Denton Thermal Evaporator SOP

UNT Cleanroom

Utility Checklist:

• The PCW water valve is open to the cryo compressor (in chase) • N2 and CDA are on • Cooling water valves to the tools are on

1. Mounting the substrate Use the sample holding mechanism to adjust to your sample size. If you have very small sample, Kapton tape can be used to hold the sample onto the plate. Make sure only use SMALL size of tape so that it won’t too hard to take the sample off. Making sure there is no debris from previous usage. If there are, use the cleanroom vacuum to clean the area! 2. Touch Screen operations Overview It is the primary screen because all current system data is displayed on

this screen as the current vacuum pressure, system mode, and interlock status. Auto Pump / Vent / Regen An automatic pump-down or venting process can be

started and aborted from this screen. Graphics indicate Chamber pressure, System Status, and Interlock Status

Auto Process Control An automatic process can be started and aborted from this screen. The Process Pressure screen is accessible from this screen.

Heat The substrate heat is controlled from this screen. Heat on/off and Heat Setpoint are controlled from this screen.

Glow The AC glow can be operated from this screen. Graphics indicate Chamber pressure, System Status, and Interlock Status.

Only use “Auto vent” to vent the chamber and “Auto Pump” to pump down chamber

The overview screen is used to display current system status and the state of vacuum chamber and pumping system. Access is provided to the screens display. Graphics change color to indicate current state: GREEN = ON/OPEN, RED = OFF/CLOSED.

3. Deposition Operations: Load correct boat and material by loosening the screws and adjusting the distance between the two holding pins.

4. Auto pump: close the chamber door, put hinges up and press to pump the chamber down to High Vacuum. The “Mech pump” will be on first. After 30s, the rough valve will be open. Once chamber pressure reaches crossover pressure,the cyopump should be on and Hi Vac valve should be open (both are green). Wait for the chamber pressure to be in the E-6 5. If your film process has NOT been setup in the deposition controller, go to “Process” to

setup your desired “Process setpoint as <= 6 E-6 Torr. Set up Rotation setpoint (%). If the film process has been setup, go to STEP 9 to proceed. 6. Go to the INFICON deposition controller to setup your film process. Make sure the desired process file name is shown on top of the screen. Use the buttons on the left to select menus and knob to change setup values.

7. If the film file is NOT setup, go to “Process Menu” to add file and name the file as the deposition material, eg. “Aluminum”. The parameters: Init Rate, Final Thickness, Time Setpoint, Thickness Setpoint, Start Mode, Sensor 1, Source “Src1 or Src2”, Max Power, can be adjusted.

8. Go to “Film Menu” and then “film conds” to setup the ramp and soak time.

9. Once the film process is setup, wait the chamber pressure to reach below the process setpoint <=5xE-6 Torr. Go to “Process” and click “Auto Process Enable” to start the process. The deposition controller will take over. Go to Graph page of the deposition controller. “Start” changed to “Reset” when the process starts. If needed, click “ Abort” in the “Process” page to shut down the process. Power vs Time graph shows the soak 1, rise 1 and soak 2, rise 2 steps. Then deposition begins and source shutter will be open.

10. Deposition rate can be viewed through “Rate vs Time” graph.

11. The overview screen should show the rotation, source A/B are on. Once shutter is open, a yellow triangle indicates the deposition is under the way. 12. Once the process is over. “Auto process” will shut down the source power and close the shutter and rotation. Go to “Auto pump/valve/Regen” page and click “Auto Vent” to vent the chamber and take out the sample and make sure clean the debris and take out your boat!

13. For setting up heating and glowing, refer to “Heat” and “Glow Operation” as below. Heat and Current Set Value

The Heat Power on/off can be controlled on this screen.

The Heat Setpoint (°C) can be input or changed by clicking on the white data entry box. Enter the desired setpoint on the pop-up screen and press enter.

The substrate Rotation needs to be on for heater to work.

Graphics display the Process Value (PV) or actual temperature, the Setpoint (SP), and the Output (0 – 100%).

New Limits MUST be downloaded to the system PLC to be activated by clicking “Heat Limit Download”.

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Glow Operation

1. Make sure the system is under High Vacuum (rough valve is close, Hi Vac is open, Cryo pump is on and pressure < -6 Torr)

2. Make sure the Ar gas valve is open and “Rotation” is on

3. Click gas valve to introduce gas. The pressure will jump up. Close the “Hi Vac Valve” 5s after the gas valve is open. Turn up the gas valve knob on the front panel and wait the pressure go to 8E-2 Torr.

4. Close the gas valve knob

5. Click “Glow Power” to turn on the glow for desired period of time

6. Turn off “ Gloow Power” and close the Ar gas valve

7. Open the “Hi Vac Valve”