lose up to 10 to 15% market share to Tokyo Electron when the etchers start shipping, the sources also said.
